“The one, Sylvia,” Bette said softly, swirling the ice in her drink, thinking out loud.  “Who could that be?”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sylvia’s hands trembled as she dialed a number she hadn’t called in nearly thirty years.

“Hello?” a posh, English-accented voice answered.

“Switchblade,” Sylvia said, blowing out a breath, gathering courage.  “Authenticate.”

“Hmm… let’s dispense with all those codes, shall we?  It’s been thirty years, and I’m sure you are who I think you are.  And I know you know who I am.  This is a call I’d expected the morning after our last conversation, or the next morning, or the next, or anytime over the last thirty years, by the way.”

“Don’t bother playing with me,” Sylvia responded coolly. “Your tactics have never worked with me, remember?’’

The man laughed harshly.  “Don’t be naïve, Sylvia.  It is Sylvia, isn’t it?  I found out that much, and, for all you know I’ve probably found out more.  For example, the tall, handsome navy man … Tom, is it?”

Sylvia bit her lip, unwilling to let him know that he’d landed a body blow.

“I had thirty years to do all my digging until I finally found you, you realize that?  I’m a peer now, did you know?  A member of the House of Lords.”

“You’ll have more to lose, then, if you don’t do as I say.”

The man hissed.  “I could crush you like a bug …”

Sylvia cut in, “I want the rest of the report.”

“You realize there are inaccuracies in it that can’t be let out … without clarification.”

“I don’t care.”

The man cursed under his breath.

Sylvia added, “And I want to know what’s not in it.”

“Everything’s in it.”

“No.  No, not everything.”

“Then you’ll need to talk to her.”

“In solitary?”

The man laughed cruelly again.

Sylvia said evenly, “You get me a call to her, or I’ll add what I know about what I’ve gathered about her, and what she supposedly did, to the file you don’t want newspapers, or social media, getting a hold of.”

“Supposedly?  Are you suggesting that she was set up?”

“Of course!  She’s clean.  You, on the other hand …”

The man coughed, clearing his throat.  “Sylvia, my dear, I advise that you ought to consider your position before making any accusa…”