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stood before them, dressed in a midnight blue suit with a sleek, minimalist matching blue mask.

"Allow me to solve that problem," he continued, gesturing towards a secluded velvet booth. "I'm Alessandro Rossi. And you've just made my evening infinitely more interesting." His Italian accent was smooth as aged whiskey.

Maria's gold mask tilted in assessment. "We're not looking for entertainment, signore."

"Then let's discuss what you are looking for," Rossi countered. "I might turn out to be an ally who can help you negotiate this masquerade." He gestured again toward the booth. "Join me."

Rossi's confidence was magnetic and Maria was won over. She looked at Hannah who nodded and they followed him into the plush shadows of the booth.

Rossi leaned forward, elbows resting on the low table between them. "You're new here," he began without preamble, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur. "The first thing any newcomer needs to learn is that everyone here is playing a game."

"I'd already decided that some people here are playing games," said Hannah.

"Of course they're playing games," Rossi said. "They all are. But the best players never let you know which game it is." He paused, letting the club's murmur fill the silence.

"Are you one of those best players?" asked Hannah.

Rossi smiled. "You'll have to find that out, but at least I've given you my name. Perhaps you could do the same?"

Hannah hesitated. Giving her name felt like peeling back her mask, exposing herself in this den of anonymity. But Rossi's directness demanded reciprocity. "Hannah," she said, keeping it clipped. Beside her, Maria remained silent, her gold filigree mask unreadable.

Rossi's eyes crinkled behind the blue silk. "Hannah. A name with strength." He leaned closer, the scent of bergamot and leather cutting through the club's haze. "Now, why are you truly here? Not for the champagne or the dancers, I think. You hunt bigger game."

Maria shifted imperceptibly. "We seek partnerships," she offered smoothly. "Strategic ones."

Rossi traced the rim of his untouched champagne flute. "I didn't catch your name."

Maria's mask tilted fractionally. "Maria."

"Maria," Rossi echoed, tasting the name. His gaze flicked between them. "Strategic partnerships is a little vague. Tell me what your exact business is here and I might be able to help." He leaned back, spreading his hands.

Maria decided to trust Rossi, reasoning that she had nothing to lose. "I represent a boutique bank. Mergers and acquisitions. If you know anyone looking to buy a business, that would help me."

Rossi nodded thoughtfully. "And your business is the same?" he asked Hannah, his gaze sharpening.

"No," Hannah replied, keeping her tone neutral. "I'm focused on investment strategy. Handling major portfolios." She watched Rossi's reaction carefully, his fingers stilled on the champagne flute, a subtle tell.

Maria smoothly redirected. "Signor Rossi, you mentioned allies earlier. What connections might benefit us?"

Rossi leaned back, fingers steepled. "I specialize in discreet introductions." His gaze lingered on Hannah. "For instance, someone in my inner circle is actively seeking aggressive portfolio restructuring. Exactly your domain." He paused, letting the implication sink in. "I could arrange a meeting. Provided..." His voice trailed off meaningfully.

Hannah felt the trap tighten. "Provided what?" she pressed, her knuckles whitening on her clutch. Maria's stillness beside her was unnerving.

Rossi's smile widened, predatory. "A gesture of commitment. A small fee, perhaps." He slid a discreet card across the velvet tablecloth. No name, only a Swiss account number. "Consider it an investment in our... mutual benefit." His eyes flicked to Hannah's, letting the image hang. "Or," he added softly, "you could offer something more personal. A private demonstration of your... strategic capabilities." His gaze lingered on the plunging neckline of her gown.

Hannah's pulse hammered against her ribs. The scarab-masked man's midnight meeting loomed, but Rossi's proposition reeked of opportunism. Maria's hand brushed hers under the table, a silent warning. Hannah kept her voice cool, detached. "We'll consider the fee." She pocketed the card without glancing at it. "But introductions first. Proof of your influence."

Rossi's smile tightened. "Cautious. I admire that." He signaled a server, ordering another bottle of champagne. "The investor is Swiss, someone I know very well. He's here tonight."

