The Bitter Truth

43

Richard and Jessica looked at the items that were taken from the inside of the Swiss Bank box. Agent Nagi had scattered several photographs on top of the table. Richard furrowed his eyebrows in concentration, and picked up one of them. It was a photograph of a woman.

"This is the Prime Minister's Wife."

Richard glanced at Agent Taylor and then returned his attention to the photograph in his hands. Jessica craned her neck and looked over Richard's left shoulder.

The photograph was showing the Prime Minister's Wife at Leicester Square. She was standing near the Shakespeare statue and Fountain.

It must have been a cold morning, because she was wearing a coat, toboggan hat, and gloves.

Richard caught the branches from the trees in her background leafless.

This photograph was taken in the winter.

"She had the phone pressed to her ear, do you know whom was she talking to?"

"No, we don't." He shook his head and shrugged. "We used our driver in an unmarked van to keep driving around the square, while I placed a set of earphones and pointed a microphone out the window, as we were trying to eavesdrop her conversation. But it was too noisy in the square. We asked Agent Reynolds to get out of the van and approach the Prime Minister's Wife, but her Secret Service Agents didn't let anyone near her."

Agent Nagi showed him another photograph. This was showing her at a local coffee shop. The photograph was taken from across the street. It appeared that she was using her laptop. Richard recognized the same Secret Service Agent from the previous photo.

The third photograph showed the Prime Minister's wife leaving the coffee shop speaking on her cellphone. It was a sunny day. Richard observed that she had piercing green eyes.

"This is the fourth photograph." Agent Nagi glanced at Jessica this time. "On the same day of the coffee shop, we followed her to her work place. We took surveillance pictures of her sitting in her Office looking at a computer screen."

Jessica saw that she had long and straight black hair. Richard studied the photograph. He observed that the blinds were up. He was able to point out where the printer was. He also saw a folder holder; a file cabinet; a monitor; computer speakers; mouse; the keyboard; a glass of water; a plant inside of a crystal vase. The wall clock was marking 19:54. There was something written on the white board behind her, but he couldn't tell what it was.

"What is the Prime Minister Wife's occupation?" Richard finally broke the silence.

"She works at the headquarters of a British manufacturer of luxury stationery, leather goods, diaries, and fashion products."

"Why were you and my Mother doing surveillance on the Prime Minister's Wife?" Richard set the photographs on top of the table and placed his hands behind his back.

"We were investigating her, because we believe that she has something that belongs to us."

"Us?" Richard raised his eyebrows.

"Yes. What we are looking for is a small squared box." Agent Nagi gestured with his hands how small the box would look like. "It looks similar to an engagement ring box."

"What is it supposed to be inside that small squared box?" Jessica stuck her hands in the pockets of her N.C.A. wind breaker.

"That is exactly what we are currently working on." Agent Nagi looked at the photograph of the Prime Minister's Wife leaving the Coffee shop and returned his gaze to Jessica. "We haven't discovered yet."