Muldoon invited me to his office after he heard I’d had a drink with Nixon. He flew me to Wellington and put me up in a small hotel near the government buildings. There was no press, and I wondered what he was trying to achieve by meeting me.

We met at 3 o’clock on a Wednesday. I was shown in to his office and he greeted me warmly, with that warped smile and cackle. He informed his secretary that we would require drinks.

He didn’t mention Nixon. I guessed he’d ask me about it so I’d been over it a few times in my mind. But nothing. He asked me about myself and was extremely polite and gracious. He sat across a small coffee table from me and appeared to have all the time in the world.

It took me a few minutes to get myself together after I realised Nixon was off the agenda, but I found all my curiosities about him return after the overly percolated coffee arrived. I enquired after his health and asked how Thea was (both were well).

Suddenly Muldoon asked me if I thought he’d handled the Springbok tour well. This was December 1983 and the Springbok tour of 1981 was evidently still on his mind. I was very surprised by the question, and wondered what he was trying to gain by asking it. What would my opinion matter to him? Pick a citizen at random… Anyway, I told him I thought he’d made a mistake, for what it was worth. He looked genuinely sad. “Oh well” he said, “Next time we might do it differently.”

“Why did you ask me to visit you?” I blurted out.

“Oh.” He looked confused. “Right.” He patted his pockets. “Where is it?” He looked around towards his desk. “Right. I can’t find it now, but I got a note from Nixon to say you’d visited him, and that for a good week after he felt rested and at peace. That’s what I want.”

“I think you’ll be disappointed” I said, almost mumbling. “I didn’t actually do anything with Nixon. I didn’t say much – nothing of any consequence.”

Muldoon looked out a window and burped very loudly. Seriously loudly. I was shocked because of the suddenness and the volume of it, and, after the shock has died, because of its inappropriateness. Muldoon said nothing.

As if it was a signal – there is no doubt she would have heard it – his secretary came in and informed us that it was time for the meeting to end.

I received a note in the mail a few days later thanking me for attending.