Maria leaned forward. "Describe him."

Rossi gestured subtly toward a secluded alcove where a man in a silver fox mask nursed a cognac. "Private equity," he murmured. "Currently dismantling a biotech firm. Needs aggressive repositioning." His eyes locked onto Hannah. "Sound familiar?"

Hannah's breath caught. Tanaka's failing biotech subsidiary and the scarab-masked man's challenge both echoed in Rossi's words. Coincidence felt unlikely. This had to be a different biotech, but she wondered what Rossi knew about Tanaka and her dealings with them.

Maria's grip tightened on her champagne flute. "Introduce us," she demanded, voice low and edged.

"He's busy right now," said Rossi, gesturing toward the man, who was indeed deep in conversation. "But I'd be delighted to do it later. In fact you might find the introduction very useful yourself."

Maria's eyes narrowed behind her mask. "Why?"

"Because you could find a buyer for him. Convince him that he doesn't need to dismantle the business, as with your firm's contacts you can sell it for him as a going concern."

Hannah watched Rossi's gaze switch from Maria's masked face to her plunging neckline. The proposition felt too convenient, too neatly aligned with Tanaka's situation. She kept her voice steady. "And what's your stake in this?"

Rossi spread his hands. "A broker's fee. Standard." He paused, eyes gleaming behind blue silk. "But I'd prefer... alternative compensation." His fingertip traced the condensation on his glass, lingering suggestively.

Hannah met his gaze, the champagne bubbles sharp on her tongue. Midnight at the fountain loomed, but Rossi's Swiss connection was too tantalizing to ignore. "Introduce us first," she countered, her voice cool steel. "Then we discuss terms."

Rossi's smile tightened fractionally. "Direct." He glanced toward the alcove. "As soon as I can I will."

Maria's gaze remained fixed on the silver-fox-masked investor. "We'll wait." Her tone left no room for negotiation. Rossi inclined his head, a silent concession, before rising to weave through the crowd toward the alcove.

Hannah watched him go, the champagne flute cold in her hand. "I don't know what to make of this," she murmured. "That Swiss connection reeks of Tanaka's biotech mess."

Maria nodded slowly, her gold mask catching the candlelight. "Maybe he's just hoaxing us. But for now let's play along."

Hannah scanned the alcove where Rossi now leaned close to the silver-fox-masked investor, their heads bent in urgent conversation. She noted the investor's stiff posture, the dismissive flick of his wrist. Rossi's shoulders tensed visibly before he turned back toward them, his blue mask failing to hide the tightness around his mouth.

He slid back into the booth, champagne flute abandoned. "He's... preoccupied," Rossi admitted, the smooth charm replaced by brittle irritation. "Claims he has an offer for the business already. But," he leaned forward conspiratorially, "he's meeting the buyer here tonight. So we might find out for sure one way or the other."

"Who's the buyer?" Maria pressed, her voice low.

Rossi shrugged, a calculated gesture. "He wouldn't say."

Hannah's gaze sharpened. "Convenient." Rossi's web felt sticky, deliberate. She leaned in, her voice slicing through the club's murmur. "Then why should we trust your introduction holds value?"

Rossi's mask tilted, shadows deepening the hollows of his cheeks. "It'll hold value for you regardless, because he's going to have money to invest whatever happens. Perhaps not for Maria, if his prospective sale gets the go ahead tonight."

Rossi leaned closer, his bergamot scent sharpening. "He'll have fresh capital to deploy. Aggressive repositioning requires aggressive strategy." His gaze locked onto Hannah. "That's where you shine, isn't it?"

Hannah met his stare. "If he's liquidating assets, he'll seek high-yield opportunities. Not cautious plays."

"Exactly," Rossi breathed, triumph flickering in his eyes. "He'll need someone bold. Someone willing to... maneuver creatively." His fingertip traced the velvet edge of the table, drifting toward her hand. "Someone like you."

