Ling Ling led me through an opulent entrance hall and into the suite’s large sitting room where the floor-to-ceiling windows framed an impressive view of Hyde Park. I took in the lavish silk wall coverings, marble fireplace and deep sofas. A large platter of breakfast pastries had been placed in the centre of the marble coffee table, alongside a vast china teapot and three matching dainty teacups and saucers.

The largest sofa next to the coffee table had an ornate wooden frame and plumped-up pale-blue cushions.

And upon it sat Minister Peng and Mrs Moulage.

They both stood up.

Ling Ling nodded at Peng and left the room, closing the panelled door behind her.

‘Hello, Agent Tyler.’ Peng strode forward and clasped my hand in hers. ‘It is good to meet you. Doris has filled me in on everything. Please come sit.’ She motioned towards the armchair next to them.

Doris? Did I finally know Mrs Moulage’s real name?

‘Thank you for meeting me, Minister Peng. I understand this is unorthodox but when I saw from our files that you had crossed paths with Mrs Moulage, I hoped you might be open to an off-the-record conversation.’

‘We’ve known each other for over forty years.’ Peng turned to Mrs Moulage. ‘I owe everything to this woman, yet requesting that I meet with you is the first time she’s ever asked me for anything.’

‘The files mention your first meeting, how it was at the People’s Congress during the aftermath of a high-profile delegate’s assassination. Did you help with her mission?’

Peng and Mrs Moulage exchanged a look.

‘The files won’t tell you the full story of what happened that night.’ Peng reached over to the teapot and filled up each of the teacups. ‘I was working late. I was ambitious even then, as a junior clerk. One of my superiors came across me alone in one of the offices and decided to take advantage of the situation.’

She poured a tiny splash of milk into Mrs Moulage’s teacup and handed it to her.

‘Milk? Sugar?’ she asked me.

‘Just milk, please.’

I watched as her hand shook a little as she poured it in and handed it to me.

‘I made quite a bit of noise.’ She took a sip of her tea. ‘Thankfully, Doris was passing by that office at that moment and heard the commotion. She didn’t have to get involved. It could’ve risked her whole mission. But she walked in on us, shot him dead and told me to run.’ Peng looked over at Mrs Moulage. ‘She saved me.’

‘And then you saved me back.’ Mrs Moulage smiled.

‘Doris was caught by police just outside Congress; one of them thought he had recognised her from earlier, behaving suspiciously. She was trying the lost tourist act and they weren’t believing her.’