Sorry, that's where the muse wanted to go. There were hints when' I hinted about his partner and what happened. The title was after all the Reinking Affair, so it really was all about the OC, the attempt on Illya was almost a Maguffin. Still there was enough of IK to satisfy.

Yeah, 'the boot' was a clue, but it got buried amongst all the other theories.

Really glad you enjoyed the story and that it kept you in suspense!