Continuing the story of a businessman's frightening homeward journey.

By this time he had driven round the sweeping intersection from the M42 to the M6, manoeuvred into the outside lane and was cresting the long hill just before Corley services. He'd talked himself up to a state of readiness and was relishing the interview. He called his wife to check the details of who had called and how to contact him, then phoned Mr Lammers at his hotel. Strange that. Lammers is a Dutch name, but his voice had a hint of Liverpool about it. Ah well… He checked the map, re-planned his route and drove back onto the motorway…

This Lammers chap wasn't one to treat himself. He'd avoided the smart hotels and chosen a Travelodge for his venue. Phil pulled into the car park, adjusted his tie and walked into the motel. Yes, they had got a Mr Lammers there, and he'd left a message for Phil to go straight to the room when he got there. He knocked on the door.

"Hello, Mr Martin. Come right in."
That accent was Scouse. And the man wasn't on his own. A young lad was lounging untidily on one end of the sofa-bed.

"Sit over there on the sofa. That's my son, Jason. He's travelling with me on this trip. Can I pour you a cup of tea?"

Phil tried to analyse his host as they chatted about Phil's past work on the Continent... Holland, France, Italy, Austria, Germany… Germany seemed to be important to him. The man had black hair - sparse, but not bald. His complexion spoke of Spanish holidays, his leather jacket and well-tailored trousers suggested moderate affluence, but not wealth. Two rings on his right hand. Open necked shirt revealing a gold neck-chain. Pointed face. Brown eyes. And that accent. This was no prototypical entrepreneur or head-hunter.

He asked about the German companies Phil had dealt with. Yes, Phil knew Steinebergs, and he'd sold to Hardtmanns - no, that company was hard to get into - but ah, yes, that was a nice one to do business with… Paderborn Feltz? Sure Phil knew them, but he didn't think much of them. They'd messed up one of his customers with some sub-standard product. Really caused problems, and he'd done them a favour making the introduction. Payment? Of course he hadn't paid them. They'd cost him money and almost lost him a major contract. Anyway, what was that to do with Lammers?

Something was very wrong with this meeting. Phil had come to talk about a job, but his interrogator was raking up matters he would rather forget. Phil's former business had struggled through the months of recession. Customers were tumbling around him and he'd desperately tried to create new liaisons to keep things going.