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DYLAN CARRIED THE SUITCASE up two flights of stairs as if it weighed no more than a feather. When Rosa inserted her key into the lock and pushed the door open, he followed her inside the apartment and stood gripping the case by its handle, awaiting her next instruction. She smiled wanly, and asked him to put it on the single bed in the spare room.

When he trotted off to comply with her orders, she set down her bags, removed her coat and scarf, and hung them in the tall cupboard in her hallway. She noticed there was a bunch of mail strewn all over the grey hall carpet and bent down to retrieve it.

Rosa flicked through the letters as she went to check that all was well with the rest of the flat. It was a little chilly so she turned up the thermostat as she walked through the living room. The fridge was empty although that deficit was easily remedied. Proud she had had the foresight to shop on the way home, she retrieved the two bags of groceries from the hall and packed the contents away.

When Dylan tracked her down to the kitchen she offered him a coffee, which he declined. He explained he was due to work the door of a posh wedding and needed to get away pronto. Feeling guilty for having delayed him, Rosa thanked the young man for his help with the ridiculously heavy suitcase and escorted him to the exit. Dylan hesitated with his hand on the door and she smiled up at him warmly. She knew he was worried about her being home alone after almost a week at the palace, but was determined not to cave under pressure from him or anybody else.

‘You’re a great guy, Dylan,’ she told him. ‘I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be home. I’m really looking forward to sleeping in my own bed. See you soon.’

Recognising the note of dismissal in her voice, the young man reluctantly left the apartment, wondering what the hell the chief was thinking in allowing the financial director to return alone to an empty apartment. Well aware that any questions from him would be regarded as nothing less than insurrection, he remained tight-lipped and left St James’s Court without voicing his concerns.

Rosa heaved a sigh of relief as soon as she was alone. She was almost as shocked as Dylan at finding herself without an armed guard. She had already failed in one bid for freedom on Tuesday when Dorothy persuaded her it was too soon to abandon the safety of the palace. Knowing how worried the boss was about Diane, Rosa caved and agreed to stay another day. She had, however, returned to work at Barns and instantly felt better for having an occupation of some kind. The Castleknock Incident had been harrowing, although she was determined to put it behind her and get on with her life.

When her parents called in a panic, she downplayed the whole episode and told them the papers had exaggerated the danger she was in. Susan and Simon were somewhat mollified, but made her promise to visit as soon as it could be arranged. Rosa told them she would do her best to get home for Thanksgiving, but reminded them she was a busy woman and might only be able to stay for five days or a week at most. Grateful even for that, the Barnetts assured her that five or six days would be wonderful, and agreed not to make any plans for the duration of her visit so they could relax and enjoy some family time.

As Rosa set about unpacking her suitcase, she felt cheered at the prospect of five full days in New York. She would do the bulk of her Christmas shopping while she was there, and let her parents cosset her to their hearts’ content. It would do her good to see some of her old haunts, and hopefully recharge her batteries.

She was still no closer to finding an assistant, yet did not fully understand the reasons behind the failure. Dorothy had taxed both her and Keith about the situation, although neither of them had been able to provide a convincing explanation for their singular lack of recruitment success. Rosa found it difficult to focus on her own requirements as long as Keith was without his deputy.

In the main this was because she believed his need was greater than hers. It was also crucial that her new second work well with his new second. How was she to set about hiring one when she had no clue what sort of personality would be involved on the operational side of things?

Rosa secretly felt that Jane Shields would make the ideal wingwoman for the chief but, so far at least, had deliberately refrained from mentioning this. Jane had recovered well after the Stun Gun Incident at Claridges and returned to her normal duties as soon as she got the all-clear from the doctors at the Molly.

Since then, Rosa had detected a shift in the other woman’s attitude to work. She was not nervy and displayed no symptoms of PTSD or delayed shock. Whatever was going on with Jane ran far deeper than a simple case of bad nerves. It was as if she had caught a glimpse of the dark side and that quick peek had changed her outlook on life and her job as a close protection officer.