Hannah pulled her hand away, the movement sharp. "Creative maneuvering has boundaries."

Rossi's chuckle was low, velvet-wrapped steel. "Boundaries exist to be tested." He glanced toward the alcove again. The silver-fox-masked investor was rising, scanning the room with predatory focus. "Watch. His buyer arrives."

A figure emerged from the shadowed colonnade, unmistakeable in his distinctive scarab mask. Hannah froze. The scarab-masked man moved with predatory grace toward the silver-fox investor, their handshake brief and efficient. Rossi's triumphant whisper cut through her shock: "See? The buyer arrives." Maria's sharp intake of breath mirrored Hannah's own realization, that this surely wasn't a coincidence. Rossi had known Tanaka's broker would be here.

The scarab-masked man's gaze swept past the investor, locking onto Hannah across the crowded room. His head tilted slightly, a silent acknowledgment that chilled her. She watched as the silver-fox-investor handed him a sleek tablet, the glow illuminating the scarab motif on his mask. Rossi leaned close, his whisper hot against Hannah's ear. "He's validating the offer right now. They aren't wasting any time."

Hannah's eyes remained on the scarab-masked man as he nodded curtly at the tablet's contents. Rossi's fingers brushed her shoulder, his eyes raking over her body. "I hope you're ready for your opportunity," he murmured.

The scarab-masked man got up abruptly, leaving the silver-fox-investor sitting alone as he vanished into the shadows. Rossi's fingers tightened on Hannah's shoulder. "Let's go," he said.

Hannah shook him off. "There isn't time right now," she said, looking at her watch and seeing it was close to midnight. "I've got an appointment to keep."

Rossi's head tilted, the faintest pause before his lips curved in a slow smile. "An appointment," he echoed, savoring the word. "How rare, in a place where most people let time dissolve."

Hannah stood, the velvet booth suddenly stifling. "It's important." Her gaze darted in the direction of the fountain, almost hidden behind the colonnade. Maria rose beside her, a silent pillar of support.

Rossi's smile didn't waver, but his eyes hardened. "Of course. I'm sure my beautiful brunettes wouldn't desert me without good reason. But remember," he said, getting to his feet, his voice dropping to a whisper, "the man you're going to meet may hold the keys to a kingdom, but I hold the keys to many kingdoms."

Hannah didn't reply. She turned, Maria falling into step beside her as they navigated the crowd. Passing beyond the colonnade, the stark obsidian fountain loomed ahead, its soft splashing a counterpoint to the club's low thrum. Hannah's heels clicked on the marble floor, each step echoing her racing thoughts. The scarab-masked man's appearance with the silver-fox-investor wasn't coincidence; it was a power play. He'd seen her with Rossi. He knew she was scrambling for business.

Midnight chimed, a single resonant note from a hidden bell. The scarab-masked man materialized from the shadows beside the fountain, his presence imposing even in stillness. "Punctual," he observed, his voice devoid of warmth. "I trust your conversation with Signor Rossi was... productive?"

Hannah forced calm into her voice. "He offered introductions. To a Swiss investor liquidating biotech assets." She watched his masked face, searching for a reaction. "You seemed familiar with that portfolio."

The scarab mask tilted slightly. "I'm familiar with many things. As for Rossi, he enjoys fishing, dangling bait he knows will be snatched." He stepped closer, the fountain's mist cooling Hannah's skin. "Your model's proof. Let's not bother with previews. Having thought it over, previews are for common folk. When can you give me a live demonstration?"

Hannah had put the time since their earlier conversation to good use and in her mind had already addressed the issue of how quickly Alex could get her prepared, taking into account the time difference. "Would 6 PM be convenient?"

The scarab mask gave a curt nod. "Acceptable. I'll send the details." She gave him her business card, which he glanced at briefly before pocketing it. He didn't offer her one in return.

"Until six," he said. "By the way, be wary of your admirer. He collects women like trophies." Before Hannah could respond, he melted back into the shadows, leaving the two women alone with the fountain's whisper.

