‘You said she was a child.’

‘She looks like a child – no, she is a child – but when you see her up close, you realize that you’re mistaken. It’s hard to explain without sounding foolish.’

‘Go on. You’re doing well – and you’re helping your daughter.’

‘I hope so. I really—’ Frend briefly lost his train of thought. Angel thought the lawyer might have been on the verge of tears. ‘I’m sorry, where was I?’

‘You were talking about the girl, Zorya,’ said Angel.

‘Zorya, yes. It’s as though someone hollowed out a child, removed its essence, and then replaced it with the soul of a creature much older. Radovan calls her his brother’s witch. Spiridon consults her, and defers to her judgment. She has a condition of the spine, scoliosis. It’s not very apparent, but it’s there.’

‘You said she’d killed.’

‘She has a blade. She keeps it in her sleeve. But—’

‘Yes?’

‘She prefers to use her hands, or so I hear. She has sharp nails.’

Angel was about to ask if she had killed Hendricksen, just to be absolutely sure, but the question would have given Frend a small advantage. Right now, Frend couldn’t be certain who had his daughter. If Angel asked about Hendricksen, he would know.

‘Does she stay with Spiridon?’

‘Not always. Radovan says she likes the night.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘She wanders when it’s dark,’ said Frend. ‘She may even sleep rough. I wish I could tell you more, but that’s all I know.’

‘What about guns? Are the Vuksans armed?’

‘Ilić carries a pistol. I assume Spiridon and Radovan do likewise.’

‘Wait,’ said Angel. ‘How do you know that Ilić wears a gun?’

‘He’s the go-between. I haven’t seen the Vuksans since they arrived in Austria, only Ilić.’

‘How do you stay in contact?’

‘Email.’

‘Give me the address.’

Frend needed a moment to search for it, presumably on his phone or in a notebook. He then recited a Tutanota encrypted address, which Angel wrote down.

‘What about phones?’

‘We change the numbers regularly. Radovan has a list of my SIMs, and he sends me his new numbers by email, but he’s being very sparing with them. Right now we’re in transition, and I haven’t yet received the latest.’

That sounded like evasion on Frend’s part, but Angel didn’t pursue it. Burner numbers would be of limited use to them.

‘Is there a protocol?’ said Angel.

‘What do you mean?’

‘A system. Do you email at particular times? Are there specific words to be used in the event of a problem?’

‘Like a code?’

‘Like an alarm.’

‘No.’

‘Let me warn you again about lying.’

‘I’m not lying. We don’t use greetings or names, but otherwise it’s just straightforward communication.’

‘When did you last meet Ilić?’

‘At the weekend. The girl was with him.’

‘Why did you meet?’