They’re driving south, over Blackfriars Bridge. She should have stayed in Cornwall. Should have stayed with Jake. She wanted to call out when she saw him in the street with Bex, but she didn’t dare. Not after what happened a few minutes before. When she left Ajay in Rob’s apartment, she walked out to the lift, where Putin met her. But he wasn’t all smiles as he had been yesterday at Paddington. He just stood in silence to one side of the open lift doors, waiting for her to enter. And then she glanced back into the flat and made a run for the stairs. Wrong move.

She didn’t get further than a few paces before she dropped to the floor as if she’d been shot, clutching at her throat. She’d never felt pain like it in her life. Strangled and electrocuted at the same time. She’s not sure if she cried out – she doesn’t think she could, her throat was so constricted. The pain stopped after a few seconds. She lay stunned on the shiny tiles, aware of Putin walking over to her, Ajay rushing out of the flat door, protesting.

‘Too high,’ Ajay cried. She’d never heard him like that before. Hysterical with anger. ‘Way too high.’

‘Do exactly as I say and it won’t happen again,’ Putin said, ignoring Ajay as he squatted down beside her. She stared ahead in shock, curled up in a ball, frozen with fear. ‘Try to run away, talk to anyone, make any kind of fuss and the pain will be worse, much worse.’

The palm of his hand came into focus. He was holding out a small remote control with a dial on it for her to see. It was set at three – on a scale of one to ten.

Putin wasn’t smiling then and he’s not smiling now as they head down towards Southwark. Kate read about them once: electric-shock collars used to train dogs. And now she’s wearing one for humans, disguised as wearable technology. She can’t believe Ajay put it on her, knowing what it was, the pain it could inflict. She’s being treated like an animal. Ajay must have been acting under duress. Why else would he also tell her to run? Protest so loudly?

‘Where are we going?’ she asks Putin, not expecting an answer. He doesn’t give one. She tries to loosen the neckband. He flicks a glance at her and then at the empty passenger seat, where the remote is lying.