undone, and my pistol was exposed. I looked across at Kelly, but she didn't even give it a second glance; maybe she was used to her dad wearing one.
I opened up a can of Mountain Dew and looked at my watch. It was only 8:15; I'd go and get the first video in about fifteen minutes, put a new tape in, and then wait for Pat's call.
When the time came I said, 'I'm just popping out for five minutes to get something to drink--do you want anything?'
She looked quizzical and said, 'We've got loads here.'
'Yeah, but it's all warm. I'll bring some cold ones.'
I went up to the roof. It was damp and drizzling now. I opened up the back of the plastic bag, pressed the Eject button, and quickly exchanged tapes. I was ready for the morning.
I came downstairs, passed our room, and got another couple of sodas. Coca-Cola shares had probably skyrocketed over the last few days.
Clueless came on, the TV series she'd told me she loved. I was amazed as I listened to her imitating all the catch-phrases. She had them down pat: 'Loser ... double loser, moron.. . whatever!' Now I knew where a lot other sayings came from.
At last it was just three minutes to go before Pat was due to check in. There was no way I'd tell Pat where we were or that Kelly was actually with me. All I would tell him was what he needed to know, as protection for him as well as for us. I went into the bathroom, closed the door, and listened for Clueless.
Nothing.
Right on time the phone rang.
'Hello?'
'All right, mate? Thanks for the sub!'
We both had a quiet laugh.
'Do you know what floor they're occupying?'
There was a short pause, then, 'Second floor.'
'OK. Any chance of more money? I need a big wad, mate.
You know I'll square it away when I get back.'
'I could get you about ten grand. But you're going to have to wait a day--I won't be able to get it until tomorrow, or possibly the day after. You're welcome to it until you're sorted-and I take it you've got a way out?'
'Yeah,' I lied. It was for the best. If he got lifted, he could give only false information, and they'd start combing the airports and docks instead of looking around Washington.
Then I said, 'I need more contact in case I manage to find anything out about the building and things start changing rapidly. What about twelve hundred hours, eighteen hundred, and twenty-three hundred--is that OK?'
'All right, mate. Is there anything else?'
'No, mate. Be careful.'
'And you. See ya!'
I turned the telephone off, went back into the bedroom, and put it back on the charger. I didn't know if Kelly had heard anything, but she was quiet and seemed uneasy.
I got the playback machine set up, pushed the tape in, and tuned in the television.
Kelly was watching intently.
'We're going to play a game,' I said.
'Do you fancy playing? If not, I'll just do it on my own.'
'OK.' It beat counting cars on the highway.
'I thought you didn't have any cords.'
She'd got me on that one.
'I bought some when I went out.'
'So why can't we see the video we made?'
I had to think quickly.
'Because I've already mailed it.
Sorry' She looked at me, a little confused.
'We're going to watch this tape of a building,' I went on.
'It's got people going in and out of it. Now, there's going to be some famous people going in there, there's going to be people that you know, like friends of Daddy's and Mommy's, and people that I know. So what we've got to do is see how many people we can each recognize. Whoever sees the most is the winner. You want to play?'
'Yeah!'
'You've got to be really quick, because I'm going to fast-forward it. Every time you see somebody moving, you've got to tell me, then I'll stop, rewind, and we'll have a look at it.'
I took some of the hotel stationery and a pencil and off we went. I had to use the button on the machine to fast-forward because there was no remote. I sat on the floor under the player by the TV and hit the fast-forward button. Kelly's eyes didn't leave the screen. I was quite pleased with the result.
The quality wasn't bad at all; you could tell the difference between this and a home video, and I'd managed to get full-length pictures of the people covering about two-thirds of the screen.
'Stop, stop, stop!' she shrieked.
I rewound and had a look. Kelly had correctly spotted some movement. There were a few people entering. I didn't recognize any of them. Kelly was sure that man number three was from a pop group called Backstreet Boys.
She got into the game more and more. Everyone seemed to be famous. I logged them all, using the counter.
Two men, one with a long light coat, one with a blue coat.
People think that being a baby spy is all James Bond, sports cars, and casinos. I'd always wished the fuck it was. The reality is sheer hard work, getting information, then sitting down and working out what it is you've gathered--and then interpreting it. Two people walking up a set of stairs means shit. It's interpreting what's going on that's important-identifying them, their body language, what happened before, what you think is going to happen later on. So you log everything, in case at a later date it might be important. Give me a sports car any day.
The screen was slowly getting darker. The ambient street light was helping, but it was quite hard to see faces and we were losing color; I could tell the difference between a man and a woman and their ages, but just barely.
It came to the end of the working day and everything began to close down; people going home were throwing switches and the light dwindled. In the end there were lights only in the reception area and corridors.
I left the tape running at normal speed. What I now wanted to know was whether there was a night watchman around, but I couldn't see anyone.
Kelly was loving it. She'd seen four actors, two of the Spice Girls, and a teacher from her school. Not bad at all. But what if she did recognize somebody? I'd have to take it with a grain of salt; after all, she was only seven. But I'd have nothing to lose in believing her.
'Do you want to do this again tomorrow?'
'Sure. I have more points than you.'
'So you do. I tell you what, after all that winning I think you should lie down on the bed and take a nap.'
If Kelly or I identified anybody on the tape tomorrow, it would be a bonus for me to take to Simmonds and prove a link. It would also mean that I'd definitely have to CTR close target reconnaissance the building and find out why they were there. I decided to go and have a closer look at the outside, and then I could plan how to make entry.
By 11 p.m. Kelly was sound asleep, still fully clothed. I put the bedspread over her, picked up the key card, and left.
To avoid the office I came out of the hotel via the emergency stairs. I got on the road by the highway, turned right, and walked past the playhouse toward the target. The traffic was quieter now, just peaks of noise instead of a constant roar.
