Protagonist Paul Christopher's loyalist friends within The Outfit after he becomes a persona non-grata, Tom and Sybille live in Paris. They take in his lover, Molly Benson, and arrange for her to live in a safe house. Tom witnesses Molly's murder and takes hard Paul's fate of being imprisoned as a spy inside China. He begins drinking heavily. He resents the lack of action to get Paul released. Tom and Sybille host Paul's homecoming. Their daughter Stephanie becomes Paul's lover and the mother of his daughter Lori.