Scotch looked at Pen. “You’re dressed.”
“Dressing is one
what one typically does when one’s had an intruder.”
“So much for Plan
A.” He looked around the kitchen. Scotch reached out and lifted the
bag from Pen’s kitchen can. “We’ll go with Plan B. Do you have
your keys?”
Pen tapped at her
left leg pocket and felt her keys. “Yes.”
“Lock the door
behind you. It’s time to rustle a few bushes and see how many
pheasant come flying out. How do we get out?”
The pair step out
into the empty hallway. Pen pointed to a darkened stairwell at the
far end.
“The agency
cleared this?” Scotch asked as they made their way down the stairs.
“The light bulbs
need replacing.” She said as they exited the building. “It’s
going to be fixed on Monday.”
“How long has it
been that way?”
“Three weeks.”
“Three weeks?”
Scotch repeated and shook his head. “Why didn’t the agency move your approval to move in date back until after the repair had been
made? It’s standard protocol. Anyone could have been hiding in
here, monitoring your comings and goings this entire time. If he or
she timed it right no one would have known that they were here.”
“They could exit
the building undetected.” Pen added.
Scotch nodded.
“Like we just
did.” She pointed out. “Sometimes dark stairwells are a good
thing. Considering my reputation as a scientist, perhaps the agency
trusts me to show enough common sense to stay out of darkened
stairwells.”
Scotch pointed to
a row of garbage bins lined up like palace guards. Pen nodded. Scotch
quickly disposed of his prop. A dark blue car rolled by and parked
at the opposite end of the block. He watched as the door did not
open, there was no movement indicating that the driver would be
exiting the vehicle during the next few minutes.
“Have you seen
that car before?” He asked.
“Yes or one like
it. Nearly every day.”
“At this time of
night?”
“It varies.
There are several people in this neighborhood with similar cars. It
seemed highly plausible that whomever it is reside somewhere nearby.
I’ve had no reason to question...”
“The hallmark of
a good spy is that they blend in to the point that no one has a
reason to question their presence. No one has reason to suspect that
they do not belong in their surroundings. No one would ever suspect
that they are, in fact, a spy. This is what I
believe your law enforcement people like to call ‘something that
does not look right’. That car parking at the far end of the block
in the middle of the night, making no indication that they are
exiting the car right after there has been a household trespass a few
doors down does not look right.” Scotch’s teeth gleam pearly
white in the darkness. “We have located Pheasant Number One my dear
Pen.”
“What do you want
to do?” Pen asked.
“I’m thinking.”
Scotch took Pen by the hand as they crossed the street in front of
the parked car. “When I say ‘Now’ look at the license plate.”
Scotch instructed. “Now.”
Pen quickly looked
at the plate on the car then raised her eyes to smile at the person
sitting behind the wheel. She looked at Scotch, they smiled at each other.
Scotch guided Pen into an alley down the next block. “Using
the note app on the phone type in the plate number for the car.” He
said as he typed something into Pen’s phone.
“That’s
strange.” She said. “The phone is asking if I want to ‘send.’”
“Choose ‘Save
for later’ and then ‘Send in ten minutes’ under the drop down
menu.” He said as he finished his own note. Scotch guided Pen back
out of the alley.
“Do we continue
walking?”
“Yes. For about
twenty minutes.”
“Then what?”
“I’m taking you
home with me.”
Pen stopped
walking. “What? Why?”
“I have a plan.
It will all go smoothly if you come back to my place with me.”
“Why do I feel
like I’ve heard this line before?”
“You probably have
but not in this context.” He attempted to continue Pen on their
way.
She refused to
budge.
“Still not moving,
eh?”
“Do you have a
problem with the word ‘No’?”
“Not usually.
Although I do have to admit that it is not a word I hear often. When
was the last time that a woman said ‘No’ to me, 2005? 2001?
1997?”
“This isn’t a
game Scotch.”
“1994? Yes. It
was 1994. I was new to the agency and still learning my way about.”
Pen shook her head.
“Where are you going with this?” She demanded.
“Not to the
bedroom, obviously.” He said. “Keep walking with me. If we stop
moving anyone who’s watching will notice that something is wrong
and we’ll lose any chance that we have at gaining an edge.”
“You’re trying
to sell a hook-up story right?”
“That is the idea
darling.” He answered with a grin.
Pen reached up and
slapped Scotch. “We stopped walking because we are having a lover’s
quarrel. Problem solved.” She looked around the empty street and
she continued on her own.
“What did you do
that for?” Scotch asked catching up with her.
“You said that
you were worried about the fact that we were standing still driving
off potential followers, slapping you indicates that we are probably
arguing, which we are, thereby quickly alleviating any concerns your
fellow spies might have.”
Both Scotch and Pen
watched as a black SUV passed them traveling in the opposite
direction and heard tires screech as it made a u-turn. The pair
quickened their pace. Scotch walked ahead of Pen, turned to face her,
then stopped, blocking her path.
“This is me.”
He said. Scotch gestured to the building they stood in front of with
a nod of his head. “The fake fight was a good idea, you forgot one
thing. Now that we’ve had a fight we need to make up.”
Pen raised a brow.
“It’s the only
way to justify you entering the building with me.” He grinned.