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Alex poured Sara a glass of the golden wine and then one for herself, sitting with Sam at the table and looking over the equipment spread out from end to end. “Is this the audiovisual equipment for tomorrow?”
“Most of this will be at work behind the scenes, but yes.” Sam handed Alex a pair of dark Ray-Bans. “What you’re holding now contains the main visual component, and you’ll have a backup for aud
io only. Both transmit wirelessly to a phone we’ll give you, which will upload in real time to the cloud.”
“Wireless?” Alex took a sip of wine and reached for a coaster before she set it back on the table. “So I’m not going to have a hundred wires crisscrossing my chest under my shirt like in the movies? Way to take the thrill out of it.”
???“God, no,” Sam said. “I’m expecting this guy to be cautious, so there won’t be any wires. In fact, it’s possible he’ll have someone pat you down before he starts talking.”
“Once you have this stuff on me…” Alex popped the Ray-Bans onto her face. “All I have to do is make sure my phone is on?”
“Basically, yes, but take a look at the sunglasses.” Sam pointed out the tiny pinhead camera where the screw should be near the temple. “You don’t want to wear these on your face. They are designed to work when you have them hooked over the neckline of your shirt.” Sam cleared away the rest of the equipment and took the plates Sara handed her, followed by the silverware. “Just make sure your phone stays powered on. The AV equipment will transfer the recording even if it’s dropped into a pocket or bag.”
“That sounds a lot less stressful than what I was imagining.”
“Well, yes and no,” Sam said, taking a long swig of beer. “It’s a lot more discreet than what we used to use, but the important thing to remember is that your phone is the vital component here. The actual recording devices are beyond tiny, so they aren’t equipped to record and store, only to transfer the data to the cloud.”
“So let’s imagine the worst-case scenario.” Alex rubbed her temples as she picked up the sunglasses and examined them. “What if something goes wrong, and we don’t get the recording?”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “Honestly?”
“Yeah,” Alex said. “Hit me with the facts. I’d rather know the stakes up front.”
“It’s possible that something will go wrong, and we won’t get anything. And if he’s tech savvy, he’ll take precautions to make sure nothing can be recorded.”
Sara turned around as she pulled the two toasted baguette halves out of the oven. The warm scent of buttery roasted garlic rose like steam into the air as she placed them on the counter to cool. “So if that happens and we don’t get the actual recording, we can still use the information Alex gets from him, right?”
Sam shook her head, her thumb tapping the table in a nervous rhythm. “No. At that point, everything she hears is hearsay and inadmissible in court. We can still use the information to plan another undercover mission, but I can’t see this guy letting just anyone into that mansion. We got hella lucky with the Alejandro angle, but we can’t use it twice.”
“Great. It’s a one-shot deal.” Alex and Sam made uneasy eye contact, and both finished their drinks in one long swig before they went on. “No pressure.”
All three looked up as Moxie’s bedroom door opened, and she hurried down the stairs, her Converse dangling from one hand and a duffel bag from the other. She flashed them a smile as she sat on the last stair and laced up her sneakers.
Sara turned to wash her hands, talking to Moxie over her shoulder. “You’re going into town for a pickup game with the basketball team, huh?”
“Yeah, which is weird since I’m not on the team, but one of the girls invited me yesterday. The coach’s daughter, I think.” Moxie zipped up her duffel and stood, slinging it over her shoulder. “I was actually coming down to tell you. How did you know?”
Sam looked up from the equipment on the table. “I told her. The coach mentioned it to me today in the diner when we were both there for lunch. He used to be an officer back in the day, but he just does coaching now.”
Sara smiled and pulled a paper bag out of the fridge. “Welcome to small-town life, where everyone knows your business.” She handed the bag to Moxie, who looked into it, then up at Sara.
“Are these snacks?”
“Yep. I’ll save some dinner for you too, of course. Just text me on your way home. I just thought you might get hungry beforehand.”
Moxie shook her head, silent for a minute before she looked up at Sara. “I’m never going to get used to the food.” She paused. “There’s just always food.”
Sam glanced at Alex for a long second, then back to Moxie. “I know you like to run to and from town, but will you call me if it gets dark so I can come get you?”
Moxie said she would and waved as she ran out the door, pulling her hair into a ponytail as she went.
Sara watched the door for a long moment after she disappeared. “I hate letting her go anywhere by herself with this guy so close.” She twisted the dish towel around her hand and turned to Sam and Alex. “The thought of him seeing her keeps me up at night, but we can’t keep her locked in the house, and every other teenager in McCall walks everywhere, so she’s only being normal.”
“I know.” Sam leaned back in her chair, fingers white around her beer bottle. “I want her to have a normal life, but I worry every second she’s not in the house.”
“Welcome to parenthood.” Alex raised her glass and clinked it to Sam’s bottle and Sara’s wineglass. “Prepare to be sleep deprived for the rest of your life.”
“Sign me up.” Sara stood behind Sam and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
