‘Through here.’ Fairchild ignored her question and strode on until they reached a heavy wooden door. He pushed the handle down and went through. The room beyond was a cross between a library and a lounge. Tall bookcases towered over a set of armchairs that clustered round a huge fireplace. A window seat looked out onto a terrace. Fairchild gestured at the armchairs. ‘Take a seat. I’ll be back in a mo.’

He returned a minute later with a sheaf of papers under one arm. He put the papers on a low coffee table and settled into an armchair.

‘Who killed my mother?’ Silva said. ‘I don’t believe it was Karen Hope, but I’m prepared to accept she’s mixed up in all this somewhere.’

‘Mixed up?’ Fairchild cocked his head to one side. ‘Oh, I’m afraid “mixed up” is the least of it.’

‘Show me.’ Silva pointed at the fan of documents.

There was a pause before Fairchild spoke. ‘What do you know about Hope?’

‘Not much. She’s a Democrat, but right wing. Her family are involved in the military in some way. She’s the front runner in the race to be president. It seems as if she’s a compromise candidate who can win over the centre ground.’

‘For a young woman, you’re remarkably well informed.’

‘Don’t patronise me.’

‘I’m not.’ Fairchild held up his hands. ‘Most people these days, of all ages, can barely recognise any of our own politicians, let alone those from another country.’

‘Get on with it.’

‘Let’s start with some background.’ Fairchild extracted a sheet from the pile of documents. He slid it across the table. ‘Everything you need to know is in here, but I’ll summarise.’

Silva reached for the piece of paper. There was a picture of Hope at the top. Beneath the smiling face a couple of paragraphs listed Hope’s biographical details and notable achievements.

‘You are right about the military angle. Karen Hope’s father founded what is now Allied American Armaments. By sales it’s the fifth largest arms manufacturer in the US. The family connection helps Karen Hope appeal to a wide voter base, and many Republican voters are going to turn to her at the next election. Just think, recent presidents have been despised by roughly fifty per cent of the population. Karen Hope is different and offers exactly what her name suggests. A rare chance for unity in a divided country.’

‘What is this? American Studies 101?’ Silva shook her head. ‘Can we get back to the point? About how Hope is responsible for the death of my mother?’

‘Of course.’ Fairchild reached for another piece of paper. A printout of a spreadsheet. Columns of figures. Dollar signs. Lots of zeros. ‘How do you think Karen Hope funds her campaign?’

‘Her father?’