No, thought Hepton. This wasn’t the time to give away secrets. He saw why Jilly had done it. She was a journalist, a journalist who knew something about the man before her. Her professional instinct was to go for the jugular, startle him into some kind of revelation, get him worried … but this wasn’t a newspaper story. This was entirely more serious.

‘Jilly,’ he warned, ‘not now.’

‘Why not?’ she snarled. ‘Why not now?’

‘Because I say so.’ His voice was cold and hard, but his eyes were ablaze. She read his thoughts and seemed to understand them. Villiers had a bemused smile on his face.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said to Jilly, ‘what was it you were about to say?’

Her cheeks were red. ‘Nothing,’ she said.

Villiers turned to Hepton. ‘You know I served in the Royal Marines then?’ Hepton stayed silent. ‘You both seem to know a lot about me, Mr Hepton. Now why should that be? Why should a lowly civil servant interest you so much? Hmm?’

But now it was Hepton’s lips that stayed tight shut. Villiers rose from his chair and turned to stare out of his window. Hepton glanced at Jilly, whose face looked pained. She mouthed, ‘I’m sorry,’ at him. He merely winked in reassurance. Villiers turned back to face them.

‘I’m not sure speaking with Major Dreyfuss would be such a wise move,’ he stated. ‘I’d like you both to leave now.’

Hepton hadn’t been expecting this. But he saw that it made sense. He had been brought here to speak to Dreyfuss so that Villiers could ascertain how much he knew about Zephyr. But now Villiers had discovered that Hepton knew about him, making the telephone call hazardous. Indeed, Hepton now saw, it was imperative to Villiers that Hepton and Jilly leave, since their call to Dreyfuss would doubtless include their suspicions of Villiers himself …

‘We’re staying,’ he said. Jilly looked at him, uncomprehending.

‘Not if I want you to leave,’ Villiers said quietly.

‘Nevertheless, we’re staying.’

Villiers stared at him, then smiled, coming back towards the desk. ‘You’re a clever man, Mr Hepton. But you’re also incredibly stupid.’

He reached out a hand to pick up the receiver of the internal telephone, but just at that moment the other telephone started ringing. Hepton leapt from his seat, grabbing Villiers by the shoulders and propelling him away from the desk, pinning him against the wall. Villiers was strong, and he struggled.

‘Jilly,’ Hepton hissed between gritted teeth. ‘Answer the bloody phone!’

She did so. ‘Hello?’