He stopped, and she opened the center armrest compartment and placed his hand on a switch. He fiddled with it, and the top came down and was tucked away under the rear deck. He grinned and accelerated.

—

An MI-6 officer on the roof of the building behind the couple’s apartment suddenly caught sight of Fife-Simpson driving away. He got on the radio. “The car that was delivered a few minutes ago has left the garage, driven by Myna Bird. Get on it!”

—

In the next block, on another rooftop, a CIA operative spotted the convertible and its driver and got on the radio. “Scramble,” he said. “Canary has driven away from his building in a white S550 Mercedes convertible, top down. Wren is riding shotgun.”

—

“Where would you like to go?” Roger asked Jennifer.

“Wherever you like. We could have lunch somewhere.”

“Let’s go to the south coast.”

“I’m all for it.”

Roger drove west to the M4 motorway, and after a few minutes, turned off on a country road south, driving fast.

“Don’t get us arrested,” she said, fastening her seat belt.

—

They ended up an hour or so later in the village of Beaulieu, then drove south some more and stopped at a country pub. “This looks good,” Roger said.

They got out, took an outside table, and read the menu. Roger looked up and saw a couple getting out of a Porsche. “I don’t believe it,” he said.

“Believe what?” Jennifer asked.

“You recall I was asked by Alex about an American named Stone Barrington?”

“Yes.”

“Well, there he is, and the woman with him, if you can believe it, is the American secretary of state.”

—

Stone took Holly’s hand and led her toward the front door of the pub, then, dead ahead, he saw Brigadier Roger Fife-Simpson. It was obvious Roger saw him, too, so there was nothing for it, he had to say hello. Stone stopped at the table and extended a hand. “Hello, Roger,” he said.

Fife-Simpson stood, shook hands, and introduced Jennifer, then Stone introduced Holly.

“What brings you down my way?” Stone asked.

“Just a joyride. New car, wanted to stretch its legs. Will you join us?”

“Thanks, I think we’ll go inside. I’m unaccustomed to so much sunshine.” They said goodbye, went inside, and found a table.

“Was that who I think it was?” Holly asked.

“It was, and the woman with him must be Jennifer Sands.”

“You should have accepted his invitation to join them,” Holly said. “That’s what Lance would have had you do.”

“Lance doesn’t comprehend how boring that man is. It would have ruined our lunch.”

“A pro would have jumped at the chance to be bored.”

“Then I’m no pro,” Stone said. “We would have learned nothing.”

“If you say so.”

—

“Why did you ask them to join us?” Jennifer asked.