Maria exhaled sharply. "He knows Rossi. He knows Silver Fox. He knows Tanaka. Now he's getting to know you."

Hannah stared at the spot where the scarab mask had vanished, her fingers tracing the damp edge of the fountain. "Maybe he set this whole thing up. That Swiss investor, Rossi's approach, perhaps it was all a way of making him seem powerful." The chill in her bones had nothing to do with the mist.

Maria's gold mask glinted as she shook her head. "Possible. But the Tanaka connection is real. He demanded proof by six. That's your focus." She paused, her gaze sharpening. "Though I wonder why he warned you about Rossi. Divide and conquer?"

Hannah's knuckles whitened against the fountain's edge. The scarab beetle's warning echoed, "collects women like trophies". Rossi's lingering gaze, his "alternative compensation" offer, it all clicked in her mind. "He's not just playing games," she murmured. "He's hunting."

Maria's hand tightened on her arm. "Then we hunt back. Tanaka first. Focus." Her voice was a blade in the mist. "You have until six to prove your model. Rossi can wait."

"I can't do anything now," Hannah replied. "I need to talk to my office to set up the demo, but because of the time difference I can't do that until three this afternoon."

They passed back through the colonnade, noting that the music had stopped. The reason for this soon became apparent, as the dance troupe returned to the stage. The scantily-clad performers waited for their own music to swell and then began a slow, mesmeric routine that seemed to draw the entire club's attention. Hannah and Maria paused at the edge of the crowd, watching as the dancers' skilled and polished movements created a ripple effect through the masked and immersed audience.

The rhythm built gradually, the dancers' bodies weaving in and out of one another with seamless precision. What began as a measured procession grew more daring, limbs intertwining, breaking apart, and reforming in patterns that seemed choreographed to test balance and trust. As the final note rang out and the dancers froze in a tableau of tension and poise, the applause burst out like a release of held breath.

"I hope your midnight appointment was positive," said a voice they recognized. They turned to find Rossi stood behind them, his mask catching the stage lights which were still on.

Maria's eyes narrowed. "You don't waste much time, do you?"

"That's because I like to set the rhythm of the dance," he replied. "Rather than follow in the steps, or the missteps, of the others."

Maria stepped forward. "We're still interested in your Swiss connection."

"Then let's go," Rossi replied smoothly, indicating the way. Hannah and Maria exchanged a quick glance, then fell into step behind him as he threaded through the crowd. The jazz music started again, just as they reached the alcove where the silver fox sat with his cognac. Rossi spoke to him at some length in Italian and he listened attentively, nodding several times.

Rossi introduced Maria first. "Signor Keller, this is Maria." Hannah noted Keller's sharp eyes behind his mask as Maria extended her hand. "She represents boutique banks specializing in distressed assets."

Keller's grip was firm, assessing. "Distressed assets require aggressive buyers." His gaze slid to Hannah. "And you?"

"This is Hannah," Rossi interjected smoothly before she could speak. "She handles major portfolios. Creative repositioning."

Keller's eyes lingered on Hannah, sharp and calculating. "Repositioning," he echoed. "Like replacing my biotech subsidiary? The question hung in the air like smoke.

Hannah kept her expression neutral, but her pulse quickened. "Exactly," Rossi answered for her, his voice smooth as silk. "Hannah specializes in identifying undervalued potential. Turning liabilities into strategic advantages."

Keller leaned back, swirling his cognac. The amber liquid caught the dim light, as he indicated that they should sit down. "My subsidiary isn't just distressed. It's hemorrhaging. I poured millions into a gene therapy project that failed Phase Two trials. Publicly." He took a slow sip, his gaze never leaving Hannah. "The market expects a fire sale. Who sees value in that?"

Rossi opened his mouth, but Hannah cut in, her voice clear and deliberate. "Phase Two failures reveal pathways. Let my firm study the data and do the analysis. You might still be sitting on something valuable."

"Valuable to own or valuable to sell?" he replied.

