Morrisey bent down and picked up the tiny piece of card from the corridor carpet outside their room. He looked at Mallory, placed a finger over his lips, then unlocked the door. Inside, he did a slow circuit of the room, lifting and touching things silently.

"Look at the time, I'm hungry. You want to go down and get something to eat?" Pointing to his ear again. "Let's get something downstairs." He said, and took her arm, leading her out of the room.

She made a face once they were in the hall. "What were you looking for?"

"While we were at the meeting, somebody was in our room, probably to see if we had something we shouldn't, and then they likely bugged it."

"That's nonsense. How do you know that?"

He held up the tiny bit of card. "I stuck that in the door frame near the bottom."

"Movie films one-oh-one?"

"It worked," he countered, smiling.

"Okay, but who would do that?"

"Don't know, but I wouldn't put it past either of our masters to have our room bugged. Grant made a shrewd guess with that comment. I wonder just how much he knows. What do you think?"

"How could he possibly know?"

"How does anybody know anything in this business."

They chose to have their meal in the bar. The big banquettes were comfortably familiar, and he performed his habitual scan before settling down. Mallory had returned to a bit of a simmer, so he ignored her and focused on the menu. A waiter appeared and he ordered, handing the menu back, and looking quizzically at her.

Tight-lipped, she selected a meal, and when the waiter left, she spoke. "I'm waiting to hear how could he know?"

He saw the flames rising and he held up a hand. "I don't know if he does, okay. It just seemed like a very shrewd question. He had nothing to go on."

"What will happen when you get home, off to Coventry?"

"Possibly, but not before he wrings me dry."

She felt her breath quickening. "You wouldn't--"

"No, Mal. I wouldn't. Relax and enjoy your wine."

The food arrived, drinks were refreshed, and Mallory prompted for an explanation again. He put down his fork and sighed. He still hadn't worked out a plausible theory, there were too many bits and pieces.

"I don't have answers, just questions. Too many questions; small things here and there that I can't make add up."

Mallory parted a piece of fish with her fork and ate, thinking. The one question we agreed upon was Grant and Ava's relationship. "I think we need to pursue our theory about Grant and Ava."

"Easier said than done."

"Not really. Ava visits her daughter randomly, at least each month, sometimes more."

"She must be taking a hell of a risk, what with Felix suspecting a mole."

"I'm sure she's careful. I could contact her there and brace her with what we suspect."

He shook his head, "I don't know, Mal. That- that needs a little more thought."

Dinner finished in relative silence, both parties chewing not only food, but means to ends. When it was over, he signalled for the cheque, paid and led Mallory out of the bar, through the lobby to the lifts.

"No shop talk in the room, okay? And no phone calls."

"You really think the room is bugged?"

He nodded, unlocking the door. "That hit the spot. I didn't realize how hungry I was." He beckoned her to follow, finger to lips. "How was the fish?"

"Very tasty."

"Don't you usually have that with crisps?" He pointed to the radiator valve, and she bent closer to see.

The tiny microphone was stuck just under the steam release valve, and she sucked in her breath, straightening up. "Not funny, Agent Morrisey." Her brow was creased with concern.

"Sorry, I was just teasing." His eyebrows rose, and his lips grew tight. He had pictured all the places he would have inserted bugs, and the radiator was one he hadn't considered previously. Just goes to show.

"Western humour was it?"

"Apparently not." He smiled genuinely, and took her by the arms. "I'm kinda bushed, so, if you don't mind, I'd like to crash and get some sleep."

"You're tired and you want to go to bed - like the song." Her eyes twinkled.

He snickered. "Now who's teasing."

"I'm going to shower." She spun on her heel and made for the bathroom.

"I'll try not to snore," he called.

France

Felix hung up his dedicated phone and stood still, staring unseeing at the wall of his lounge. Vladim had been nothing but a jumble of excuses and failures right from the start, and now this last bit of information was either a desperate ploy to save his skin, or a genuine effort to correct his errors; he still hoped Felix would complete their deal.

Ava entered the lounge and stopped. "Am I interrupting?"

He turned, blinking back into focus. "What is it?"

"You said earlier I was to get dressed for dinner . . ."

". . . Dinner. Yes . . . Yes, we are going out for dinner."

"Out, Feely? You never go out to eat."

"Many things are about to change." He gave her an eerie smile and slipped into his jacket. "Shall we?"

Ava felt the hollowness in her chest and the sudden pounding of her heart. Did he learn something from the phone call? Does he know?

"Your hands are cold, Ava. Are you alright?" He held her eyes with a steady gaze.

"I don't actually feel all that well . . . I've been on and off all day. Maybe a bug of some kind."

"A good meal should see you right." His grip tightened as they climbed into a waiting car. "Take the Skyview Road, Alek."

The driver nodded, catching the worried expression of Ava, in the mirror.

"Are we going some place special?" she asked, watching the tall trees overtake the scenery as they climbed up into the hills over the city.

"Very special." He offered nothing more, and she swallowed hard.

England

"This seems so nefarious." They had slipped out of the Hammerfield and found a small B&B several kilometres out of town where they could speak and act freely.

"What's the matter with it? It's a nice hotel - a nice room?"

"It's not the location or the room . . . it's the idea. Sneaking around."

"You saw the bug, Mal. Who knows how many they planted - and where."

"We weren't supposed to leave the hotel, don't forget." She admonished. "We only make ourselves look suspicious."

"Well we couldn't talk there, that's for sure." He let the rest hang, smirking.

"Speaking of that - talking, I mean," her look screamed intolerance. "If everything you think is true, what do we do now?"

"Well, as far as your people are concerned, we really don't need to do anything. You got your file." He peeled off his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair, and sat on the side of the bed. "We kept the others from seeing it, and believing it has been destroyed. Opportunity missed. Case closed." He paused, looking at her. "By the way, what did you do with it?"

"It's somewhere safe."

"Ah, okay. I hope so, 'cause you wouldn't want it to surface."

"What about Grant?" She asked, dropping the subject of the dossier.

"What about Grant?"

He lay back with his hands behind his head. "Grant. He didn't get what he wanted, obviously. It seems his plan was to have Ava discovered and taken out by Felix, using Vladim as his arm's length whistleblower. Daughter problem solved. He wouldn't find her, but she didn't know him, so nothing there to threaten him." He sat up, leaning on one elbow. "This doesn't mean Felix will just forget about the warning. He'll keep at it until he knows either way. And you should consider the fact that Ava would give you up, Mal. She may want to protect her daughter but . . ." He gave her a discerning look.

"Her registration is under a different name. I acquired documents for her that can't be traced."

He lay back down, averting her eyes. "Doesn't protect you, Mal. If she sang, you can bet he'd be on to you pronto."

"Well what do you suggest I do? I'm in this up to here, it's a little late now."