[pshrynk]

They walked into Rick's Cafe Americain, side by side. Rick, standing by the piano player, gave them the usual greeting, "I don't want trouble makers in my bar! You two get out! Hello, Colonel! Your usual table?"

"He always makes me feel so welcome," came the voice from near the floor. Vivaldi walked past the piano, hiked his leg briefly, and then settled down in his doggie bed at the back. He ordered a plate of bacon and a beer, putting it on Adrian's tab.

Harv and Biggles went to a small table in the back of the room. Ordering drinks and trying to get a tab started, then refused, they sat in an awkward silence.

"So, Lt Colonel, what was it you wanted to speak with me about?" HArv finally broke the silence.

"Erm... Well, the thing is... You see... It's a matter of some delicacy."

"Shouldn't you be seeing Dr Montsnmags about that? I hear that he has some... unique approaches to that sort of thing. For an extra ten bucks or so, he won't even tell your wife."

"Not that sort of delicacy!" Biggles looked, if possible, more embarrassed. "No, it's about Vera. Again."

Harv sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "What sort of problems has she fallen into, this time?"

"I'm not sure. You see, it has to do with her job..."

"You mean as a spy?"

"SHHH!" Several people seated around them turned to look at Biggles as he nearly fell off his chair. "Good, Lord, man! Have you not any ability to be subtle?"

"Pretty much no, actually. What's going on?"

"Well, I'm not supposed to be telling you this and her office claims that they have everything in hand. But without her there to ride herd on them, I can't really trust that they will not make a foul hash of the whole thing.

"You see, she's disappeared. Again. Erm."

"Any clues as to where, this time?"

"Well, there's the mercy, at least. We know exactly where she was headed. Mexico city."

A fight broke out in the back of the room where two sailors discovered that they had been insulting each other for the last five minutes. As the MPs would later find out, neither had actually said anything. Only Harv noticed the small grey dog jumping up to their table and drinking their beers in the confusion.

"Mexico City? Why on earth would she be going there other than to buy Talavera pottery?"

"It's that Miyatake woman."

A cold dread settled on Harv's heart.