She snapped back, cursing herself for letting her mind wander at such a crucial time. They had only thirty minutes for the briefing, half of which was already gone. Even within the walls of the palace it was dangerous for them to meet.

“I’m sorry. Could you repeat that?”

Armand had been watching her, wondering if her shoulders were strong enough to hold the fate of so much. “The last few days have been a strain.” There wasn’t criticism in his voice but concern. Hannah would have preferred the first.

“The last two years have been a strain, Your Highness.” Then she lifted her shoulders in a gesture that was more acceptance than dismissal.

“If you’re beginning to wear under it,” Malori said in his clipped, no-nonsense voice, “it’s best we know now.”

“I don’t wear.” Her eyes met his without wavering. “I believe my record shows that.”

Before Malori could speak again, Reeve cut in. She was wearing, he knew, but he had to gamble she’d hold out for a few more days. “If we could backtrack? We can assume that Deboque has already ordered the supplies you requested. An educated guess on where he’d procure them?”

“Athens,” she said immediately. “I feel strongly that he’d draw from within his own organization. He feels totally secure, invulnerable if it comes to that. He wouldn’t want to risk ordering from outside sources. From my other reports, we know that he keeps a warehouse in Athens. He has others, of course, but I think he’d go there because of its proximity to Cordina.”

“We’ll check our contact there and see if there’s news of any explosives being moved.” Malori noted it down. “With luck we’ll close down his Athens branch once we have him here.”

“The ISS won’t move on Athens, Paris, London or Bonn until we have an airtight case on Deboque here.” Hannah set down her tea. “That’s a button I push, monsieur.”

“Bien.” Malori obviously didn’t like it, but nodded.

“Will the case be strong enough when Hannah receives the explosives?” Armand glanced at Hannah, then at Reeve. “Hannah has taken the contract, requested the supplies. Once they are delivered, can that be the end of it?”

Hannah started to speak, then subsided. She would let Reeve explain. He was family. “We would have enough for an arrest, possibly for an arraignment. Even with the supplies being traced back to Athens or another of Deboque’s companies, it wouldn’t be enough for a conspiracy conviction. He’s careful enough to divorce himself from business dealings of this kind.”

Business dealings, Armand thought as he drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair. “And his request that Hannah assassinate my family?”