The country house hotel where he was staying had been purchased on more of a whim than from any sound business calculation. Lagan had always liked the way the solid stone house owned the landscape, the largest dwelling by far on the single-track back road to Inverness. Set back from the road, the house sat implacably in manicured gardens. Scots pines lent height to the acres of level lawn, sheltering the house from the occasional strong winds that funnelled down the glen. The hotel revenue stream barely made a worthwhile profit, but at least it offered some of the creature comforts he was used to enjoying in London. Where else could he rely on staff to be at his beck and call at all hours? The food was excellent, cooked imaginatively and expertly by one of the finest chefs in Scotland. He glanced out of the leaded glass bedroom window at the driveway and admired a Jaguar XS in Epsom Racing Green. He’d had the car delivered that afternoon, straight from the Inverness showroom. He felt an almost schoolboy excitement at the prospect of driving it to the ball; the smell of new leather, the powerful engine.

A woman crossed the drive from the hotel car park, pausing to look at his car. He watched her as she circled it, studying the sleek lines. He could imagine her wondering who it belonged to, who had such impeccable taste in cars? She looked up at his window, catching him observing her and she gave a little wave before wandering off to her own car from which she extracted an overnight bag. Another guest – that was almost a full house! He smacked his lips together in satisfaction and headed down to reception, collecting the electronic key which had been left for him. As Lord Lagan operated the car remote, he didn’t notice the same woman sitting in her car, nor would he have understood what the device was that she held in her hand. She watched him drive off, her eyes fixed on his car as it swept down the tree-lined drive until it was lost behind a bank of rhododendrons. With a tight smile she turned the ignition and leisurely followed the Jaguar into Inverness.