"Both," Hannah countered, leaning in slightly. "If we uncover latent IP, you retain it. If not, we position it as a strategic acquisition for competitors seeking entry into your niche. Either way, you recoup losses." She paused, letting the strategy hang between them. "But first, due diligence."

Keller's knuckles whitened around his glass. "Due diligence takes time. I've just been offered an immediate cash deal. Clean break. No strings."

"Well if you're intent on a quick sale," said Maria, "My bank can try to get you a better offer. At least let us try."

Keller's gaze flickered between them, the silver fox mask gleaming. "The offer I have is substantial. Immediate."

Rossi leaned forward, fingertips pressing into the velvet tabletop. "Substantial is relative, Signor Keller. Maria's network taps buyers hungry for distressed biotech assets. Buyers who see beyond the Phase Two failure." He gestured toward Maria. "Let her solicit bids. You lose nothing."

Keller stared into his cognac, the silence stretching. Hannah watched the tension coil in his shoulders - the posture of a man cornered by necessity, not choice. The scarab-masked man's tablet glowed in her memory. "Immediate cash deal". Was this Tanaka's broker tightening the vise?

"Give me two days," Maria pressed, her voice low and urgent. "Forty-eight hours. If my bids don't exceed your current offer, you walk away richer for knowing. If they do..." She let the implication hang. Opportunity.

Keller drained his cognac, the glass hitting the table with a decisive *clink*. "Forty-eight hours," he conceded, his voice tight. "But not a minute more. The offer expires Friday night." He slid a crisp business card across the velvet toward Maria.

Rossi's smile was triumphant. He spoke to Keller at some length in Italian again and then got up to leave, indicating to the two women that they should do the same.

As they moved away from the alcove, Hannah's mind raced. Not only did she urgently need Alex to help with the scarab beetle, she urgently needed him or someone else to give her data on Keller's biotech business. She glanced at Maria, who clutched Keller's card, her knuckles pale. "Forty-eight hours," she muttered. "I need to mobilize my team. Get them going."

Rossi waved them into his booth, where there was still champagne in the bottle there. "A productive night," he purred, filling all their glasses. "And we're not finished yet. I have other introductions for you. Keller's just one piece on the chessboard." He put his arm around Hannah's shoulders. "I need compensation of course. To make my services worthwhile."

Hannah stiffened, but didn't pull away. "We've discussed this. Brokerage fees are standard."

Rossi chuckled, his thumb tracing her collarbone. "Standard fees buy standard introductions." His gaze drifted over her body. "You're playing in deeper waters now. My compensation requires... creativity." He slid a hotel key card onto the table between them. "Suite 1204. Dawn brings opportunity."

Maria slammed her champagne flute down. "Enough. We have Keller's timeline. Hannah has her six o'clock proof. We don't need your theatrics."

Rossi's smile hardened. "Theatrics? This is leverage." His fingers tightened on Hannah's shoulder. "You see, I have something that Hannah wants badly. Vital intel on Tanaka and the scarab beetle. Information she surely wants before tomorrow's demo takes place. If she doesn't want it, then you have my Swiss account number for a bank transfer. Her choice."

Hannah stared at the hotel key card gleaming under the booth's low light. The scarab beetle's warning echoed: "Collects women like trophies." Rossi wasn't just hunting; he'd laid a trap, and she'd walked right in. Tanaka's fate, Keller's ticking clock - he'd woven them into a snare. She met Maria's furious gaze, a silent plea for patience.

"Intel on Tanaka?" Hannah kept her voice steady, ignoring the pressure of his fingers. "Prove it's worth my time."

Rossi withdrew his hand, reaching into his jacket. He slid a folded sheet of paper across the velvet. Hannah picked it up and unfolded it carefully. It was a bank transfer slip showing a deposit into a Swiss bank account. She noticed the name of the remitter; "Tanaka Precision Industries."

He held out his hand to receive the paper back.

Hannah stared at the Tanaka remitter name, her mind racing. Proof Rossi had access to Tanaka's financial movements. Vital intel indeed. She slid the paper back across the velvet, her fingers brushing his coldly. "And the scarab beetle?"

