‘Conquer has made itself a very powerful, unwanted enemy in Russia’s president,’ Cavalier said. ‘Now the CIA and its Russian counterpart are its enemies. You can’t get bigger than that.’

‘I could,’ Haut said.

‘What?’

‘Nothing.’

‘You said Natalia got the registration number for the kidnap vehicle.’

‘Yeah,’ Haut said, picking up his phone. He found the number and Cavalier wrote it down on a notepad.

‘I’ll run it past my MI6 contact. We may be able to trace its owner.’ They were alerted as three men hurried past, glancing inside the cafe without noticing them at the rear.

‘Jesus!’ Cavalier muttered.

He called over a waiter, and gave him fifty euros for their food and wine. He asked in French if there was a rear exit.

‘We have some unwanted drunken friends looking for us,’ Cavalier said calmly.

The waiter led them through the kitchen to a rear gate and showed them out.

‘We shouldn’t go back to the hotel,’ Haut suggested.

‘They won’t know we’re there,’ Cavalier said. ‘I booked it over the phone.’

He led Haut through streets down to Rue Monge and then back up to the hotel at 75 Cardinal Lemoine. They walked past it, waited a minute and then doubled back. Cavalier used an electronic key and ushered Haut in. They strolled up the path to the entrance but did not go in immediately. Two couples were sipping wine in the forecourt. Cavalier spoke to the woman in reception and asked casually if anyone had been in to see them.

‘Non, Monsieur,’ the receptionist said with a pout and shake of her head. The two men made their way to their adjacent rooms and barricaded themselves in for the night. Cavalier slept with his gun within easy reach on a bedside table.

54 REVENGE SERVED HOT

54

REVENGE SERVED HOT

Cavalier had the registered owner’s name the next day.

‘The name is Peter Black,’ he told Haut. ‘But get this. Black is a former senior British police commander. Even has an OBE from the queen.’

‘Wooo!’ Haut mouthed.

‘There’s more. I have it on good authority that the man has gone on to do dirty work with standover tactics in the debt collection business, among other things. He has half-a-dozen known criminals working for him. Business is good, I’m told.’

‘Wonder if Ernie North knows him?’

*

A fortnight later, Haut returned to London, leaving Natalia in her parents’ care. He met North at the club and they spoke in a corner of the bar. North had been furious at the way Natalia had been handled. The news about Peter Black angered him more.