Rosa pondered this as she hung up suit after suit and stowed her shoes away on the long shelves running along the bottom of her wardrobe. Having watched the other woman for the past couple of months, Rosa reckoned Jane was ready for a desk job. Apart from her nasty brush with Philip Hopkins at Claridges, she had a teenage son to consider.

Thirty-nine was not old by any stretch of the imagination, but perhaps it was the right age for a woman to quit the field and come in out of the cold. Keith had not uttered a word about it, although Rosa could not shake the feeling he shared her opinion of Jane. Every time he opened a new application for the job of assistant, his face fell in disappointment.

Rosa noticed a run in a pair of nude coloured pantyhose and went to throw them in the trash. What to do about Jane? That was the question. Should she drop a hint to the other woman, or take the bull by the horns and approach Keith directly? Therein lay the dilemma. Since the morning they had been caught in a passionate embrace by Dorothy and Jack, Keith and Rosa and not enjoyed their usual good natured, professional relationship.

Try as they might, there was always a hint of awkwardness between them. It had been further exacerbated by the Castleknock Incident and the unplanned pregnancy which had ended almost before it began. Rosa was beginning to wonder if things would ever be normal between them again, and if drastic measures might be called for.

She threw the last of her underwear into her chest of drawers and, with a sigh of relief, zipped up the suitcase and slipped it into its usual slot on the top shelf of the wardrobe. The next time she would use it would be when she went home for two weeks at Christmas, hence there was no point in allowing it to take up space by keeping it out.

She spent two minutes choosing a suitable outfit for work the next day. She was sorely tempted to wear her navy suit with the short skirt, but thought it might send mixed signals to Keith. She had not worn the suit since the fateful day he grabbed her in the office, and if she were to suddenly show up in it on a Friday morning, he might feel she was sending him a message.

Rosa rolled her eyes at her own lack of decisiveness, and returned the suit to its usual slot on the rail. She would end up giving it away having worn it only once. Fecking men. She chose a grey pinstriped trouser suit instead, and hung it and a white silk shirt within easy reach so she wouldn’t have to search for them the following morning.

Satisfied she was well prepared for the next workday, she undressed and went to take a hot shower. Afterwards she dressed in a pair of sweat pants and sweatshirt, and pushed her feet into a pair of furry slippers. Then she went to the small kitchen and opened a bottle of white wine with a corkscrew.

She was not really in the mood for cooking, but forced herself to get out the wok and set about preparing a tiger prawn stir fry. Once she actually started the cooking process, she began to relax and enjoy it. Every so often she paused to take a sip of the wine. It was good to be home after the craziness of the past week. Of course, she had had to run the gauntlet of what felt like dozens of SBAs to get here, but eventually succeeded in her mission and made it back to base.

Hoping to avoid confrontation, she packed the suitcase on Wednesday night, and persuaded Ralph to lift it into her car first thing Thursday morning. As she was bidding Dorothy goodbye, she casually mentioned she would not be back after work and instead intended heading home. Then she held her breath and crossed her fingers.

The boss perused her assistant’s face for a few moments then told her to have a nice day. Sensing freedom beckoning, Rosa bolted for her car before Dorothy could change her mind and have her placed under house arrest. All had gone well at Barns, and she began to relax and assume she was home and dry. That was until one o’clock when she was making her way downstairs to the canteen and discovered the Tin admitting Marco and a very hairy man with a big black dog on a leash into the building. Rosa paused on the half-landing to listen to the conversation.

‘Where the hell have you been?’ Jack demanded crankily of his friend. ‘Where’s the boss? Why has she been in such a weird mood all morning, and what the fuck do you think you’re doing bringing a bum to Barns?’

‘I haven’t got time to explain the whole story right now,’ Marco replied calmly. ‘I have to get this guy down to the basement so Kenny can work his magic. Then I have to get him over to Grafton Street so we can shop for suitable clothes. Sharon agreed to keep Divine open late for us so we should just about get everything done by tonight. I am under pressure here, dude, and I really need you to cut me some slack right now. I don’t suppose there’s any pizza lying around, is there? You wouldn’t believe the morning we’ve had. My stomach thinks my throat’s been cut so it does.’

