On a low coffee table in front of the settee lay her handbag - some of its' contents was strewn by its side.

The door opened and a short ferret faced man in a dark suit slid into the room. "Feeling better", he enquired formally but Sarah got the impression he didn't really care. He peered at her, head tilted back disdainfully as if he were inspecting an offensive object. Her legs felt weak and she fought back hysteria.

"What on earth is going on? Who are you and what am I doing here", she heard herself demand weakly. There seemed to be two of her at the moment - the one in control talking to the man and the other inside, the real Sarah, that was completely coming apart.

"Oh good, I'm glad we're on the same wavelength", his eyes gleamed with false bonhomie. "Straight to the point, sort out the facts - no messing about, just the thing. We'd like you to answer a few questions".

He paused and gave her a smile that only got as far as his teeth " - and then you can be on your way back to wherever it was that you were going - before you decided you weren't going there - probably because you saw my careless colleague".

He seated himself on top of the single desk in the centre of the office - easy contemptuous authority. Confident that, if she had a story to tell, he would be the first person to hear it. He may not have been prepared for the spitting response he received.

"You have a nerve. What right do with that rat then I definitely don't have anything to say to you!".

"You've just chucked our buddy through a pane glass window and you say you're just a simple housewife? Pull the other one. Admit it. You are a real mean bitch that knows a lot more about the world than plumping pillows."

He held his hands in front of him as if to fend her off.

"I really think I should be scared." He cringed in mocking fear then straightened himself up and looked even meaner.

"But then I never scared easy, pretty madam. So I want to know who sent you and I want to know now and without any more messing about. What are you - a cop? Which agency are you from? Come on, spit it out. Your colleagues can't help you now. You're on your own. You'll tell me in the end. Save yourself a lot of unpleasantness and …. pain… a whole lot of unpleasantness and pain".

He smiled thinly. It was the smile of a carnivore waiting to devour its' prey.

Sarah had got to her feet and was by now collecting her things back into her bag. It had contained nothing to show her identity.

"I represent nobody. That guy's just somebody I used to know." Her voice sounded shrill and nervous.