Cameron looked over to me and I gave a nod at the two Ghosts. She turned to look and then reached for another glass of champagne.

We couldn’t leave. Ling Ling wasn’t going to stand a chance if they came for her.

We needed to watch. To wait and see what they did next. Ling Ling and her friends were now dancing. So much for hoping they were on their way out.

I checked my watch. It was coming up to 1 a.m. Surely she must be wanting to go back to the hotel. I remembered the delegation’s schedule. She had an early start. She should really be in bed. All around us people were dancing, heads swaying, hands moving.

The Ghosts kept Ling Ling in their sights. I knew why they hadn’t made a move. Too large a throng of people. No fast exit.

I scanned the room again and spotted a third Ghost. This was not good. Assigning this many to her meant they were after something.

Ling Ling and her friends huddled together as one held out a phone and snapped a photo. They walked towards the exit, arms linked.

Cameron looked totally absorbed in the good time she was having but seeing them move she immediately extricated herself from the man she had been gyrating with and followed me towards the door.

The large warehouse opened out into a side street. Ling Ling and her friends came laughing out the door with me directly behind them. There were small groups of people outside smoking and vaping.

The side street had been closed to cars. The three women walked down it, back towards the main road. Cameron arrived at my side. We watched their progress down the street.

One of the Ghosts followed them. He came up on the right of them and overtook them. What was their plan?

I turned to look for the other two Ghosts. One was far over on the left. The third? The third I spotted as he followed directly behind the women.

They were in formation.

They were going to make a move.

The third Ghost would make a grab; if he failed, the first was up ahead to try again. The second Ghost was now peeling off to another side street – he must be retrieving their getaway vehicle.

The minute those women turned off the street out of view of the smokers, the Ghosts would pounce. We had to wait until they did.

Cameron clearly reached the same conclusion. ‘I’ll get the one going for the wheels.’ She set off after the second Ghost. Cutting off their means of escape was a good bet at upsetting whatever they had planned.