A speedy update. The only way to stop me tweaking the blummin' thing! Thank you for the reviews.

As the taxi pulled up outside the hotel, Harry scanned the car park for the obbo van, spotting it in the far corner in the shade of a beech tree. He paid the driver and they stepped out of the cab, surreptitiously activating their comms as it drove off.

'Tariq, do you copy?'

Both received answers in the affirmative.

'Do you have visuals?'

Sam, the techie seconded from C Section to help out Tariq for the evening, gave a low whistle as the feed from Harry's camera came through. Tariq glanced at the monitor, his eyes widening at the vision that was Ruth.

'Oi,' he said. 'Enough of that.' Then to Harry he confirmed, 'Yep, we have visuals from you...'

The distortion on the second monitor then cleared to reveal the entrance to the hotel. 'Ruth, we have visuals from you too.' The two techies settled down to watch and Harry and Ruth made their way into the cool gloom of the foyer.

Following the receptionist's directions they made their way through the hotel towards the rear. As they approached the function suite, Harry happily walking a couple of paces behind, the door swung open, releasing a burst of voices and laughter. A waitress stood on the threshold, balancing a tray of glasses on her fingertips. She smiled.

'Hello! Would you like some Prosecco?'

Thanking her, both took a glass and went through. The room was huge, bright and airy, with french doors open to the gardens at the far end. A number of guests milled, chattering, outside, soaking up the last of the sunshine. Two of the three walls were lined with tables, which were piled high with a selection of antipasti and bottles of beer, wine and mineral water. The evening, Harry thought, was beginning to look up. He was aware of Ruth at his elbow.

'Anyone?' She looked up. 'Or have you not taken your eyes off the buffet long enough to look?'

'If I were checking out the guests you'd accuse me of eyeing up the women,' he said, drily. 'No, no familiar faces yet. So, should we mingle?'

As if on cue, an immaculately dressed elderly woman came up to Ruth and cupped her hands. 'Ah, the lovely Sarah, I think, no? I am Luisa, Alessia's mama. I have heard sooo much about you.' She kissed Ruth enthusiastically on both cheeks and stepped back, beaming. 'And this handsome young man...?'

'Oh,' Ruth's hand closed around Harry's arm, ' this is my partner, Will.'

Harry's greeting was similarly effusive, then Luisa took his hand and reached for Ruth's.

'Come, you two, I will introduce you, and then you must eat, eat, before Alessia and Massimo arrive.'

Bemused, Harry and Ruth followed her across the room, and then began a bewildering round of introductions to both families' sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, in laws, cousins, aunts, uncles, neighbours, friends, none of whom, Harry was sure, were on their files anywhere. He wondered, though, where Alessia's father was, and why they hadn't been introduced. Seemingly oblivious to the omission Ruth was, to the delight of their hosts, chattering away in Italian, her face animated, hands vividly accentuating her words. At one point she turned to him, smiling, and squeezed his arm, and her audience laughed. All he could do was shrug and smile.

At a pause in the conversation he gave his apologies and slipped away, filling a plate with bread, cheese and cold meats as his eyes roved the room for Valerio di Matteo.

'Malcolm,' he said quietly, 'is anything getting flagged up yet?'

'Negative, Alpha One.'

'Tariq, have a look at the CCTV, see if you can find di Matteo.'

'Harry...' broke in Malcolm's voice, reproving.

'Sorry. Bravo One. Let me know if he's here and if he's been having any little tête à têtes with anyone.'

'Copy that.'

Downing his Prosecco he wound his way across the room, ears alert to anything noteworthy, chewing on focaccia, parma ham and mozzarella. Stepping outside, he ambled across the grass into the shade of a towering elm tree, and leaning against the trunk he cleared his plate, savouring every mouthful.

'Can I get you some more? You look like you enjoyed that!'

He looked up to see dark brown eyes framed by tumbling, glossy curls, and a figure that made him silently cheer Alec's misfortune.

He smiled. 'In a moment, perhaps. Don't want to be greedy. Sorry, I don't think we've been introduced. Will Bennet.'

'Livia Astori.'

They shook hands.

'So, bride or groom?'

'Bride. My partner's a friend of Alessia's. You?'

'Groom.' She smiled. 'An old flame.'

'The one that got away, eh?'

She shrugged. 'He wanted children, I didn't.'

Discomfited by the personal turn the conversation had taken, Harry asked, 'So what happens now? I'm not really clued up on Italian wedding receptions.'

They paused to grab more Prosecco from the circling tray.

'Oh, Alessia and Massimo should arrive very soon. All the guests form a...how you call it, guard of honour for them, then they dance, then the parents, then everyone. Dancing, speeches, eating, drinking, laughing, talking, this is it. Not so different from the English, I think. Now, which lucky lady is your partner?'

Harry beckoned with his glass towards the gloom of the interior. 'Sarah. She's inside practising her Italian. Blue dress, pink scarf, hair all...' his free hand mimed something approximating her updo.

'Ah, the lady with the beautiful smile.'

He blushed. 'That's the one.'

'And why are you out here? You should be with her, showing her off. Showing her how proud you are of her.'

Harry's mouth twitched. 'Not sure she'd thank me for that.'

Livia raised her eyebrows, and linking her arm through Harry's, said, 'Come on. You can introduce me.'

As they approached the doorway they heard shouts from within.

'Ah, the happy couple are coming. Go find your Sarah. Ciao, bello.' Livia planted a pillarbox red kiss on his cheek and sashayed off, Harry unashamedly watching her go.

'If you've finished eyeing up the women, Alessia and Massimo are about to arrive.' He turned to find Ruth standing behind him, the humour in her words not quite reaching her eyes.

He held up his hands. 'Sorry. Any sign of Valerio yet?'

She nodded. 'According to Tariq he's just arrived, with a couple of implausible looking guests.'

'Bodyguards?'

'I assume so.'

Brow furrowed, Harry followed Ruth back inside to welcome the bride and groom.