He finished his champagne and stood up. "The scarab beetle is the key. The key that unlocks the door. But you need to find out which door that is."

Maria leaned forward. "What does that even mean?"

Rossi moved to the edge of the booth. "Hannah will find out what it means. I don't waste people's time." He gave a small, elegant bow and then vanished into the sea of masks and murmurs.

Maria snatched the hotel key card, snapping it in half. "We're not playing this game."

But Hannah sat still, thoughtful. "He has information on Tanaka, I'm sure. That's leverage." She turned the broken plastic pieces over in her hand. "And he knows something about the scarab beetle."

Maria leaned in, lowering her voice. "He's dangling bait, Hannah. Dangerous bait. That hotel suite isn't just about information."

Hannah traced the jagged edge of the broken key card. The Tanaka Precision Industries remittance slip proved Rossi had claws in Tanaka's finances. Vital leverage. And his cryptic hint about the scarab beetle being "the key" - that wasn't random. It was calculated. "He knows Tanaka's broker," she murmured. "Probably knows who he is. That's worth more than brokerage fees."

Maria snatched the plastic fragments from Hannah's hand. "It's worth walking away. Suite 1204 isn't an office. It's a cage." Her gold mask couldn't hide the fierce protectiveness in her eyes. "We have Keller's forty-eight hours. We have your six o'clock demo. Focus."

Hannah stared at the spot where Rossi had vanished. The Tanaka remittance slip burned in her memory - undeniable proof Rossi swam in Tanaka's troubled waters. And his whisper about the scarab beetle being "the key"... that wasn't idle theatrics. It was a lure weighted with truth. "He knows who the scarab beetle is," she said quietly. "And what he wants from Tanaka."

Maria gripped her arm. "And he wants you in exchange. That hotel suite isn't negotiation. It's surrender." She scanned the shifting crowd, her posture rigid. "Stay away from him."

Hannah knew that Rossi could unravel the mystery of the scarab beetle and possibly make a difference to her demo. She also suspected that her access to Keller might depend on Rossi too, as he clearly exercised a lot of influence with him. But Maria was right: Suite 1204 was a trap. A spider's web to catch flies like her. Perhaps she should stick to her own resources.

"I'll contact my office," she murmured. "As well as setting up the demo, I'll ask for Keller's biotech data."

Maria nodded curtly. "Good. Focus on what you control." She looked around the room, noticing that the crowd was thinning now. "We should leave. I think we've had enough excitement for one night. Enough champagne too."

"Is there such a thing as enough excitement?" asked Hannah, still intent on looking for business contacts and still curious about the club. "Let's stay a little longer."

Before Maria could object, a woman in a sleek silver mask stopped in front of them, the cut of her navy suit far sharper than the flowing costumes around her. She looked like someone more at home in a boardroom rather than candlelit ballroom.

"You two look very young," she said. "Younger than the usual crowd anyway. Are you here as entertainment for the men?"

Maria bristled. "We're here on business."

"Good," the woman replied. "But make sure you play the role of the hunter and not the one of the prey. It's easy for young women to get taken advantage of here, in more ways than one."

Hannah straightened her shoulders, meeting the silver mask's gaze directly. "We definitely came here to hunt."

"Good. Any success so far?"

Hannah hesitated. The silver-masked woman's tone held genuine interest, not Rossi's predatory edge. Maria answered cautiously. "We have a deadline with Keller Biotech."

"Keller?" The woman tilted her head, the silver mask catching the candlelight. "Interesting. That salvage operation? You're either brave or foolish." She extended a gloved hand. "Eleanor Ranch. Private equity."

Hannah shook it, feeling comfortable. Eleanor's grip was firm, her eyes sharp behind the mask. "Hannah Hartwell. Layton Moreby Associates." Maria shook it too. "Maria Wallington. Creighton Bank."

Eleanor's gaze lingered on Hannah. "Layton Moreby's sending a rookie to hunt unicorns now? Clare must be desperate."

