She laughed. ‘I’m sure you have a nice girl in England, with a pale English-rose complexion, a Roedean accent and a merchant banker daddy, and she adores you, thinks you’re pretty whizzo, and she goes bright red when you talk of doing rude things, and she wears pretty dresses and likes point-to-points, Ascot and Henley?’

‘She doesn’t go bright red when we talk of doing rude things.’

‘Maybe I should read more up-to-date romantic novels.’

‘What about it?’

‘Uh oh.’ She shook her head. ‘We had a good time just now, and we had a good time two years ago in New York – we had a long good time then. Maybe in another two years we’ll meet someplace else and have another good time. I’d like that, Max. But somehow, a quiet holiday – I don’t know – I don’t know I’m really into that.’

‘We could arrange for a few Russians to keep crawling up around us and try and kill us – that sort of thing …’

She laughed again. ‘Didn’t you read the rule book? It says never to form emotional attachments.’

‘Section 34, paragraph 12. What all good agents should remember.’

‘Maybe that’s our problem – both you and I, we’re good agents, eh? Pretty damn good. I’m off to Montreal. Must make sure no one discovers Sleder’s corpse who shouldn’t discover it: so far as the world is concerned, Sleder is still alive. And you’re off to Adamsville to persuade someone that he’s dead. Think that could make for a steady relationship, Max?’ She prodded me hard in the ribs. ‘Up,’ she said. ‘You want to get to Adamsville, you’d better get dressed, or you’re going to miss the last exit. And by the way, Max: Happy New Year!’

‘I’ll sing you “Auld Lang Syne” as I’m driving along.’

As usual, after a close encounter with Sumpy, I was covered from head to foot in baby oil. I washed it off my hands, and dried my body as best I could with a towel then pulled my clothes on. She was exactly as she’d always been.

On the dot of one forty-five, the train halted at North Bay Station. I didn’t particularly want to be seen leaving here, not that there were going to be too many people around at this hour, on New Year’s Day. I walked down the train until I was well past the station building, then jumped down, and, crouching, ran further away from the station.