Our hotel's lobby is decorated with fake presents and giant bows, multicolored lights and a huge Christmas tree. Surprisingly, the whole thing is still quite elegant, but it owes much to the dark woods of the furniture and the marble of the fireplace. It's always tempting to drink a hot beverage first at the bar but we are too excited to wait one more minute. Therefore we rush to the elevator.

Back in the warmth and comfort of our room, we sit on a couch and call Zoé, who stayed in Budapest, to tell her about what we've found.

"A treasure hunt!" She screams. "I'll be there in a few hours."

I chuckle, and Leno comes closer to the phone so she can see him. "Are you sure you're going to be fine with the flight, though?" He asks.

He's always so thoughtful.

"Whatever," she scoffs. "I am not missing any minute of a freakin' treasure hunt. Don't even think about starting without me."

I raise my eyebrows. "This was definitely not your attitude when we were traveling to the south of France," I remind her.

"Completely different situation."

"Uh-huh."

She rolls her eyes. "Anyhow, you need me. I'm a master investigator. And, you're completely reckless. So you need a reasonable voice to keep you from dying in the process."

"Excuse me?" I fake the outrage, before turning towards Leno. "Did you know, darling, that Zoé wrote underground crime novels in the 80s? So yes, she could be useful."

Zoé chokes. "How... how do you know that?"

I smile with pride. "I have all your books. I love the one where Irving is accused of murder but it's actually..."

"Okay, fine," Zoé interrupts me. "You know everything. We understand. Blah blah. Can you never talk about that again? Ever."

"I'll give you the books. They're... interesting," I whisper to Leno. And he nods with a knowing look.

"Ikshan!" She threatens me.

I smile. "That's it. I'm done. It's forgotten." She gives me a killer look and I grin even wider. "By the way, I thought you were joining us to save me from dying not to kill me yourself."

"Don't push your luck."

"Anyway, go to the airport and we'll wait for you at the hotel. I'll make a reservation for you."

Leno leans towards the phone again. "Use the Wi-Fi to text us during the flight if you want."

Zoé chuckles. "Look at that, our ancient guy embracing modern technology! I'm so proud of you."

Leno blushes and I can't help kissing his irresistible lips.

"But yes," Zoé adds. "I'll text you nonstop. Cheers, mates."