Jack frowned at Horace in consternation. ‘If you quit being such a drama queen and tell me who this guy is and why you have to devote the rest of the day to him, I’ll order a pizza,’ he growled.

‘He’s Jimmy’s brother,’ Marco replied impatiently. ‘The one they all thought was dead for the past ten years. He faked his own death and he’s been living in Shankill all this time. He’s the next door neighbour the boss is always mentioning. The one who takes care of Otter when Elaine and Eddie go on holiday. I have to get him spruced up so he can visit Diane tomorrow and see if he can cheer her up. I think it’s a longshot myself, but the boss is willing to try anything. Personally, I wouldn’t let this hairy bollocks anywhere near a daughter of mine after the way he treated her, but what do I know? I’m only the driver.’

‘Someone’s yankin’ your chain, man,’ Jack responded slowly. ‘There’s no way this guy is Jimmy’s brother.’

‘I haven’t got time to argue with you, Dog,’ Marco sighed wearily. ‘I am under so much pressure here, I might cry at any moment. Please order the food and let me know when it arrives. I’ll be in the basement.’

‘Commander Jackson Earl Maddox,’ Horace suddenly spoke. ‘It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. If you’ll excuse us, I believe we have an appointment with a cut-throat razor.’

‘Holy shit,’ Jack looked startled. ‘What the fuck is Jimmy’s brother doing dressed like a hobo?’

‘It’s a long story,’ Marco opened the front door again. ‘Jive had to take the boss and Simone home, which means he’s my responsibility for now. Bring the food down as soon as you can, man, and see if you can rustle up a few drinks while you’re about it. I’ll fill in as many blanks as I can. Maybe you should come over to Grafton Street with us. You could use a spot of manscaping yourself.’

Horace took a hasty step backwards. ‘What’s manscaping?’ he enquired worriedly.

‘You’re about to find out, man,’ Jack eyed him in amusement. ‘Whatever you do, don’t try to fight the Bug. You won’t win, and you’ll end up wearing yourself out.’

‘He’s a very cross little chap,’ Horace ventured timidly.

Jack thumped his friend on the back. ‘He’s a regular terrier when his dander’s up,’ he agreed cheerfully. ‘Go with the flow, man, and you’ll live to fight another day. You’ll like Kenny, he’s a great guy.’

He pulled the door further open and gestured for the two men to leave. Rosa watched Marco stride outside and glare balefully in Horace’s direction when it looked as if he might not immediately follow. As Horace cast a final pleading glance at Jack, Rosa tiptoed down the stairs and hovered in the hallway, hoping to hear more of their conversation.

‘I’ve had the most extraordinary morning,’ Horace informed Jack pitifully. ‘They even stole my rabbit.’

‘You don’t say,’ Jack leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms.

‘Dorothy and Simone insisted on taking him to Howth,’ Horace cast a glance which positively teemed with despair at the American. ‘When I pointed out they have no experience of caring for a newborn English Scot, they laughed at me. I tried explaining that Browning requires special milk.’

‘Browning?’ Jack grinned.

‘That’s what I named him.’

‘After the firearms designer?’

Horace blinked a number of times in quick succession. ‘After the poet,’ he replied in shocked accents.

‘No kidding,’ Jack grinned again. ‘There’s a poet called Browning? Who knew?’

‘Yes,’ Horace frowned, ‘there’s a poet called Browning. I could lend you one of his volumes of poetry if you wish.’

‘I appreciate the offer, man,’ Jack chuckled. ‘Did he write any dirty stuff? Anything about naked chicks?’

‘Can we save the literary discussion for another day?’ Marco sounded decidedly peeved. ‘I’m standing here with my dick in my hand waiting for that hairy creature and in case yee haven’t noticed, it ain’t exactly toasty out here.’

‘Is he really your best friend?’ Horace cast a nervous glance in Marco’s direction.

