Susan slipped inside the study, closing the door quietly behind her as she scanned the cluttered room. A number of possibilities presented themselves, but she didn’t have time to pursue them all. Ignoring her thumping heartbeat, she crossed to the desk. Pulling each drawer open one by one, she rifled through the contents, trying not to leave obvious evidence of her intrusion. Nothing. The filing cabinet refused her access, but she abandoned it readily, what she wanted probably wasn’t inside.

She flicked a glance at her watch and cast one last desperate look around. Time was up – she had to get out now. The sound of voices in the corridor froze her at the door. Pierre! She darted across the room to the sliding door, releasing a relieved breath as it slid open, and escaped onto the balcony. Pressing her back against the wall next to the door, she listened intently to the sound of Pierre’s footsteps approaching his desk. She’d never be able to explain her presence if he caught her here! Motionless, she waited. As the minutes passed, the frigid night air closed in, adding its chill to her fear-frozen limbs.