Alex wrote her cheque for £1007.  The pen nib had a life of its own, the figures looked like £1007.  Her first cruise.  To the Baltic.  Will it be worth it?   She yawned and….

“Come on jump to it!  You’re late!”  A harsh unrecognised voice.

Alex opened her eyes to see a stranger, white tuxedo, red carnation, black, bow tie and dress shirt.  Deeply tanned face and a sardonic grin. One 007. The inappropriateness of the situation barely struck her as incongruous. “Go through to the lounge I’ll be ready in two minutes.”

“Take five!”

Ten minutes later, dressed, tided and coming to, Alex went through to her lounge.  “James, what exactly are you doing here and now?”

“M. Mm…m ...your teacher sent me.  Says life’s been too easy for you at the table.  I’ve a bridge problem.”

Alex eyes flicked from the ruggedly handsome face to the card table with two hands faced and two hidden.  At least not the usual scribbled diagram

“You’re West in 6NT, the bidding is irrelevant.  North leads ♣K.  Any comment?”   His grin is grim.

“Seven tricks in the red suits, nothing to think about there.  And there isn’t much to think about with the black suits either, three spades and club ace.  That’s eleven. The club finesse is bound to be wrong on the lead, and since you’ve prepared the hand the spade won’t break.  I duck.”

“Elementary my dear, Alex.  You weren’t asked to play, but you’re right. North switches to ♦10. Now how do you play?”

“North has ♣Q and the spades won’t be 3-3.  So, it’s got to be a squeeze.There’s a mnemonic.  Some secret society.  Not the Sign of Four.  SMERSH?” 

The grin disappears replaced by a steely glare.

“No, got it.  MEST.  That’s it!  Menaces, Entry, Squeeze card and Timing. Now let me check.  Timing is right I can win all the remaining tricks except one with top cards.   Lucky I ducked!”

“Think well before you play to the first trick. Go on.”

“Menaces?  Well ♣J is a menace against North so he has to keep ♣Q. The only other menace is ♠3. It’s puny but it’s a menace if North has four spades."

“Entry? Well, I need to reach ♠3, so I’ll leave ♠Q as an entry.  Spades provide a two-card menace and ♣J a one-card menace."

“Squeeze card?  The fourth heart will force someone to discard.  Got it!”

The blue eyes are cold.  “Fine. Remember a lot hangs on getting it right!”

“I win three diamonds, ♣A ♠A ♠K and four hearts squeezing North in the black suits.”

“Well done! Explain!”

“Okay, I’ve lost one club, and won 10 tricks.  When I play the last heart – the squeeze card, the position is like this."

“When I play ♥J North can’t keep two spades and ♣K.  If he discards ♣K, I win ♣J and if he discards a spade I cross to dummy’s ♠Q3." 

“I make the contract when North has 4 spades and ♣Q.  The squeeze gets me home rather than just banking on the finesse or the 3-3 break.  Mind you I’m doomed if South has 4 spades but then I always was wasn’t I?”

Alex blinked her eyes to see the dark shadows of her bedroom ceiling.  The next morning on her card table lay…..