"Lykopis!" shouted Drake over the crowd. "Get off him!" Lykopis, happy at pinning one of the jeering Germans to the ground, had procedded to dig the heel of her shoe into his check. Most of the people in the crowd were cheering for her, though they had no idea why. Lykopis merely turned her head towards Drake. Her eyes were much in the manner of a cat on a fence looking at a barking dog -- cool, but amused, indifference.

"Stick it to the bloody man!" shouted Penny. She was still sitting next to Drake, though the secretary was too tipsy to get back up. Penny swung her head towards Drake. "It's maddness," she said. "I'm use to following orders. 'Yes sir', 'no sir', and 'do you like one lump or two sir'. Now I'm on my own and drinkin' like a bloody fish." Her eyes narrowed, and her face was somber. "Order me to do something. Make some copies. Send a fax. Anything."

"Penny, we're miles away from your office."

Just then, Drake's cell phone began ringing. Penny raised a finger. "Vanguard Europe, this is Penny speaking? How may I direct you?"

Drake ignore the drunk secretary. "Hello? Hey, Jessica."

"Where. Are. You."

Drake took a deep gulp. Busted. "Well, you see..."

"Don't try and fool me, Drake Marshall. You know what time it is here? What kind of meeting are you at?"

Shit. This is what happens when you lie to your wife. "Well, Paragon has me going over some stuff from the last case..."

"I thought you cleared all that up last week?" Drake couldn't think of a proper answer. "Look, you have any idea what's it like running the business and home without you? Did you have any idea how much time this would take away from you family when you signed up for this job?"

Lykopis's shouting was getting louder. And she was screaming in English again. "Vile, small-sasauge dog! Care to exam my corset from that angle -- the ground? Get up and I will beat you a fifth time."

Jessica overheard this. "A meeting? What is going on, Drake..."

Penny grabbed the cell phone. "I do appologize for the rudeness, Mrs. Marshall. It seems like Lady Lykopis is verbally abusing Mr. Siderwinder." Drake had no idea what was going on. "I have just been asked by Mr. Paragon to retrieve your husband, as his presentation is due next."

"His presentation?"

Penny nodded and continued speaking in her perfect secretary voice. "Yes, he was working on it all this morning." She paused for a moment. "And it just so happens that Mr. Marshall had a meeting with Mr. Paragon earlier, concerning the time he was spending away from you. Well Mr. Paragon has given me leave to convey his utmost regrets at this inconvience to you and would like to compensate. Would a ten-day leave and reservations on a cruise line be adequete?"

There was a pause on the other line. Drake strained to listen as Penny kept the speaker close to her ear. "Well...I suppose..."

"Great. I'll make the proper arrangements within the hour. Good day, Mrs. Marshall."

"Goodbye, Miss Goodweather -- and tell Drake...well, um...good luck on his presentation."

Penny hung up the phone. Drake whistled. "You are one cool liar."

"You think so? I use to work for a politican." She paused and looked down on the ground. "Of course, now I have to convince Mr. Par -- I mean, Dr. Paragon -- to reserve a cruise for you and your wife."

The conversation would have gone on, but Lykopis fell back onto the table. "That felt much better. I needed to get rid of all that extra energy."

Drake stood up. "Something's bothering me. Drake and Ozzy had been gone for too long."

"It is a fair. Could they have gotten lost?"

Drake frowned. "I doubt it. Ozzy went gambling? That's an invitation for disaster. Come on, let's go find them."

Drake got up and Penny followed. Lykopis stomped her foot. "Again? What are we, nursemaids for the boxer? Mr. Baxter can take care of himself."

Drake only shrugged. "Fine. Do whatever you want."

Lykopis felt for the slip of paper in her pocket. "Yes...yes I shall..."