While they chatted about penguins, Joe moved behind Blake, pretending to adjust his lens. The desk. The chair. Line of sight. A way to ensure Blake wouldn’t see Kaden putting the device under the bottom of the desk. He lowered the camera slightly. “Actually, sorry, would you mind standing for a moment? Looking towards the window? The light is so much better from this angle. It’ll only take a second.”
Blake stood. “There?”
“Just a little to the left—perfect.” Joe lifted the camera again.
“Do you ever get recognised in…unexpected situations?” Kaden asked.
Blake huffed a quiet laugh. “Once. At the dentist. Not my usual one.”
Kaden blinked. “That feels like a place you don’t want to be recognised, especially if you don’t like drills and needles.”
“I had a mouth full of equipment. The dentist asked me about policy mid-procedure.”
Joe winced. “That’s cruel.”
“I tried to respond,” Blake continued. “It came out as…” He made an impressively garbled noise.
Kaden lost it, laughing outright. “I wish we had that recorded.”
“I’m relieved you don’t.”
When Joe turned and Blake sat back at his desk, Kaden scratched his ear. Joe hadn’t seen him do it, but the device was in place. The relief was immense. Joe started to smile and reined it back.
“Do you prefer working here,” Kaden asked, gesturing lightly to the desk, “or in the main office at Westminster?”
“It depends…”
He kept talking and all Joe could think about was that Kaden had done it and hadn’t been seen, that they’d soon leave and everything would be all right.
“How do you switch off?” Kaden asked.
Blake gave a small, almost amused exhale. “I’m not sure I do.”
“And after a really bad day, do you still sleep well?” Kaden asked.
“I tell myself I’ll read something intelligent to distract my mind.”
“And?”
“I end up reading airport fiction. One of your books, perhaps.”
“Ah?”
“I’ve read all three.”
“My claim to fame. Eli Blake unwinds with Kaden Bauer.”
Blake laughed.
“So if you weren’t doing this,” Kaden gestured around, “what would you be doing?”
Blake looked at him for a moment. “Something simpler,” he said. “But probably still alphabetising things.”
“Finally, a word of advice for the reader?”
“Seize the day.Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero. Horace telling us to take advantage while we can and trust as little as possible in tomorrow.”
“And on that note, thank you for your time.” Kaden pushed to his feet.
