In London, Jessica meets an old friend, U.S. Embassy Vice Consul John Thurston, who introduces her, in passing, to Nigel Atkins from the Home Office. When Jessica later finds Atkins dead, she immediately contacts the police but by the time they arrive, the body is nowhere to be found. Police inspector Stillwell later assures her that he's spoken to Atkins who is still quite alive and now on his way out of the country. It doesn't take her very long to figure out that she's in the of some type of intelligence operation.
—garykmcd