I wasn’t so sure. ‘He knows this is his last chance for a final payday. He succeeds in killing Peng and he gets paid whatever ridiculous seven-figure amount the Chinese People’s Alliance have promised him. And then he has enough funds to stay invisible for the rest of his life.’

We looked round. The auction room was rapidly filling up.

‘You know him best,’ said Jake. ‘What do you think his move would be?’

I scanned the crowds of people. He wouldn’t risk coming up here. Not when he knew we were looking for him.

Peng walked into the room with the rest of the delegation trailing behind her. She started a slow tour around the room, admiring each piece of art fixed to the walls.

How would I get her?

In a room I couldn’t be seen in?

If I didn’t care who or how many had to die.

There was one way.

But would he have gone for it?

‘Yesterday he screamed at Florence for playing with Play-Doh she found in his office.’

Was it really Play-Doh?

‘He went on and on about how she shouldn’t ever go through his things.’

Or was it C-4?

I looked round the bustling room. There must be three hundred people here.

It had to be C-4.

A bomb. He’d planted a bomb.

If he couldn’t get close to Peng without getting caught, it was the only way.

I turned to Jake. ‘We need to search whatever is directly underneath this room.’

He took a beat to process what I was saying.

‘You’re right. It makes sense.’

Geraint and Pixie were in a van parked outside. ‘G-Force, pull up the floor plans of Christie’s. We need to know where Frederick would most likely plant a bomb.’

‘A bomb . . . right.’

‘There’s a door at the far corner – where does it lead?’

‘Down to the vaults. That’s the best bet for where it would be. The auction room would be directly above the blast radius. There’s another set of stairs leading down to the vaults by the entrance.’

‘Jake – I’ll take the door. You take the entrance stairs.’ I checked my watch. ‘The auction starts in ten minutes. Go!’

We separated and walked fast towards the respective doors.

‘G-Force, patch in Hattie – he’s going to need to be updated if we find anything.’

I walked up to the door marked ‘Private’ and, without slowing down or even looking round, went through. The combination of my black trouser suit and a confident air of belonging should be enough to stop anyone questioning me. Otherwise a flash of one of my police or Security Service IDs and talk of a confidential operation would ensure no one got in my way.