Malcolm felt a presence at his shoulder though his eyes never moved from the cctv footage spooling through on a quad screen split in front of him.
He wished Harry would move on, the tension he was transmitting was undeniably contagious.
"Meeting room. Now," snapped Harry suddenly.
Adam put down the phone, Zaf abandoned the file he was rifling through, Malcolm paused the footage. Jo turned from the pods.
All followed Harry.
"If we assume that the transcripts were the goal then why not just take them, why take Ruth?" queried Adam.
"Coincidence," ventured Zaf.
"What, are you saying they didn't matter?" Jo asked, trying to follow his line of thought.
"Maybe they were after an agent, information, rendition."
"But why Ruth?"
"She knows more than most," said Adam.
"And she's closest to you," Zaf looked at the so far silent Harry.
"What?!"
He was no longer silent.
"Well, you know…" floundered Zaf, "You're …" he gazed around for assistance but suddenly all eyes were on the table, "….close."
Harry bridled, "I don't know what you're suggesting Mr Younis but I can assure you that there's nothing - "
"Sorry. I'm so sorry I'm late."
All heads turned.
Through the door bundled Ruth.
She certainly looked like she'd been through an ordeal. Crumpled and creased in the same clothes as yesterday, her hair ruffled and unkempt.
They were all staring at her.
Her head hurt, her neck hurt, her back hurt. In fact she felt a bit queasy. If it wasn't for suffering so much she would have been feeling the acute embarrassment of causing a bit of a scene and being decidedly late for a briefing that she herself was meant to be giving.
"Ruth," said Jo as surprised as the rest.
"What happened?" asked Adam.
"Are you hurt?" demanded Harry.
"No," said Ruth warily, wrestling with the files she had just grabbed from her desk.
"But you look…"
"Like shit," added Zaf.
Harry glared at him once more.
"Thanks," Ruth sat down with a sigh. She'd certainly felt better. The last thing she needed right now was this, she pictured her bed and the deep desire to crawl into it and die quietly.
"Ruth, what happened?" asked Adam, moving over to her, "…what happened last night?"
"Last night?" her eyes swung to Harry and then quickly, guiltily away, "Nothing."
"But Ruth –" started Harry.
"Your house, the struggle …" prompted Adam.
"Struggle?" Ruth was confused. The only struggle she had had was to tell Harry how she felt and she hoped that was something they were all unlikely to be aware of.
"The vase by the door was broken and the table overturned." Harry said quietly.
Ruth processed … for her very slowly.
"Oh, I …" she really had been pissed last night, "I… I tripped up and well, fell into it."
"But the door was left open."
"Was it?"
Harry nodded.
"You were at my house?"
"You called."
"I didn't say come round."
"I was worried.'
"About what?"
This was turning into a domestic. Jo felt slightly uncomfortable and looked away, Malcolm studied his hand in great detail. Zaf looked amused, winking at Adam.
"What is all this?" Ruth asked, eager to prevent Harry embarrassing himself or her any further, "I'm just a bit late, that's it."
She returned her gaze to the files and hoped they'd all let it be. Hope, however, was in vain.
"But where have you been all night?"
"Out!" she said. The last thing she was going to admit to was the rather unseemly truth. Give them that and it would be like giving a dog a bone. She would never hear the end of it.
"Out?" repeated Zaf slowly before a light began to dawn in his eyes and his head slowly started to nod, "Out. Oh, I see … you were out." He grinned cheekily at her.
"Out where?" asked a confused Malcolm.
But Adam's thoughts had found and matched those of Zaf.
"Leave it Malcolm," he said smirking, "Ruth was just 'out'."
Jo, too, had grasped it, she glanced at Harry wondering when would be the moment that he too would jump on the train of thought they had all already boarded.
The train pulled in before Harry.
He didn't want to get on.
Ruth had spent the night out, come in wearing the same clothes, looking like she had had a heavy night and clearly didn't want to discuss it.
"Right," he said curtly, "Seeing as we have all clearly been wasting our time, let's get on with something useful then shall we?' He stood up.
"But my briefing?" Ruth queried, her head pounding.
"De briefing!" sniggered Zaf.
Harry was already leaving the room.
"Not now, Ruth."
Adam winked as he got up.
Malcolm shook his head slightly, "Oh Ruth," he sighed quietly.
Zaf grinned and opened his mouth to speak but Jo marched him out.
"What?!" he moaned as her hand jabbed at his back.
"Poor Harry," she murmured.
He stopped and looked at her.
"Poor Harry? He should have done something before now. Bout time Ruth had a bit of fun."
One withering look later and Zaf found himself on his own.
So did Ruth.
So did Harry.
Harry, alone in his office, speculated on what she might have been trying to say last night, 'could you, would you'… grant me permission to socialise? Stay away? Leave me be? Get the message?
Whatever it was he'd got it. Loud and clear.
Ruth, alone in the meeting room, with no one to brief, or debrief, was glad. She had no idea what any of them were talking about, all that was occupying her mind was the ever growing, seriously swelling thought that very, very soon she was going to be sick!