11
I had so confidently expected to find Merlin waiting for us at Home, I was surprised speechless to discover Sally instead.
At first, I thought maybe there had been a mistake. We were sent to one of the smaller (and more secret) meeting-rooms on the ground floor, and when I saw Sally (the fence, remember?) sitting alone at the glass-topped table with a cup of coffee before her, and an open notebook, I conducted a quick sweep of the room. You know, just in case an entire extra person was sitting in one of the other chairs, or upon the window-seat, and I’d somehow failed to notice.
It was just Sally.
She looked up as we came in, and greeted us with one of those professional nods that always seem just a bit grim. ‘I apologise for the lateness of the hour,’ she said. ‘I understand you ha
