…… “and Maison de Pain” …… read the small fragment of a business card in O’Hoo’s rapidly cooling top pocket.   Something about a baguette, maybe.  But as crusty as I was, the second last thing on my mind, after sharing a room with a deceased copper was breakfast.  The first and last thing on my mind was the diminishing effect of a couple of aspirins.  Pretty soon I’d be Bayering at the moon.

I had to think fast and act.  I thought I’d quite like a cigarette.  Since Merv had banned them inside and since the car park was a no-mans land of low-life dealers and netball players, it had been a long drawn-out time without a Lucky Strike.  No smoke detectors?  Nope.  Bliss.

I needed a hirsute canine to steady myself.  The flask of JW…. was empty.   Some of the panel beating in my head came from the aircraft…