The bluntness stung, but Hannah held her ground. "We secured Keller's attention. That's something." Eleanor chuckled softly, a dry, humorless sound. "Attention is cheap. Closing is everything. Keller's got vultures circling around him, so I'm sure your deadline's a tight one."

Maria bristled again, her voice tight. "We know the timeline. We have a plan."

"I wish you good luck with it. I really do. I'd enjoy seeing the vultures denied their carrion at the hands of intrepid women like you two. But you're in a business where plans can shatter like glass." Eleanor's gaze swept over them, lingering on Hannah. "Clare's had good experience of that recently."

Hannah stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"Clare had a pet project last year. Deals with three major funds. For weeks they looked to be progressing well. Then, almost overnight, they all pulled out. No warning, no explanation. One moment she was in the room, the next she was shut out entirely. I suppose you know the deals I'm referring to?"

Hannah could recall Clare being frustrated at some deals falling through the previous year, but she was only her secretary at the time and had never known any of the details. "Only in broad strokes," she said carefully. "Clare was handling them personally."

Eleanor nodded. "Well I wish you the best with Keller. Next time we cross paths perhaps you'll be telling me how you pulled it off. Enjoy the rest of your evening, both of you."

With that she was gone, leaving Hannah wondering about the collapsed deals. "Three major funds walking away overnight," she said to Maria. "That sounds strange."

"It's late. Everything sounds strange at this time of night," said Maria, a little wearily, and Hannah got the hint that she wanted to leave now.

They made their way toward the exit, the jazz music fading behind them. But as they met the cool air outside, Hannah felt the weight of the night pressing down on her shoulders. The proposed Tanaka deal, the demo at six, the identity of the scarab beetle, the forty-eight-hour Keller deadline, and Rossi's veiled promises all tangled and jangled together in her mind.

She felt amazed to think that less than three months ago she was working as a secretary and now she was at the center of so much intrigue and complexity. She had wanted more than the clerical life and now she had it, but she had never anticipated how complicated it would be. She glanced at Maria, who was signalling for a taxi. "We need sleep," Maria declared, her voice tight with exhaustion. "Tomorrow's a war day."

Hannah didn't feel like sleeping. She slid into the cab beside Maria and the city lights began to blur past, but her mind stayed sharp, dissecting Rossi's trap. That remittance slip -- proof he had some kind of financial link to Tanaka. His cryptic hint about the scarab beetle being "the key" felt deliberate, not random. He knew something vital. But Suite 1204? No. Surely there had to be another way to leverage him.

As she entered her hotel room, her thoughts continued to race, now uninhibited by Maria's presence. If she didn't go to his hotel room, would she ever see Rossi again? How exactly would she find another way to leverage him, without having any contact with him? The more she thought about it, she more she realized how perfect a trap Rossi had set.

Besides, Hannah had been down this road before. She had needed to be bold on previous occasions and being bold had served her well. In fact every step forward she'd taken in the past three months had come from being bold, from asking Clare to give her a chance in the first place, through the Kraskal and Vince deals, to asking to be given the Tanaka case.

She still had the broken key card with the name of Rossi's hotel. She quickly used her phone to find its location and was surprised at how close it was. Rossi knew who scarab beetle was and that knowledge could make or break her six o'clock demo. She was on her way to see him. She knew that Maria wouldn't approve of such thinking, but Maria wasn't with her anymore.

Hannah took a deep breath and changed into something less conspicuous: a simple blouse and skirt and a jacket against the cool night air. She slipped out of her hotel to find the streets quiet, the pulse of the city now slow. Rossi's hotel loomed ahead already, its entrance lit by an array of soft, golden lights that made it impossible to miss.

As she rode the elevator to the twelfth floor, Hannah focused her thoughts on what she wanted from Rossi. He'd said he didn't waste people's time and she hoped it would prove to be true. Suite 1204 was easy to find, its bold polished numbers gleaming under the hallway lights. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

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