Raising his gaze, he focused on the buildings he’d just walked past, the ones opposite the office entrance. The distance was good and the angle was perfect, but it raised the question of how – or even if – he could get up there.
He recrossed the street, hoping to find a fire escape. Modern two-to three-story buildings didn’t have them, and as soon as he reached the narrow alley that ran behind the block, he realized he was half-lucky. The buildings directly opposite the law office had no roof access, but the three-story building next to those had an old-fashioned drop-down ladder ten or eleven feet up that led to a metal landing on the second floor. Tough but not impossible to reach, and though the angle the building offered wasn’t ideal, it was his best and only bet. Heading down the alley, he put the strap around his neck and tucked the camera beneath his shirt. He took a couple of explosive steps toward the wall, hoping to use it as a springboard to launch himself even higher and gain the last few inches he knew he’d need.
He did it just right, grabbing on to the bottom rung with both hands. With a hard jerk upward, he got one hand on the next rung up, repeating the process until he reached the landing. Thankfully, the ladder was attached to the building above that, and a few moments later, he was on the roof. Down on the street, no one appeared to have noticed him.
So far, so good.
He made his way to the corner closest to Maria’s office. The lip of the roof was low – no more than six inches – but some cover was better than none. Thankfully the gravel was smooth here; there were no big pebbles, though these were scattered everywhere else. There were a bunch of gum wrappers though, and as he got into position on his stomach, he brushed those away. He aimed the camera and settled in to wait. To his surprise, he could actually see Maria as she worked at her desk in her office; he could also make out her car and, beyond that, the garbage bins. Her car was parked in her usual spot, and a few spots down he saw Ken’s Corvette.
A bit more than an hour later, the first people in the office began to stream out, usually one at a time, but sometimes in pairs. Paralegals – and yes, as Maria had mentioned, all of them were attractive – a couple of guys in their forties, Maria’s friend Jill. Several other people, followed a few minutes later by Maria. He followed her with the lens, thinking that she was moving more slowly than usual. When she reached the corner of the building, she glanced around, no doubt trying to find him. He watched her forehead form a frown before she finally headed to her car.
Focusing on the entrance again, he still saw no sign of Ken. Just when he began to wonder whether the onset of dusk would blur the detail he wanted, Ken finally pushed through the door. Colin held his breath, snapped off a dozen photos before Ken turned into the parking lot, then rolled to his side to examine the images, hoping that one or two would be good enough.
They were.
He waited until Ken pulled away before getting up and making his way down from the roof the same way he’d gone up. Again, no one appeared to notice him, and by the time he reached his car, dusk was settling in. He stopped at a drugstore on the way home and selected two of the photos for processing before heading back to Maria’s.
He’d promised to bring her camera back.
“No wonder I couldn’t find you,” she said to him later, the photos on her kitchen table. “So tomorrow…”
“I’ll start calling florists. And hopefully find out the truth.”
“And if it was a phone order?”
“I’ll tell them the truth. That you were wondering whether the wrong card was attached to the delivery. And that you’re wondering who they’re from.”
“They might not tell you.”
“I’m just asking for a name, not the number. I’d bet that most people would be willing to help.”
“And when you find out that it was Ken?”