Choosing Her Lover

Chapter 38

*****

I wait until I am sure and then press the button below my desk. Then I tap onto the intercom. “Francis, is Mr Alexanders there?”

“He is, Kirstie, I’ll pass you through.”

“Hello, Kirstie. What can I do for you? Is this connected to the message that just came to my phone?”

“Yes, there’s a man in the cafe over the road, and he’s watching this building; everyone that comes in and out. I thought it was my imagination at first, but he’s definitely watching.”

“I’m on my way.”

Within two minutes, the elevator doors open and James steps out, making a point I think, of walking deliberately casually. He leans against my desk, his back to the front windows propping himself with arms folded, looking down at me as if he is simply chatting.

“Can you point him out to me, please.”

“He’s just left, while you were coming down. But I caught him on my phone camera.”

“Let me see.” He peers in at the two-inch image on my tiny screen.

“I’m sorry it’s not very good. I was trying not to be conspicuous about it and I couldn’t hold the phone still very easily.”

“Don’t worry about that, Kirstie. Email it to me and I’ll take a proper look at it.”

“Can you do anything with it? I don’t know much about this image-enhancing stuff.”

“No, but I do.”

“You do?”

He glances askance at me. “There’s a reason that I’m the Technical Director here, you know.”

He yells to the back office. “Mrs Gillis, can you man the front desk, please. I need Kirstie upstairs.”

*****

The picture displays on James’ laptop, a grainy shot of a busy cafe scene.

“Can you point him out to me, Kirstie.” Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

I indicate the blurred face of a fair-haired man seated by the cafe window. “That’s him.”

James zooms but the image is very indistinct.

He jabs at keys and the image tightens, resolving into a recognisable face.” He rubs his chin, “Hmmming” to himself.

“Do you know him?” I ask.

“No. How long was he watching?”

“A good ten minutes that I noticed. I thought I was imagining things at first, but after a while I was sure and I called you.”

“You’ve done well, Kirstie; very well. May I see your phone please.”

“My phone?”

“Yes, your phone.” His tone is impatient, and he holds out his hand, curling his fingers in a ‘Gimme’ gesture.

A little uncertainly, I pass my mobile across to him. He glances at it, back and front, looking unimpressed, then says “Unlock it please.” As I hesitate, “I don’t want to spy on your photo collection. I need to check the model and spec.”

I tap in my passcode and return it to him. He taps the screen, running through menus. After only a few moments, he comments, “Mmmm, not a fantastic model, is it?”

A bit nettled, “I think your pockets are a bit deeper than mine, Sir. I bought the phone I could afford.”

He raises his brows. “My apologies, Kirstie. I meant no offence. Of course, you buy what you can afford, but in this case, given the excellent work you did this morning, I want you to have the equipment to match the job. I assume you have no objection to a phone upgrade?”

“Er, no….”

???

“I didn’t think so. I’ll get something ordered for you with a decent camera and a lot more memory. I’d like to look at the laptop you’re using too. What model is it?”

“Um, I’ve no idea. It’s just what was being used on the desk when I started the job, to book visitors in and out.”

“Alright, I’ll take a look at it when I’m passing through…. um, no, on second thoughts, it would look a bit odd for me to be sitting at the reception desk….” He stands, opens the door and sticks his head out. “Francis, could you pop down to the lobby please and bring up Kirstie’s laptop for me….”

Five minutes later, there is a tap on the door: Francis, looking at me curiously, the lobby laptop in hand.

“Thanks, Francis.” says James, “What’s the log-in, Kirstie?”

“kirstie-01”

He glances at me askance. “I think we can improve on that as a password, wouldn’t you say?”

“I never really thought about it. I didn’t think the information in there was very high security.”

“That may change,” he comments, jabbing at keys.

He peers at the screen. “Mmm… As I suspected, this machine was set-up around the time they were booking in visitors two by two into the Ark.”

I chuckle, and he slaps down the lid of the machine, passing it back to me. “I’ve seen enough. I’ll get back to you in a couple of days when I have your new equipment.”

*****

James steps out of the elevator, a box tucked under one arm, and catching my eye, cocks his head, pointing me to the small conference room.

I glance uncertainly at my desk. “You can see your desk through the window,” he says. “You can always pop out if anything needs your attention.”

Seated at the table inside, he opens the box. It’s a brand-new laptop. “I had Tech Services load up your booking-in software and the other apps and programs you need in the normal course of your work,” he says. “But I’ve installed a couple of additions.”

“Why didn’t Tech services do all of it?” I ask.

“Because I don’t want the whole world to know what you have on here.”

He turns the laptop around. “This is a model with a rear-facing camera.” He taps at the lens. “You can access it here….” He mouses the cursor over an icon….

“James, can I ask you something?”

He glances up. “One of these questions, eh? Ask away, but I don’t guarantee an answer.”

“Why did you invite Ryan to that lunch meeting? You didn’t need him there, for either dealing with his tender to the company or for your asking me to be your…. look-out. What was it all about?”

He cocks a look at me. “I wanted the measure of the man you are involved with,” he replies. “I don’t know him, and it is very important to me to know that, if I put my trust in you, that the man you…. answer to…. is a good man; that he can also be trusted. This is Charlotte’s life we are talking about, and nothing else is more important to me. Do you understand?”

“Yes, of course, but….”

“That tender is worth a great deal of money. And Ryan was right. I did present it as a kind of bribe, but not because I wanted to bribe him. I wanted to see how he would react.”

“And when he refused to be bribed?”

“Exactly…. You mattered to him. The money didn’t.”

Half an hour later, with a demo and practice session under my belt and a new password, I feel ready to photo the Pentagon, MI5 and GCHQ. Seated at my desk, I resume my duties and take up my vigil on the world.