‘Bloody hell. What about the other three? Also students?’

‘The university has IDed one – Waheed Saleem – a maths graduate. Doesn’t appear to be a friend or acquaintance of Asad. Still waiting to hear on the other two.’

‘Do they have any previous?’ asked Gabriel.

‘None. They’re clean skins. Nothing on any of our systems. Thames has Saleem in the system from old intel as an Islamist extremist, but he was assessed not to be a threat.’

‘Get down there,’ said Gabriel. ‘Interview the student Islamic Society leading lights, find out everything we can about this Asad and Saleem. I want to know where they prayed, what clubs they joined, who recruited them and which toilet they liked to piss into.’

Once Bose had left, Gabriel called Tennant.

‘It’s doing my head in,’ said Tennant, after Gabriel had updated him. ‘Imagine the impact of another successful Islamist attack right now. And meanwhile, we’ve got the country ripping itself to pieces while the likes of Hogarth and Thomas and the Shadow Home Secretary and Sherif whip up the hatred, pile on the rhetoric and make the job a million times harder. We’ll have riots before the end of the year.

‘Listen, Sophie, we need one more thing. I want the behavioural science team to identify potential targets for Abu Mujahid’s attack. High profile, spectacular, imaginative – everything that fits his profile. Get inside his head.’

I don’t need a psychologist to do that, thought Gabriel as she carefully replaced the handset.

#

Chelsea, London

Hogarth sat on the bed, the hospital TV screen hanging from its cradle in front of her. O’Brien watched from the plastic chair next to Hogarth’s pillow as the Prime Minister clutched the wooden pedestal with both hands.

‘…and so, with reluctance, I have decided it is in the best interests of the country and our party to stand down and make way for my successor. In the meantime, my good friend, the Home Secretary Ben Thomas, will serve as acting prime minister.’ There was a stuttering of camera flashes as he looked briefly at his script.

‘It has been a privilege and honour to serve the people of this country over the last two years. I say this – that our country is the finest, and our people the greatest. We will get through the current troubles, and we will emerge a better, more unified, more diverse and more tolerant society. Thank you.’

He stepped down from the pedestal and walked to the black limo as the reporters began their futile barrage of questions.

‘Nicely done,’ said Hogarth, turning down the volume. ‘I think he nicked a line from Blair, but still, nicely done. I do like a good resignation speech.’ She beamed at O’Brien.

‘Are you ready to meet the Home Secretary, Lesley? Are you fit enough?’

‘Oh, stop fussing, girl, I’m tip-top. I’ve had worse injuries gardening. But get the car to pick me up at the back entrance. I don’t want a media scrum.’