Easter Chenkovsky was an enigma, an enigma with a ridiculous name.
The combined power of Five could find nothing on her.
"Nothing?" said Harry.
They sat in the briefing room.
Five heads either shook or looked on blankly.
"From what you can tell has she accessed anything?"
"No," said Tariq.
"Planted anything?"
"No," said Alec.
"Taken anything?"
"No" said Ruth, though she wasn't sure about her list.
"She's like the bloody ghost of Christmas past," pronounced Dimitri, "dragging us through our past lives, all of that regret and fear rubbish."
"Yeah, what was it you're afraid of again?" Alec didn't miss his chance.
"Enough." Said Harry. He didn't like mysteries.
"Keep looking," he said, "There must be something."
They got up and left the table. Alec still nudging Dimitri. Harry stayed. Ruth hesitated.
"Go on, Ruth. I know there's something else."
"There may have been something she took."
He raised his eyebrows.
"I think she may have taken my list."
"What makes you think that?"
"I don't have it. She gave me yours."
"Right."
"I know it seems unimportant but I thought I should mention it."
"Yes, thank you, Ruth."
She hesitated again.
"Was there anything on your list that may cause us any problems?"
"No."
"Any embarrassment?"
"No only for me. It was very personal."
"And honest?"
"Yes, honest, I think."
He nodded. Then I don't really know why she would take it do you?"
She shook her head and turned from him. He watched her go.
By the end of the day nothing was clearer. Harry told them to go home and look again tomorrow with fresh eyes.
He emerged from his office pulling on his coat to a near empty grid.
"Ruth, would you like to go and get a drink?"
"Now?" she said.
"Yes, unless you want to do the same searches for the fiftieth time?"
"Fair point," she smiled.
"I could murder a pint, or if you'd prefer we could go and have a gluwein at the Christmas market?"
"Yes, that would be nice. I keep forgetting it's Christmas, if that doesn't sound ridiculous?"
"No, it doesn't." He knew exactly what she meant.
They leant against the railings by the river and clutched the cups, warming their hands. They hadn't said very much. There were so many sights and sounds and smells here it let them hide from the things they wanted to say.
"It's good to get out" he said after a while.
"Yes, it is."
He smiled as he watched a boy do battle with a hot waffle. The band had begun to play again. Every so often someone would walk past them and start singing along with the carols they were playing.
He glanced to his left and saw she was looking up. He followed her eyeline but could see nothing.
"What?"
"I thought I could feel it snowing."
She looked excited and disappointed.
"Do you like the snow, Ruth?"
"Of course, who doesn't like snow?"
He smiled at her.
"What else do you like?"
"I like gluwein" she said and took a sip, "I like music, I like the smell of fresh rain on the pavement, I like gerberas, I.."
"Gerberas?" he asked.
"Flowers"
"Oh, right, thought you meant gerbils."
She laughed.
"You should laugh more, Ruth, it suits you."
She ignored him. "I like grass that's just been cut and I like the sound of the grid when no one else is there and I like the sound of church bells on a Sunday morning."
"So your perfect day would be a sudden shower on a Sunday morning, near a church where the grass had just been cut and gerberas grew in the churchyard with a choir singing just before it began to snow."
"That's about it, I guess." She laughed again.
"I'll have to remember that for next time we're in a churchyard." He said it softly.
She glanced at him and looked away again. 'Next time,' she thought.
"There's a lot more out there to live for than to fear ,Ruth."
"Is there?"
"Yes, it's all there waiting for you when you want it. You shouldn't be afraid to be happy."
She looked at him and the softness in her eyes disappeared and turned to shock.
"You've read it."
He nodded. "And you should never worry that I'll ever give up on you."
She turned to the river and away from his intense eyes.
"I have to go," she said and she was gone.
More to come later. Got to go out for a bit as my other half is sick of me sitting at the computer ignoring him!