‘Until you came up to me saying, “Audrey, there you are. Audrey, let’s go for dinner now.” ’

The two women laughed.

‘I thought she looked like Audrey Hepburn and it was the only foreigner name I could think of. We were able to walk away from the police and were eating Beijing’s best jiaozi dumplings before they found even one of the two dead men in Congress that night.’

‘The details of how Siew-Yong and I met are not in the files because what I did went against all our protocols. Especially the part where I let her walk away because I trusted her to never tell anyone what she knew. But sometimes you have to rely on your instincts and do what you think is right.’

‘Well, Doris, you have good instincts. All these decades later and this is first time I’ve spoken about it.’ Peng reached over and patted Mrs Moulage on the knee.

‘I’m glad you rang me, Lex,’ said Mrs Moulage. ‘After the warehouse I did worry your mission had something to do with Siew-Yong and I no longer have the required clearance to get into Eight’s system. You need to explain to her what you told me.’

‘Minister Peng, we are coming to you, unofficially, to warn of an imminent threat to your life. The Chinese People’s Alliance have hired an assassin to kill you while you’re here in the UK.’

‘I know,’ said Peng. She topped her cup up with more tea. ‘They’re always trying to kill me. They and various other terrorist organisations. I seem to make a lot of people very angry. Most of my dresses have to be tailored round a bulletproof vest.’

‘That’s sacrilege, Siew-Yong, utter sacrilege.’ Mrs Moulage, resplendent in a beautifully cut dark pink midi-dress, shook her head.

‘Minister Peng, I understand you’re used to living with the threat but this time it’s different. It’s much more dangerous. Right now our Security Services are compromised. There is a leak. We don’t know if we can trust even our own people.’

‘And you worry they are feeding information to my enemies.’

I nodded. ‘The Wycombe shoot that you’re attending tomorrow. It is most likely they will strike there and we won’t be able to protect you. There are too many variables. Too many points of entry. Too many guns.’

‘I understand the risks. But you must understand I have to go.’ Peng put her cup down on the table. ‘There are things I prefer to not go into but getting this contract with Lord Wycombe’s company signed relies on certain conversations I need to have with certain people who’ll be attending. Returning to China without this contract will be considered a massive failing on my part. I will struggle to maintain control and respect. The factions that seek to undo me will try that bit harder, and have that much more support.’