The questions were sent to Wirecard on the evening of Thursday, 10 October, without any deadline for comment. First thing on Monday morning I chased for the responses ‘without delay’. They arrived that evening and we were ready. Lionel Barber’s instructions had been clear. ‘I want us to draw blood. I want an Exocet missile. I want them dead.’ On Tuesday, 15 October we took aim and fired.
