‘Not funny. A leak about us would be a pain. Do you really think Johnny would think you should be closer to the FC than to the Globe?’

She leans over and makes her eyes wide as if full of innocence. ‘You mean you haven’t told your boss? I thought it was compulsory on the FC for all conflicts of interest to be disclosed.’

I laugh. ‘Jesus. Can you imagine that conversation with Lorimer? Even if he knew, he’d probably die of embarrassment before he said anything.’ I roll over. ‘Do you think Johnny suspects?’

She shrugs. ‘It’s my job to make sure Johnny only knows what’s useful.’

‘It’s not as if we’re doing anything that doesn’t go on all the time,’ I say, mostly to reassure myself. I don’t want to jeopardise work. ‘Being boring for a second, isn’t it better that we aren’t being talked about?’

She ignores me, swings her legs out of bed, reaches down and grabs her jeans off the floor. I am pretty sure she was wearing something else when I arrived. ‘Get dressed,’ she says. ‘I’ve got a meeting with Johnny in half an hour.’

Marilyn and I have been seeing each other for almost three months, since we snogged in the back of a taxi after a drunken night in The Groucho. Marilyn’s idea of pillow talk is to grill me for intelligence on the Tories, hint at some great secret about her party that she only wishes she could share, then abruptly decide she needs to get back to the office. Even though I can’t get enough of her, I never stay the night.

Right now, I don’t want her to leave. I try a bribe.

‘I’ve heard something you’ll find interesting.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Ramsey will announce the election on Monday.’

‘Are you sure? We thought Wednesday.’

‘No. Definitely Monday.’

‘How do you know?’

‘I can’t say. Just trust me.’

‘When did you hear?’

‘This afternoon.’

‘Jesus, Gil. Were you working the room at your sister’s funeral? Actually, don’t tell me. I really don’t want to know.’ She laughs. ‘You are such a piece of work.’

‘I’m on compassionate leave. I needed to know how long I could afford to be off.’

‘You’re right. I’m sorry.’ She turns serious. ‘I can’t imagine what it must feel like to lose a sister. From what I read in the papers, she must have been amazing.’

Clare’s death has attracted a surprising amount of coverage. The tabloids focused on the tragedy of a young mum killed on her bike, while the broadsheets went with the rising civil service star cut off in her prime. I don’t know who briefed them. My parents, obviously, assume it was me.

‘It turns out I met her,’ Marilyn says. ‘She came in to see Johnny.’