‘They’re the least of his problems now,’ I said. ‘Nasty accident. Tried to run me off the road and it didn’t end well for him. Last I saw, he was leaking from places you shouldn’t leak from.’

There was silence for a moment. I stared out through the dirty glass. In the distance was the little hill that dipped down to the valley where Gilsland lay. Across the road was the big old castle and the remains of the old prisoner-of-war camp. I hadn’t realized until that moment just how much this little pocket of desolate land felt like home.

‘He’s dead?’ asked Walt, and there was a note in his voice that sounded a lot like sorrow.

‘Not yet,’ I said. ‘Went into a tractor at sixty. Went through the window. I don’t think he’ll be getting up.’

Walt fell silent again. ‘I’m sure you feel like you’ve scored a point, Cordelia. I have no doubt you believe yourself to be the victim of persecution and that you have defended yourself from unimaginable horrors. Would it matter to you if I told you that he was not your enemy?’

I finished the cigarette. Threw the butt out of the window, pissed off at everybody and everything. ‘He tried to kill me.’

‘He tried to stop you.’

‘He threatened my life. Told me I had to go back to London to face the inquisition.’

‘He tried to keep you out of harm’s way.’

‘I’ve played the recording,’ I said, refusing to believe him. ‘They’ve got you and me talking in the crypt. They’ve got Cranham giving the go-ahead to do what needs to be done.’

He gave a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sigh. ‘I recorded us, Cordelia. Do try and use that marvellous mind of yours. I recorded Cranham. I sent the recording to your superiors as a courtesy to our friendship and the fact that I remain fond of you. It was clearly a mistake for which I will pay heavily. You are bringing nothing to this operation but difficulty and nuisance.’

‘Nuisance?’ I shouted, furious at the word. ‘You approached me! You’re the one using my bloody house! You’re the one who told me to take it to Talbot …’

I stopped, bitterly conscious of how skilfully I’d been manipulated. Everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours had occurred exactly as Walt wanted it to. He was playing a game and I was a piece to be moved around the board. But how to win? Who was the enemy?

‘I’d imagine you’re giving yourself a headache right about now,’ said Walt, chattily. ‘I should imagine that excellent mind of yours is fizzing with questions. Give me your location and we can finish this conversation in person.’