‘Old-fashioned,’ said the neighbour, who was white, thin and nervous in an expensive kind of way. ‘Rather like a music hall in fact. Do you know, now I think of it, I believe there was singing.’

I noted that as ‘some evidence that the premises had been in use the week previously by person or persons unknown’ which could go in the report and ‘heavy magical activity’ which would not. I sat in the Asbo with the engine running and wrote out a first draft of my statement. You need to get this stuff down as soon as possible, so you can make a clear distinction between what you plan to write down and what really happened.

I was just detailing the statue and trying to remember where I’d written down its evidence reference number when my phone rang.

I checked – the number was being withheld.

‘PC Grant?’ asked a man.

‘Speaking,’ I said. ‘Who’s this?’

‘Simon Kittredge CTC,’ he said. ‘I’m Special Agent Reynolds’ liaison.’

CTC is SO15, Counter Terrorism Command, which, despite the name, does all the spook-related stuff for the Metropolitan Police. Including providing experienced minders for friendly foreign ‘observers’ to ensure they don’t observe anything that might upset them. I couldn’t think why he was calling me, but I doubted it was good news.

‘What can I do you for?’ I asked.

‘I wondered if Agent Reynolds has made contact with you recently?’ he said.

If he was phoning strangers it could only mean that Reynolds had given him the slip.

‘Why would she want to talk to me?’ I asked.

A definite pause this time as Kittredge weighed up his embarrassment at needing my help against his need to find his wayward American.

‘She was asking after you,’ he said.

‘Really? Did she say why?’

‘No,’ said Kittredge. ‘But she’s picked up the fact that you’re not part of the regular team.’

Bloody hell, that was fast – she’d only just got off the plane.

‘If she makes contact what do you want me to do?’ I asked.

‘Call me straight away.’ He gave me his number. ‘And give her some flannel until I can get there.’

‘Yeah, well, I’m good at flannel,’ I said.

‘So I’ve heard,’ said Kittredge and hung up.

Heard from who, I wondered.

I checked my watch.

Time for some culture, I thought.