Trays of champagne held aloft by waiters in black were circulating. I looked at my watch. It was nearing 11 p.m. and I wanted to be in bed. Or at least in pyjamas on the sofa in front of Netflix. Not at a party in a skintight catsuit surrounded by fashionistas, working out how to rummage through another woman’s handbag. The music had now ramped up a further notch. I looked over at Cameron. She was swaying to the beat with a glass of champagne in one hand. She was having fun. I remembered when I thought nights like this were a perk of the job. Just like her I’d roar into a party, in my best dress, my highest heels, and I would drink and I would dance and I would feel the beat of the music, soak up men’s stares and feel good. I was strong, powerful and just the right level of drunk.

I could have them or I could kill them. I was invincible.

Working late now held no appeal. I’d rather have an early night with my husband and then feel less exhausted when getting up early with my daughter. I looked again at Cameron. She wasn’t that much younger than me. We’d been in this business for nearly the same length of time. My desire to have a family was what changed me. I wanted to be a Rat and I wanted to be a mother. I wanted to do both. That moment might never come for Cameron. She would carry on steamrolling through life just as she was now and be perfectly happy. The real difference between her and me was that I could respect her choice, while she couldn’t respect mine.

I finally caught sight of Ling Ling. She was at the stainless-steel bar that ran along the back of the wall underneath the DJ booth, waiting to be served.

I nodded over at Cameron. She elbowed her way across the room to the bar, squeezed in next to Ling Ling’s friends and within seconds had the bartender’s attention. Ling Ling’s bag was on her right shoulder. I jostled past a group of men with handlebar moustaches, until I was just behind her and waited.

Pixie had briefed us that at the end of the last meeting Robin had seen Ling Ling replace the Dictaphone into the middle section of her large Balenciaga tote bag.