'No, Signore, but I think Terry has. There's fifteen grand here.'

Fox nodded to the champagne bucket and Falcone poured him another glass. 'Terry, I think you've been a naughty boy again.'

'Please, Mr Fox, I'm just trying to make a buck.' 'And so you shall.' Fox smiled. 'Two grand, Terry.' Terry's eyes rolled. 'And what do I have to do for that?'

'What you do best.' Fox pushed a piece of paper across that had been lying on the table. 'Katherine Johnson. Ten Barrow Street. Just on the edge of the Village. You'll toss her place this afternoon.'

'But that doesn't give me time to prepare.'

'For what?' Fox said coldly. 'It's a small townhouse. She won't be there. You boast that you can break in anywhere.' Terry licked his lips. 'What do I do?'

'She's a magazine reporter, so you'll probably find an office, a computer, a VCR, all that stuff. Bring whatever disks you find. Bring the videos on her business shelf.'

Terry said, 'People keep videos all the time. I mean, do I bring all of them?'

'Be sensible, Terry,' Fox said patiently. 'I'm not looking for Dirty Harry or She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. Just use your brain, such as it is. The boys will take you, they'll wait and bring you back. Anything you've got, I want by five o'clock. I'm sure you won't disappoint me.'

Terry's feet hardly touched the ground as Falcone pushed him outside.

He went to Barrow Street wearing a bomber jacket that said 'Smith Electronics' on the back. He didn't bother with the front door, after three rings got no reply, but went down to the basement. There were double deadlocks, but they both responded to his touch.

He found himself in a laundry room and moved upstairs to the entrance hall. There was a parlour, dining room and kitchen, so he tried the stairs, the only sound disturbing the quiet the grandfather dock ticking in the hall. The first door he tried was the study. He saw shelves crammed with books and videos, a computer next to two video and disk machines, and a multiple tape recorder. He switched them all on and removed everything he found in them, placing his haul in the carry bag that hung from his left shoulder. He opened drawers and found more disks and cassettes, which he also took.