Thursday

"What's happened to the morning briefing?" asked Tariq of the team who were all sitting around the grid.

"Harry's late," grinned Dimitri and winked.

Beth rolled her eyes wishing she could just shoot him and put them all, or more importantly Ruth, out of their misery.

"I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill," she said instead.

"Do you know where he spent a lot of his time during the inquiry?" asked Dimitri smugly.

"Err, at the inquiry!" answered Tariq.

"No, geekboy. Where else?"

"We give up," Alec had lost patience.

"At his ex wife's house."

Beth felt Ruth stiffen at her station.

"How the hell do you know that?" asked Beth desperate to rubbish Dimitri's speculations.

"Read the surveillance reports."

"You did what?" Beth wished she hadn't asked.

So did Ruth.


"Harry can I talk to you?" asked Ruth.

"Sorry, but I have to go out. Will it wait?'

"….Yes, yes, it will wait."

Harry sensed there was something wrong and he had learnt from bitter experience that when there was something bothering Ruth is was wise to listen.

"I don't think it will," said Harry smiling, "I know that look, Ruth."

"No, Harry, really, it will wait."

"How am I going to sit through an entire JIC meeting worrying that I should have listened to you, when every time I haven't something disastrous has happened?"

He perched on his desk and indicated for her to sit. She didn't.

"It doesn't matter," she said and walked away.

"Ruth…"

The door shut.


"Hello" Ruth picked up the phone.

"Is that Ruth?"

"Yes."

"It's Jane. Jane Pearce. I spoke to you the other day."

"Hello," was all that Ruth could manage, again.

"I just wanted to say that I realised I shouldn't have said what I did the other day…you know. I'm not used to all this secrecy, I never was, Harry used to drive me mad with it, he still does. Anyway please forget I said anything. Got to go. Bye Ruth."

The phone went dead.

He still does, thought Ruth.


"Ruth do you fancy coming to the George?"

"No, thanks Alec."

"I'll have one for you then," he suggested enthusiastically.

"Yeah, and the other twelve," muttered Beth under her breath.

"Hope you're not waiting for Harry, Evershed," called Dimitri.

"Of course not, I'm just looking forward to not having to listen to your inane and banal repartee, Dimitri."

"Nice one, Ruth," said Tariq on his way out.

"You okay?" asked Beth when they'd gone.

"Of course," said Ruth, "why wouldn't I be?"