Lea moved toward the door, reminding herself that she was already late. Outside the sun was dazzling as it reflected off the wet surfaces. There were puddles along the sidewalk. The rain had been just as hard as it had been quick. She glanced towards the sky as she crossed the street, perhaps it was going to be a better day than predicted.

She entered the building where she had worked for the past six months. It was unlikely anyone walking past would ever look twice at the building. It was a squat, nondescript, cube built of brown brick. It sat surrounded by sleek, glass encased, buildings that towered above it. But inside, the building took on a different feeling. It was old, substantial, and carefully tended. Marble floors and polished dark wood met visitors as they pushed through the doors from outside. The air was always noticeably cooler here. The sound of water, from a fountain, broke the silence of the deserted lobby. There were several expensive boutiques and a travel agent on this level, but none were open yet. Her heels clicked against the stone and echoed as she walked across the expanse. Even though she worked on the third floor, she passed the spiraling staircase and headed for the elevators. As she waited, she sipped her coffee and read the headlines.

On the third floor, she stepped out of the elevator and turned left, her attention still on the newspaper. There were only two offices on the third floor, one in each direction off the elevator. The carpet here was thick, her heels silenced. She stopped at the carved wooden door that entered into the offices. It was marked simply with a small brass plate to the side,

302

Richard Houston

Consulting & Procurement

Lea folded the newspaper, tucked it beneath her arm and pushed through the door.