He reached out and slapped the alarm clock. The ringing didn’t stop. Slowly through his sleep fuddled brain, the thought arrived that it was the doorbell. He looked at the clock twice and sighed. Maybe whoever it was would go away. The bell kept ringing. Maybe not. He got up and grabbed his robe, wrapping it around him. The bell rang again. “I’m coming.” He reached the door and flung it open, doing a double take as he saw his brother standing there. “Patrick?” Patrick pushed past him and into the hall, his black overcoat swinging around him. He pulled off the shades and shut the door. “Did I wake you?” Liam shook his head at his brother’s abruptness. He never let himself in and never called this early. “Please come in and no you didn’t wake me. I had to get up to answer the door.” He yawned. “That’s a silly question. It’s five in the morning. Of course you did. What’s up?” Patrick put a finger over his lips and started waving an electronic gadget over the walls as he moved swiftly through the small maisonette.
