Chapter Five

Friday, January 8th. 13:40 (HIDE AND SEEK – DAY 1)

"I hope Adam's alright," mused Jo aloud, as she swirled her spoon around in her cold soup. "It's the only thing about this plan that I really hate – him being alone."

Zaf looked up.

"Okay, a) the only thing?"

She grinned.

"Okay, so the cuisine isn't great and I don't particularly enjoy spending almost a whole week cooped up with your smelly feet."

"That was below the belt, Portman. Anyway, Adam can more than take care of himself. He works best on his own – you know that."

"I suppose so. Doesn't stop me worrying though."

"That's because you're sweet."

* * *

Friday, January 8th. 13:41 (HIDE AND SEEK – DAY 1)

"…so, to cut a long story short, they escaped. Juliet wearing one of her less eye-catching ensembles, and Harry wearing…one of Juliet's less eye-catching ensembles."

Ros' eyebrows were nearly at her hairline.

"He wore Juliet's clothes?!"

"A very flattering pleated skirt, if I remember correctly."

"Ha! 'Remembered rightly.' I bet you've got photos."

Malcolm grinned delicately.

"Perhaps I saved a couple of seized surveillance shots to bring out on a suitable occasion."

Ros laughed with delight at his admission.

"You have to let me see those, Malcolm. I will pay you a substantial sum for the privilege."

"We'll see…"

* * *

Friday, January 8th. 13:41 (HIDE AND SEEK – DAY 1)

"…so basically, I ended up running for my life from this bloody deadly dog, with nothing but a few strategically placed bits of foliage for clothing!"

Ruth shrieked with laughter.

"That's hilarious!"

"Mmm," sighed Harry. "I seem to have something of a track record for finding myself in ridiculous outfits."

At this, Ruth laughed even harder.

"Y-yes – I remember Malcolm – show-showing me – some very interesting surveillance shots once!" she gasped in between cries.

Harry's expression darkened a little at her words, but he couldn't deny that her delight was infectious.

"Come on then," he said. "I've shared all my most mortifying memories. You've got to have a few of your own."

"Well," said Ruth thoughtfully. "I suppose there was that time I locked myself out of the house wearing nothing but a tiny bath towel."

Harry laughed extra loudly as he attempted to block the involuntary vision of Ruth so scantily clad.

Ruth nodded at his apparent amusement.

"It did make for a very embarrassing visit to my elderly neighbour to fetch the spare key."

Now, Harry's laugh was one of genuine mirth. Ruth continued with her anecdote.

"The worst thing was watching Fidget look at me so smugly from through the window."

Suddenly, Harry saw it as clear as day – Ruth pulling the towel tightly around her, cheeks scarlet and flaming as she muttered death threats at her cat. It was a wonderful sight.

"You're brilliant, Ruth. Really."

Ruth laughed extra loudly as she attempted to hide the involuntary leap of her heart at his words.

* * *

Friday, January 8th. 17:19 (HIDE AND SEEK – DAY 1)

"Best films of all time?"

"We did that before breakfast."

"Worst songs of all time?"

"Did that when we stuck doing surveillance with Adam that time."

"Oh yeah," murmured Zaf. "I can't believe you don't like 'Don't Wanna Miss a Thing'."

"I can't believe you do! What are you? A middle-aged woman?"

They sat in thought for a moment.

"I know," said Zaf eventually. "How about 'favorite Harry-losing-his-temper-and-turning-a funny-sort-of-purple moments'?"

Jo giggled.

"I've started thinking of it as 'Harry – now in beetroot flavour'."

* * *

Friday, January 8th. 18:00 (HIDE AND SEEK – DAY 1)

Malcolm regarded Ros thoughtfully as she studied her nails.

"Malcolm, you've been staring at me for ten straight minutes now. What is it that you wanted?"

He considered the question that had been plaguing him, and decided that now simply was not the time. He chose another, far safer, topic instead.

"Would you like toast for dinner? We could do it on the fire."

"How heartwarming," replied Ros blankly.

* * *

Friday, January 8th. 18:00 (HIDE AND SEEK – DAY 1)

Harry raised the back of his hand to rest on Ruth's cheek.

"What are you doing?" she asked, sounding confused.

"Checking if you're as cold as you look," he replied authoritatively. "Ruth, you're like marble."

"Well, it's the middle of winter, and we have no heat."

Harry sighed in concern, and unwound his scarf from his neck so that he could coil it around the lower half of Ruth's face, just above her own scarf. He had given her his gloves hours before.

"This is all very chivalrous of you, Harry," said Ruth, sounding a little muffled from behind the thick layer of fabric. "But I don't want to wake up all warm and comfortable in the middle of the night to find that you've frozen to death."

"I'll be fine. Let someone worry about you for once, you stubborn woman."

"Yes, well. Considering we found that other bag of blankets, I think we should just go to bed."

It took a matter of seconds for her to suddenly turn scarlet at her own words.

* * *

Friday, January 8th. 18:00 (HIDE AND SEEK – DAY 1)

"What about that time that Ruth dropped her pencil and bent over right in front of him? That morning she was wearing her black skirt. The tight one."

"No," replied Jo. "That was a very different sort of beetroot moment."

"Wonderful colour he turned though."

"Oh, undoubtedly."