condensed master

Will Bonner
The clerk tore a numbered ticket from a pad. "What's the name?"
"Brenner," he replied, as the man reached over for the bag.
Will was out of breath by the time he arrived back at the restaurant, but very
relieved that he had got rid of the device. It may have been a liability to him. He
quickly looked around the room for Tony but there was no sign of him. He spotted
Ed sitting at the same table as before, and looking around the immediate vicinity
he realized how easy it would be for someone to listen in to their conversation.
Will approached the table with apprehension, but trying his hardest to remain
composed. The two men shook hands.
"Well, has the doctor given you a clean bill of health Ed?"
"Yes, I'm nearly one hundred per cent again."
The two men stared into space and Will was thinking "this is the last time I'll
be coming to this restaurant."
"You gave poor old Tony the elbow again last Monday."
"Yes, I asked you specifically not to send him there again, and in future I don't
want anyone visiting the workshops anymore." Will knew at that moment that he
should cut any further conversation short and get out of there. The longer he
stayed the more insecure he would feel, and following through with the
conversation before Ed had time to respond. "I've come as a matter of courtesy.
I'll phone your number and leave a message tomorrow."
Ed's chin dropped and those eyes were popping again. As Will turned to leave
he could hear his voice. "What about the device?" But he ignored the question
leaving the restaurant as fast as his legs could carry him. Once outside, he headed
north and within minutes he was at the corner of Lonsdale Street. A tramcar was
just slowing up to turn the corner as Will jumped aboard and it sped west, heading
towards Swanston Street, where he alighted.
Feeling like a fugitive, and half panicking at the thought of being spotted by Ed
or the others, he ran to the nearest doorway out of sight, in an effort to settle down
and start thinking logically. Doubling back along Little Bourke Street to Exhibition
Street he entered the hotel from the rear to retrieve the bag, and sitting in the far
corner of the lounge with it tucked tightly under his arm, pretended to wait again
for his supposed friend to arrive.
The clerk watched him get seated. Will's brain began to tick again as opposed
to flitting from one unanswered question to another. As soon as the clerk's back
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