Eventually Billy and Queenan reached a Shopping district quite far from the SIU. There was now no way they could proceed and avoid risking police or camera surveillance. Queenan tried to phone Dignum, but got no connection. Now Queenan began fretting about what was really going on and if Billy had been seen and could still be extracted. Billy decided to test the water and phone the crook who had originally contacted him.
The phone connected but Billy was in for another shock. Billy said that he could not get to the site yet because of traffic. The reply was that it was the wrong site, and so Billy had blown his cover. However, having once been an informer himself he would not tell on Billy, not that it made amy difference; they had been ordered to bring Billy to Costello : Billy should run. Billy told Queenan, "Costello wants them to find me, it's over". Billy guessed that the crook might have been an FBI informant, and served as a link between Costello and the Feds. But that possible way to take down Costello was something for later.
They had to avoid being recognised. "We should change our clothing, at least get hats" Billy said, and then lead Queenan, hidden by a throng of people, into a store. Half an hour later they left through the back. They now looked like travelling business men, Billy was in a shiny three piece business suit, while Queenan had a new, and expensive, business jacket. Both now wore hats and carried rather large executive hold-alls, containing their old cloths.
As they approached the plaza in front of the SIU Queenan said, "We don't need to go in by the front. There are other ways in that only we use, and in one case we can still avoid the cameras". Sneaking around the plaza they got in by a nondescript back entrance that should have had a guard on duty and headed up the stairs.
Everybody was shocked when Queenan and Billy appeared heading for Ellerby's office. Once inside, it did not take Ellerby, Dignum ... and Sullivan long to appear. Once the mutual recriminations had subsided Billy, Queenan and Dignum went to Queenan's office. Billy was now under Police Protection, his true status still hidden except from Ellerby, while Queenan was suspended. But Queenan needed to show them the photos of FBI Supervisor Morris and FBI Operative Connolly doing business with Costello. They also discussed Sullivan. While Dignum was certain that Sullivan was the Mole, Billy wondered if Costello could have set the rumour of Queenan being a mole going while someone else whispered in Sullivan's ear to tail Queenan. After all, it was risky for The Mole to be in charge of tailing Queenan; Dignum could buy that. Billy suggested that it could do no harm to use the FBI to investigate the people in Sullivan's unit and see what garbage was flushed out. Then there was also the possibility of an FBI, or ex FBI, informant being in Costello's gang.