‘Help me get her into the chapel,’ said Zivco Ilić. He grabbed her left leg, but Frend did not move. He supposed he was in shock, but he was also thinking about his future, because as of that moment he no longer seemed to have one. He needed the passport, but the passport had died with Kauffmann.

‘Why did you do that?’ he said, once he’d found his voice. ‘Why didn’t you just pay her the money as agreed?’

But Ilić was too busy dragging Kauffmann into the dimness of the chapel to reply. Frend, realizing that the only thing worse than what had already happened might be someone coming across the body, awkwardly lifted Kauffmann by the arms. He lost his grip and her head banged against the chapel floor, but by then she was out of sight. Ilić finished the job unaided, dumping her against the wall. He picked up the fallen envelope and placed it in his jacket pocket before tossing the bag on top of the body. He then pulled the doors closed behind him, followed by the metal gates.

‘The money,’ said Frend. ‘Where is it?’

‘Don’t you understand?’ said Ilić. ‘There is no money! Radovan said that he’d found a way to get it, but the funds never came through. It’s of no consequence now. We have the passports, and by the time they find the body, we’ll be gone.’

‘You’ll be gone,’ said Frend. ‘What about me?’

‘You can talk your way out of trouble. That’s all you lawyers are good for, talking. Anyway, what have you done that’s so bad? You moved some cash around, nothing more. Your banking system launders millions for the Russians and your prosecutors don’t even blink, so what do you think they’ll do to you? You’ll barely feel the slap on the wrist.’

‘And Kauffmann?’

By now Frend was trailing Ilić as he walked quickly to the parking lot.

‘What of her?’ said Ilić. ‘She’s dead.’

‘She didn’t work in isolation. What if she told her contact at the embassy who those passports were for? What if she identified me as the mediator?’

Ilić waved a hand in dismissal. ‘If she did, they’ll keep their mouths shut. You think they’ll want to be implicated? You worry too much.’

Ilić took out his car keys and deactivated the alarm, but Frend grabbed his arm as he moved to open the car door.

‘Don’t you understand?’ said Frend. ‘Kauffmann was protected. She had value. By killing her, you’ve damned me.’

Ilić spun. The punch wasn’t hard, and caught Frend only a glancing blow, but he was off-balance and fell awkwardly. He felt something give in his left wrist, and he let out a yelp. Ilić showed him the gun.