Billy had been waiting in the SIU lobby for hours. Sleeping was impossible so the next best thing to counting sheep was to think over what had happened during the past 6 hours.

Costello had come in that night and announced that the "plan" had been partly successful since Queenan was dead and Dignum had resigned; that had come as a devastating shock to Billy. Fortunately for Billy, someone else had been baffled enough to ask "So what, when they get over it the rat will be on our backs again". Costello's reply was, no chance, our "friend" in the police will have found the rat by then. That is what Billy had feared, and again some else conveniently asked "How?". Costello replied, "Remember all that personal data you lot gave me. I gave it to our friend to put through the cops employment computer whenever he can. Once it wants a password, we have the rat".

Billy went cold. However, Costello went out and no one was watching Billy. Billy realised that as the letter had been passed to the mole a couple of weeks ago, chances were the Mole was having problems. Also, Costello's line was odd, uncharacteristic. Billy realised that Costello, who had never talked about the mole before, by revealing so much about the Mole's operations could be using a desperate tactic to frighten Billy out. Well, it was going to work. But, he had to be careful and not panic, yet. Billy rejoined the conversation, which was now about the Mole. That was going to be a risky topic, but French was with Costello, for now.

Billy took a chance and "innocently" commented, "Even if our cop can get access to the computers, they must be banged up tight", something that Billy now realised was not true, "only a top cop should be able to use them", well that was true, up to a point. Billy's fishing comment drew a response from one of the more weasel like crooks, "Sure, he's important, he helped me out". Billy was too shocked to think clearly, but another waded in with a "How!". The reply was "Remember how the cops arrested me. This fancy cop swaggers to interrogate me, and tells me to phone my mother. The cameras were off so I phoned Costello to tell him that a raid was coming".

Billy needed to leave. Fortunately French had not returned while the conversation about the Mole dried up for lack of details, the crook having decided that it might not be wise to tell anymore. Billy guessed that there wasn't much more to tell, but it should be enough. Had Dignum resigned? Maybe, maybe not. But if the mole could get access to the computers, he would get in, eventually.

Finding an opening, Billy said he needed to visit the men's room, and swaying as he passed a table, said "God, I feel tired", something that several others were also thinking; they had been drinking, whereas Billy usually only drank Cranberry Juice as part of an act that he was on drugs. For now, where thinking, speed and reflexes were concerned, Billy had an advantage.

Outside, Billy made a play of going into the Men's Room, then he silently sprinted to the back door, and out into the back yard. Closing the door carefully, he ran to his car which he always kept near the exit. Revving it up he drove it slowly to the exit as quietly as possible. Once out, Billy switched on the headlights; once way from the block he was, almost, safe, and he drove for the bridge. The crooks didn't know Billy's area of Boston well so he would have another lead on them if they thought that he was missing too long and got suspicious. Once on the bridge Billy relaxed. Then he decided to phone, Dignum? No, leave it for now.

Half an hour later saw Billy parked at the back of his house, then scaling a drain pipe to get over the fence and then to his back door. Long ago he had mapped out this route in case he needed to leave by the back door. Grabbing a few things he might need and making sure the water and electric's were off, he left the house by the front door taking shelter behind various features of the sidewalk until he was clear. Heading towards the nearest subway entrance, with the aid of a bus, that happened to be passing took another half hour. As he walked, Billy tried to phone Dignum, but the phone failed to get a response. However, it didn't say "No Connection". That suggested that the phone was intact, but no-one was there to answer it. But what did that prove?

Finally, one and a half hours after Costello had addressed them and very late into the night, Billy reached the SIU. Pausing briefly he wondered what to do. There might only be a sergeant on duty, the mole might be anyone, and how would the police react to Billy. He would have to be careful.