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Her indifference did not give Mason a sense of confidence, but there was little he could do except wait. Another hour passed and his cell buzzed yet again. This time it was Louise phoning him instead of texting. “Louise? What on earth is going on?” He tried to keep his voice down, but his impatience with the entire situation was getting the better of him.
“Mason! You know I’ve been working for a private detective agency in New York.”
“Yes, of course, Miss Marple.” Mason held his hand over the phone and mouthed apologies to his fellow patients-in-waiting.
“Well, don’t poke fun at me just yet.”
“And give me a reason why I shouldn’t.”
“That woman you met. The one from the States. Zoe?”
“Yes. What about her?” Mason’s concern was obvious. “Is everything alright?”
“Yes. Why?” Louise asked.
“Because you are phoning me from the States about someone I know who I haven’t spoken to in weeks.” Mason revised his response. “We’ve emailed but . . . but what is this all about?” He started to raise his voice again.
“My boss gave me an assignment, kind of learning on the job. I was to pick a mark, follow them, and deliver information.”
“Louise, you need to be more concise. What kind of information?”
“Now don’t get angry, but I wanted to check on your lady friend, Zoe Danfield.”
“You what?” This time his voice boomed across the entire room, rousing chastising remarks and scolding sounds.
“Okay, okay. Remember you said that you two had been in touch via email?”
“Isn’t that what I just said a few seconds ago?”
“Yes, yes. Anyway, you told me she was going to visit someone in Washington, D.C. I know you’re keen on her, so I wanted to see if she was involved with anyone.”
Mason was grateful they had already taken his blood pressure because now it would have been through the roof and they would be admitting him for a stroke. “Louise, you need to explain everything to me.”
“Just so you know, my boss was happy with my work.”
“He may be the only one. Please continue.”
“I remembered you said she was leaving Friday afternoon, so I went to her office.”
Mason was shaking his head and taking deep breaths. “And how did you get into the building?”
“You’re gonna love this.”
I doubt it, he thought to himself.
“I made an appointment for a job interview so I could get past the security guards. But instead of going to the interview, I went to her floor.”
“And then what happened?”
“I chatted up her assistant and got him to tell me she was visiting a girlfriend in D.C. and would be returning Sunday on the Acela. So I wasn’t worried about a romantic involvement anymore, but I still needed to complete my assignment. I glanced at the assistant’s desk diary and it had her arrival time in New York.” Louise was very chipper. “And then I checked the Acela schedule to see what time the train got in.”
Mason was afraid to ask but he did. “Did you meet her at the train station?”
“No, I did not.”
“That’s a relief.” He let out a heavy sigh.
“I followed her to her apartment.”
