Ess let herself into her flat and stopped dead. Shades sat at the table, the ubiquitous mug of coffee cradled in his hands. After a moment or two she closed the door behind her.

"Hello," she said, cautiously. "I thought you'd be at work. Are you sick?"

"No. Do I have to be, to spend more time with you?"

"Then what is it?"

He shrugged. "I quit."

"What?"

"I quit. I mean, the money was good, really good, but it was all night work, and Schustek, well, he was a bit creepy. Did you miss the bit about spending more time with you?"

"No, no, that's, um, great." She sat on the chair opposite. "You quit your job? Really?"

"Really. I thought you'd be more enthusiastic."

"No it's just a bit of a surprise, that's all. I thought you liked your job."

"It was just a job, and it's not like it had prospects."

"How long has this been brewing?" And why didn't you talk to me? she wondered. Not that she had any right to demand it, but wasn't that the sort of things couples talked about? Not that they were a couple, but even so.

"You know me. I'm not a great thinker, I'm more of an action man. Anyway, an offer suddenly came up and I thought, why not?"

"You've got another job?"

Shades looked down at his mug and swirled the coffee around. "Sort of. It's provisional at the moment, all hush-hush, but this time it's a pukka job, one I can talk about to people at the end of the day." He grinned. "Well, normal people, I mean." He reached out and squeezed her hand. "This is a good thing, babes. I work normal hours. Well, there's bound to be some evening and weekend work, but not nights, not anymore. I get to spend more time with you. I get to mix in respectable circles. Plus there's a prospect of promotion. This is a fizzy wine thing. Hell, this is a city break in a cheap hotel thing. What do you say?"

"Say? To what?"

"Paris. We can grab the Eurostar tomorrow and spend a few days seeing the sights and drinking proper fizzy wine."

"A holiday? Now? Don't you have to work out your notice or something?"

Shades waved the question away. "Stuff him. What's he going to do? He owes me holiday time anyway. Not big on statutory holiday leave and the EU working hours directive, Mister Schustek. Besides, I know where too many bodies are buried for him to cause a fuss."

"Bodies?"

Shades laughed. "Figuratively speaking. Anyway, stop avoiding the question. You, me, Paris. What do you say?"

"Paris? I can't."

"Amsterdam then. Berlin. Prague. Pick a city."

"It's not the city, it's the timing. I can't take a few days off, not at the moment. I've got too much work."

"They've put me on a retainer until they're ready for me to start work. I've got money and I've got time. All it needs is you and my life is just perfect. They said I should take a break and they'll contact me in a week. Come on, just you and me, stuff work for both of us."

"I can't."

Shades sat back and scowled. "What is it? This missing person thing? How long has she been gone? You know the stats for mispers, right? After forty-eight hours with no contact then either they don't want to be found or they're dead. And the longer it goes, the more likely it becomes. And no disrespect, but you've not had any training. And then there's the whole supernatural element. Seriously, what do you expect is going to happen in the next few days? The trail's cold, am I right? So it'll be no colder after a few days on the Continent, but at least you'd have had some fun. You remember fun, right?"

"So I'm not fun now, is that what you're saying?"

"Jesus!" Shades jumped up and stormed over to the sink. He ran the tap and washed his mug out as though he had a personal grudge against it.

"This is important," said Ess, over the sound of the gushing water. "I have to find her. Paris will still be there afterwards."

"But I won't."

"What?" Ess stared open-mouthed at Shades' back. His shoulders slumped as he stopped his attack on the mug.

"I mean, this is a short window, you know? I'm between jobs and they're actually encouraging me to have a holiday before I start with them. I won't be able to just hop on train to France when I start work. They're even paying me. I don't see why you're being so obstinate about this all."

"Great. Now I'm a miserable cow and I'm obstinate. Charming."

"Fuck!" He threw the mug into the sink, where it shattered. He whirled to face her, his face clouded with anger. "Stop twisting my words. I've got a chance at a proper job, you know, the kind where you pay taxes and get home at a decent hour and can start to make plans. Most women want that, don't they? All I'm asking for is a little support, for Christ's sake. That's what couples are meant to do for each other."

"Then give me a little support. I may not have a 'proper' job, but it's important. Daisy needs me, Martin too. Besides..." she closed her eyes, but try as she might she still couldn't overcome the spell that locked her tongue. "Besides, I've just got to," she finished, cursing her helplessness.

They stared at each other. Ess tried to read his face but all she could see was frustration and anger. She was just about to read his aura when he launched himself off the kitchen work surface and strode towards her. For a moment she braced herself for the hug, but he pushed passed her, grabbed his jacket from the couch and stormed out of the flat, slamming the door behind him.

Ess stared at the door for minutes afterwards, frozen ready to return the passionate hug that had never been. Then, despite herself, the tears came.