‘What on earth are you doing, Lesley?’ O’Brien was in the doorway to the private room.

‘Putting on some warpaint, of course. I’m not going to face them looking like I’ve been slapped round the face with a brick.’ Hogarth continued, sticking out the tip of her tongue in concentration.

‘Lesley, that’s a bad idea,’ said O’Brien. ‘Surely we want people to see how much you’ve been hurt.’

Hogarth put the make-up down on the bedside table. ‘It’s only a little concealer, Nina.’

O’Brien reached over and took it off her. ‘But right now, we want to be sending a clear message. If anything, you should be accentuating your injuries.’

‘Nina, that’s cynical even for you.’

‘Maybe, but this is a golden opportunity – use it to our advantage. And the police are saying it’s an Islamist attack, so use that.’

Hogarth looked troubled. ‘Hang on, Nina, they’re saying that’s a possibility, among many.’

‘Sod that, Lesley,’ said O’Brien. ‘This isn’t time for nuance. Do you think Ishmail Sherif held back after the failed attack on him in Leeds? No, he exploited that attack, he drained every drop of blood from it. Sod the warpaint. Just declare war.’

#

Hogarth allowed herself to be pushed to the hospital entrance, but then wrestled aside the nurse’s hands on her wheelchair to do the last bit herself. The automatic doors swished open and for a moment she was blinded by the eruption of camera flashes.

She eased on the brakes and waited while reporters pushed microphones and smartphones into her face.

She needed no megaphone.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, first may I say thank you to the doctors, nurses and other staff of St James’s for their tireless work. They are, quite simply, the best in the world and we should celebrate them.’

She paused. Three key messages, O’Brien had said. Just three then back to bed.

‘I have information that last night I was the victim of an assassination attempt by an Islamist terrorist. This man broke into my home, knocked unconscious PC Bob Brake, who works tirelessly to protect me, and then shot me in the leg from some distance. PC Brake is badly injured, but he is expected to make a full recovery. Our best wishes and prayers go to him and his family. I speak with Bob almost every day, a proud father and a dependable officer. That he nearly lost his life protecting me is the most upsetting aspect of this brutal assassination attempt.

‘As one of the few politicians who have stood up for our communities, I am not surprised that Islamists have come after me… it will not diminish my determination but rather strengthen it. Unless they put me in a coffin, you can rely on me.’ That seemed to go down well, Hogarth thought. Another cracking line from O’Brien. The woman really was extraordinarily good at this sort of thing.

Her voice changed, hardened, deepened. She stared around at the cameras, catching each one in turn for a moment.