On the other side of the café was a young man in a blue suit. He was smoking a cigarette, and when Hiltsch entered he began to smoke it in a way that would seem odd if you were looking for it. He put the cigarette into his mouth with his right hand, puffed at it; then took it out with his left; then put it back into his mouth with his right.
Hiltsch began to smile. He walked straight across.
He said: "Hello, Standen. How are you?"
Standen looked up. "I'm very fit, Alleyn," he said. "Sit down. There are several things I want to talk to you about."
Hiltsch sat down. He said quietly: "Well, how is it?"
Standen said: "It's all right. I've no reason to believe that anything at all is wrong."
Hiltsch said: "You look well enough. Hildebrand told me you'd been over here eight months. Have yo
