08/02/2026 22:01

---

Have you any further news of Malcolm? We haven'thad word from the hospital since Randie phoned, which is good, Isuppose. You and I both know that I'm not responsiblefor a piece of misinformation passed to you by a client when I'm notpresent. Twenty-fiveyears of not stirring a muscle unless forced to do so had made hismother into a great mound of a woman wearing stretch trousers and ajumper the size of a parachute. She was leaning next to thewrought iron railing with a bag of marshmallows open on her lap.

At this, Ted breathed a cirrus of relief into the cold night air. There isn't, really. And into this already established group Katja Wolff wouldhave come as Sonia's nanny. Katja was the one to breakthe silence, and she did it with the confidence of a woman who'd spenttwo decades educating herself as to her rights with regard to thepolice.