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'Ah, well, you make me that way, you see, I told you once before, you make me better.'

They got up and walked back towards the carpark arm-in-arm. 'What's going to happen to us?' she asked.

'You mean, are my intentions honourable? But of course. I will marry you at the appropriate moment, if only to get my hands on the Monet and the Degas.'

'And in the immediate future?'

'A couple of days, if we're lucky, then I must return to Argentina.'

She made a determined effort to be cheerful. 'So, at least tonight is secure. Let's go somewhere nice where we can dine and dance and be together.'

'Where would you suggest?'

'There's a place in Montmartre called Paco's. He's Brazilian. The music is excellent.'

'Paco's it is then. I'll pick you up at eight o'clock. Is that okay?'

'Fine.'

She glimpsed Tony Villiers by the newstand on the far side of the carpark and anger touched her as she unlocked the door of her car. 'I'll drop you off at your place.'

Which she did, getting out of the Mercedes to stand and talk to him for a moment, before driving away.

On the other side of the road, sitting on a bench reading a newspaper, one of Nikolai Belov's men noted the registration number of the car, got up and walked away as Montera went into the apartment block.

* * *

Back at her flat, Gabrielle paced up and down, waiting for the ring at the door which she knew must come. When it did she went and opened it quickly to admit Villiers. She walked back into the sitting room, thoroughly angry, and turned to face him.

'Well?' he said. 'Anything to report?'

'He's here on business for his government in connection with the arms embargo.'

'That really is a very fair description. Anything else?'

'Yes, I don't want you dogging my heels all the time, Tony. I mean that. This is difficult enough as it is.'

'You mean I'm an embarrassment.'

'Put it any way you please. I certainly don't need you tonight. We're dining in Montmartre.'

'And then coming back here?'

She went and opened the door. 'That's all, Tony.'

'Don't worry,' he said. 'Harvey and I have other fish to fry tonight.'

He went out and Gabrielle turned, went into the bathroom and ran her second bath of the day. When she looked forward to the evening it was with anticipation. Whatever else happened, she was going to have that.

* * *

Donner was in the shower when Wanda came in with the hand phone. 'Belov wants a word with you.'

Donner dried his hands, leaned out and took the phone. 'Nikolai, what can I do for you?' He listened for a while, face inscrutable. 'That certainly is interesting. Yes, keep me informed. If they go out anywhere tonight, for example, let me know.'

He handed the phone back to her. 'Trouble?' she said.

'Apparently our war hero has found himself a girlfriend. A spectacularly beautiful young woman according to Belov's information, who lives on the Avenue Victor Hugo.'

'That usually means money.'

'A reasonable deduction. Name of Gabrielle Legrand. Belov's going to keep me informed on the situation. I must say, if she's as good as she sounds, it might be worth taking a look at her.'

'You would,' she said bitterly and put the hand phone down on the small table by the door. 'Do you want anything else?'

'Yes,' he said. 'You can come and scrub my back.'

'If you like.'

She started to undress slowly, thinking already with a certain fear, of a girl she had never met, some strange sixth sense telling her she could be in trouble.

* * *

Montera had brought only one reasonably formal suit with him and wore it now, single-breasted, dark blue mohair with a plain white shirt and black tie.

'You look extremely elegant,' she said as they sat together in the back of the cab.

'I pale into insignificance beside you.'

She was wearing that spectacular silver mini-dress that she'd worn at their first meeting at the Argentine Embassy in London, the sunburst hair brushed out in La Coupe Sauvage.

'The last time we were out together you introduced me to the romance of the Embankment at midnight.