'Charlie how delightful to see you again'

'Red I didn't expect to hear from you so soon given the circumstances of our last transaction'

'ah but of course Dembe here has a lovely little gift just a simple expression of gratitude'

Dembe at this point stepped forward and handed over a bottle of some sort wrapped in plastic wrapper always the elegant man even his gifts were precise.

'a bottle of the finest scotch dating back to the 80's, I hope it is pleasing to the palate now shall we talk business'

The Post Office buzzed with life like bees scattering around flower buds they moved picking at the best pollen trying to poke and prod it till it gave something of use.

'I want to know how Red escaped, I want no one spared on this I have been told this is of top priority even since the incursion we are to be extra vigilant in all we do so that nothing like this happens again'

Cooper addressed the room as the Queen bee, his voice bellowed in the enclose space and made everyone move as if on tenterhooks fearful of getting 'suspension' next.

'sir I found something'

'what is it Aram?'

'the day we followed Red, the Chinese restaurant where he was doing his business'

'what about it?'

'if you look at the map there is a hotel on the corner about ten yards from the Chinese, one of the Hilton range'

Cooper was beginning to become exasperated with this trip down the rabbit hole that he leaned over Aram, putting him in an intimidating position.

'what is your point Aram?'

'apparently there was a conference held there that day which included up to 50 members but according to the report I pulled it was called off due to a false fire alarm'

Realisation dawned on him

'you think Red used the false alarm as a diversion?'

'we know how good Red is at disguising himself and disappearing if needs be'

'so Red and whoever he was with simply slipped out the back door of the Chinese and blended with the crowd of the hotel'

'its so simple yet effective, its insulting'

Cooper fixed Aram with a face harder than stale cheese that he recounted quickly and added

'sorry Sir I didn't mean to say you should be insulted I just…I mean…

'the person who set off the alarm in the hotel do we presume he was one of Red's men?'

''a foolproof plan, he covered all his angles he had a diversion planned so that if he were to come into trouble he would absolutely escape'

'why we didn't go in there when we had eyes on him'

Cooper hit the table in his frustration causing Aram to jump slightly

'we couldn't move until we had an idea of what he was up to Sir, you were sticking to protocol'

'there is no protocol with this man'

Cooper began pacing which Aram took to mean as a good sign

'can we get camera footage from the hotel? See if we can spot our guy and I want a record of all staff and residents of that hotel that day'

'on it Sir'

Red donned his fedora and coat to Dembe as he sat on the cold steel chair waiting for his informant to begin.

He chose to stay standing.

'they are still looking for you Red'

'I am assured on your good word that it will never come to that Charles'

Red fixed him with a potlite smile while the threat lay simmering underneath the pleasant tone.

'absolutely, you know I'm solid, I covered everything but meeting like this so soon-

'Charlie sit down and lets get on with this business before I begin to suspect you doubt me'

Charlie sat and retrieved a file from his coat. Red was immediately disappointed with the size of it being too thin for his liking.

He managed to suppress a snarl as Charlie begun

'we have been monitoring all of their activities including the man you wanted surveillance on'

'this agent Ressler is cleaner than a ducks fart, the only thing he does outside of his work it seems is meet this pretty little thing here'

The image of the woman peaked something in Red's mind he smiled his toothy smile as he recognised the face in the photo.