Zero History

29. SHIVER
Sleight,” Bigend said, as though the name tired him, “is asking about Milgrim. Is he with
you?”
“No,” Hollis said, stretched on the bed, post-shower, partially wrapped in several of the
hotel’s not-so-large white towels. “Isn’t he in New York? Sleight, I mean.”
“Toronto,” said Bigend. “He keeps track of Milgrim.”
“He does?” She looked at the iPhone. She had no iconic image for Bigend. Maybe a
blank rectangle of Klein Blue?
“Milgrim initially required quite a lot of keeping track of. That fell to Sleight, for the
most part.”
“Does he keep track of me?” She looked over at the blue figurine.
“Would you like him to?”
“No. It would be, in fact, a deal-breaker. For you and me.”
“That was my understanding, of course. Where did you buy your phone?”
“The Apple Store. SoHo. New York SoHo. Why?”
“I’d like to give you another one.”
“Why do you care where I bought this one?”
“Making certain you bought it yourself.”
“The last phone you gave me let you keep track of where I was, Hubertus.”
“I won’t do that again.”
“Not with a phone, anyway.”
“I don’t understand.”
She gave the figurine a flick with her finger. It wobbled on its round base.
“You know my concerns with integrity of communication,” he said.
“I don’t know where Milgrim is,” she said. “Is that all you wanted?”
“Sleight’s suggesting he’s left Paris. Done a runner, perhaps. Do you think that likely?”
“He’s not that easy to read. Not for me.”
“He’s changing,” Bigend said. “That’s the interesting thing, about someone in his
situation. There’s always more of him arriving, coming online.”
“Maybe something’s arrived that doesn’t want Sleight knowing where it is.”
“If you see him,” Bigend said, “would you ask him to ring me, please?”
“Yes,” she said, “goodbye.”
“Goodbye, Hollis.”
She picked up the figurine. It weighed no more than she recalled it having weighed
before, which was very little. It was hollow, and apparently seamless. There was no way
to see what might be inside it.
She sat up on the bed, wrapped in slightly damp towels, as her phone rang again. The