I held up Hoxton dolly against the enlarged photo of the real dolly on the whiteboard. They looked identical. ‘I think it will be OK. The only problem is the smell.’ I picked up Hoxton dolly and gave it a sniff. ‘There’s just no way of knowing if they smell alike. She could reject it outright.’

‘I checked the brand of washing powder Peppa uses and used the same one,’ offered Pixie.

‘So our whole plan for success rests upon whether a three-year-old can spot a fake doll?’ Hattie sighed and looked round at us all. ‘We’re in trouble. Real trouble. We haven’t confirmed the identities of the Snake or the Coyote. They are both still in operation and out there circling Peng. Tomorrow she will be at Lord Wycombe’s shoot surrounded by guns and well over a hundred of people we haven’t cleared.’

‘What are you suggesting we do, boss?’ asked Robin.

‘We need to get her to understand the risk and to cancel.’

‘Admitting to Peng and her people that we have a security leak and that’s why she could end up dead is something the Committee would never approve,’ I said. ‘It’s giving China the heads-up they can place all the blame at our door should anything happen.’

‘We could try and get her to back out without explaining why it’s so high-risk?’ suggested Robin.

‘Peng is not going to listen to the British Security Services. She has no reason to trust any of us, especially if we can’t explain the situation in full.’ Hattie pinched the bridge of his nose as he leaned back in his chair. ‘If any of us had a relationship with her we’d have a shot, but it’s not like we’re going to be welcomed into her suite for a cosy off-the-record chat.’

I remembered something from a file I had read a long time ago. About a Rat and a certain mission in China. Could it be? I looked it up on our server as everyone continued to debate the situation. A few clicks and it was confirmed.

‘I have an idea,’ I announced. ‘I just need to make a call.’

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

I KNOCKED ON THE DOOR of Peng’s suite at the Mandarin Oriental. Her assistant Ling Ling opened the door.

‘Hello, Miss Alexis, Minister Peng is expecting you.’

Ling Ling showed no sign of recognising me as the catsuited woman chasing her would-be mugger, but then she would’ve only had a brief glimpse of me streaking past her as she lay winded on the street.