‘He surely is,’ Jack chortled, ‘although I don’t mind loaning him out to you for the day, man. Your need is greater, and I already got my monthly manscaping.’

‘He’s rather scary,’ Horace lowered his voice a couple of octaves. ‘And mean. He told me to strap on a pair just because I didn’t want to leave my guitar behind. Or the special quilt Mummy made for me.’

‘Yeah, he’s a regular ballbuster,’ Jack grinned even wider and thumped the other man on the side of the arm. ‘Keep your pecker up, dude. There’s nothing like a hot towel shave and a few slices of pizza to give a guy a more positive outlook on life. Granted, they can’t hold a candle to a cold beer and a blow job, but needs must when the devil drives and all that philosophical shit.’

‘Indeed,’ Horace murmured, as he took a cautious step closer to a hovering Marco. ‘When you put it like that, it makes one wish one was in a house of ill repute with a well-stocked bar.’

‘That’s the spirit,’ Jack thumped him on the back this time. ‘See you guys later.’

By now Marco was standing at the top of the steps to the basement, looking increasing irate at being kept waiting. Horace took another couple of reluctant steps towards him but paused again and looked back at Jack.

‘You’re the American from the swimming pool dream,’ was his unexpected comment.

‘I guess I am,’ Jack nodded.

‘I warned Dorothy about you,’ Horace told him and ventured another couple of steps.

‘You warned her not to hire me?’ Jack called after him.

Horace joined Marco on the top step leading to the basement and faced Jack once more. ‘Oh no,’ he replied evenly. ‘I warned her against marrying you. Shall we go, Marco?’

Seizing his opportunity, Marco almost pushed the other man down the steps and with one final quizzical glance at his friend, bounded after him. When Jack closed the door and turned around, he saw Rosa loitering. He was frowning, but when he spotted her the look changed to one of amusement, as if he knew she had been earwigging.

‘That was an odd conversation,’ she spoke quickly to hide her embarrassment. ‘Do you think he works for MI6 or something like that? Maybe the rabbit is his cover.’

‘I guess we’ll find out soon enough,’ he replied in an unconcerned manner that irked her.

‘I was hoping Marco would be free this evening,’ Rosa frowned. ‘By the sounds of things he’s going to be tied up with that hairy rabbit guy forever.’

‘How come you need the Bug?’ Jack’s eyes rested on her face in a most inquisitive fashion.

‘I’m heading home at six,’ she told him coolly. ‘I was hoping he might come with me. I need help with my ridiculously large suitcase, and I don’t want to ask any of the other guys. Most of them are working some sort of gig this evening.’

‘I’ll ask Dylan to help with your case,’ a voice suddenly spoke from behind and Rosa swung around and found Keith regarding her with something close to exasperation. ‘Going home tonight is not a good idea, Rosie,’ he added with a hint of annoyance.

‘My mind is made up,’ she replied with as much dignity as she could muster. Her stomach gave an odd little flutter at the sight of him, although she refused to acknowledge it.

Keith made eye contact with Jack and, unseen by Rosa, something passed between them. His shoulders lowered a fraction and she knew he was doing his best to sound normal.

‘Right then. Get that pizza ordered, Dog. If anybody’s looking for me, I’ll be down in the basement chatting to Jimmy’s brother for the next five minutes.’ Without another word, he opened the front door and disappeared from view.

‘Am I missing something?’ Rosa addressed her co-worker.

‘I couldn’t possibly comment,’ Jack replied slyly. ‘Although it looks like you’re getting your own way on the homebase front.’

‘I’m entitled to sleep in my own bed,’ Rosa hissed at him in irritation. ‘I was held hostage by a most unpleasant individual less than a week ago, and since then I’ve been living at the palace. That’s six nights away from home. I don’t feel I’m being unreasonable, and I don’t appreciate the way you’re all treating me like I’m a criminal instead of a victim.’

‘Whatever you say, Thorns,’ Jack replied seriously. ‘I hope your first evening home lives up to your expectations.’