“Who is she?” asked one of the maids. “She’s gorgeous!”

“Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge,” said Sparks.

“How did you get her hair so perfect?” asked another.

“Oh, there was a team of us,” said Sparks. “Millie did her hair. I did her makeup.”

“Lovely work. Is that a Hartnell?”

“It is.”

“So that’s the Bainbridge widow,” said a valet. “She must’ve got a day pass from the looney bin.”

Sparks walked over to him, looked up at his face, and smiled.

“You have a choice to make,” she said.

“What’s that, love?” he asked, leering down at her.

“You can either shut your stupid face, or I can report your unpleasantness to your employer,” she said.

“You have any idea who my employer is?”

“It doesn’t matter. If it’s someone with manners, then you’re out on your ear,” said Sparks. “Not another word against my lady, do you hear me?”

He smirked. Sparks beckoned to him. He bent his head down, and she put her lips to his ear.

“I will hunt you down and geld you,” she whispered.

He snapped his head back. She smiled again, then returned to her post.

The guests were a mix of Greek and British dignitaries. She recognised a few of the latter—mostly Foreign Office, but one or two from Intelligence. She didn’t see Kat.

Then the young man she had seen speaking to Torgos entered and paused in front of the doorway, looking around. He was wearing a tuxedo, and had his hair slicked back nicely.

He looked nervous. Sparks wondered if he had found out what happened to Magoulias. It would go better for him if he had. Otherwise, appearing without him in tow or stashed somewhere would have devastating consequences if Torgos was serious about his threat.

And Torgos had a reputation for being a very serious man.

The young man turned abruptly and headed out.

“If Mrs. Bainbridge requires me, please inform her that I will return momentarily,” Sparks whispered to one of the other maids.

“Will do,” the woman replied.

Sparks walked briskly out the door and looked around. She spotted the young man vanishing down a hallway and followed him. One advantage of Millie’s shoes was that they allowed her to pad softly on the marble floors, compared with the clicking of her normal heels. And even if he was to look, who would think anything of a maid walking down a hotel corridor?

He stopped in front of a door, knocked twice, then went in. Sparks crept up and put her ear to it for a moment. Across the hall, another door opened.

“Miss Sparks, isn’t it?” said Torgos, a small automatic in his hand. “Please. Come in.”

CHAPTER 13

“Did you ring for maid service, sir?” asked Sparks.

Torgos gestured with the gun for her to approach. Behind her, the other door opened and the young man emerged, shoving her ahead of him.

“Gently, Tadeo,” Torgos admonished him. “It is not yet time to use force.”

“No, it isn’t,” said Sparks. “So put the gun away.”