They had both enjoyed the evening more than they would have expected, and Neal had been surprised when, after the third beer came, Colonel Milton had asked Neal to call him Barrett. He had then laughed when the request was followed immediately by another that he only use his first name in private. Which left Neal with the correct impression that, while the colonel was warming to him, he was still very far from trusting Neal to make such judgment calls on his own.

A superfluity of beer and laughter aside, they had nonetheless wrapped things up fairly early, the colonel needing to get to bed for an early meeting, and Neal wanting to get back to Madeline, who had not answered an earlier call inviting her to join them.

The colonel dropped Neal at his hotel in his rental car around 10:30. Leaving Neal rifling through his pockets for a room key, which was, predictably, on the bedside table in his room.

Arriving at the door he knocked twice and waited. There was a moment’s pause then a muffled scrambling on the other side. Neal’s left eyebrow went up in curiosity about the fuss, then the room door opened suddenly and he was greeted by a very frantic, bleary-eyed Madeline, grabbing him and dragging him bodily into the room.

“Whoa,” he said, laughing somewhat nervously, “what the hell is going on?”

She pushed him down onto the bed and then stepped back, glancing quickly at the bathroom before saying, “Neal, something has happened.”

He was suddenly concerned, he went to stand up but her look and outstretched hands indicated he should stay seated, almost saying, ‘‘wait, give me a second, this will all make sense in a second.’

“We’ve had a visitor.” she said, and he stared at her. “Neal, I know who wrote the letters.” His stare turned into a glare and he was about to speak but before he could say anything the bathroom door opened …

… and out stepped Agent John Hunt of the British Royal Navy.

Chapter 24: Origami’s Antithesis

Standing in front of Neal, John offered his hand. Instinctively Neal recoiled from the man, his deep black eyes ringing alarm bells in his mind.

John paused, his hand still outstretched, and looked Neal in the eye. “Neal, I know this is going to be hard for you to understand. It certainly took some time for Madeline to come to terms with what I have come here to say.

“I had hoped to explain this to you both at the same time, but unfortunately I have to leave soon. I can only hope that you can trust me when I say that I am your friend. In fact, I am more than that. I am, without doubt, your only hope.”