Through the fog of pain the memory came back to him, and he sat up quickly.

Much

too quickly. The room started spinning.

"Ohhh, dear God..." He moaned, closing his eyes and grabbing his head again.

He

slowly counted ten and risked opening his eyes once more. Then, with

deliberate

care, he put his feet down on the floor and got up off the bed. He swayed

slightly, then staggered toward the door.

"Ah, bonjour. Chief Inspector," Jacqueline said, padding past him barefoot,

wearing nothing except a very sheer black bra and panties. It was indicative

of

the degree of Blood's condition that he was unable to appreciate the sight.

"Would you care for some coffee?"

Blood groaned.

"I will take that as a yes," she said. "Sebastian, black coffee for the chief

inspector!"

Blood winced as Makepeace's booming voice came from the kitchen. "Black

coffee

coming right up!"

A moment later a steaming mug of coffee came floating across the room toward

him. Blood blinked, then plucked it out of the air before it could bump into

his

chest. He could smell breakfast cooking.

A door at the other end of the living room opened, and Kira came shambling

out,

barefoot, in panties and a sheer, sleeveless black tunic. Her hair was

uncombed,

hanging down over her face.

"Someone making breakfast?" she mumbled.

"Sebastian is making eggs and bacon," Jacqueline said, stretching out on the

couch and lighting up a cigarette, completely unconcerned about being en

deshabille. It was like the morning after a fraternity party, Blood thought.

It

all seemed somehow surreal.

He staggered toward the kitchen.

"How do you like your eggs?" Makepeace asked Kira.

"Over light," she said, taking a beer from the refrigerator.

"Over light it is," said Makepeace, standing in the center of the kitchen,

dressed in his habitual beret, as well as embroidered Turkish slippers with

turned-up toes and an outrageous, full-length robe in orange-and-red brocade.

Makepeace held his hand out, palm up, then quickly turned it palm down. The

eggs

neatly flipped themselves over.

"Good morning," Makepeace boomed jovially. "Sleep well?"