Chapter 47
TOM OWENS KNEW he needed to keep moving to avoid being obvious. He turned to look at the list of tenants in the building, where Virtual Spaces was listed as being in the lobby and on the tenth floor.
Owens could tell that the cop, a tall, muscular Black man in his mid-thirties, was wrapping up his conversation. The cop said good-bye to the security guard and turned toward the rear of the lobby, where an exit door was centered in the wall.
That’s when Owens really felt some panic. What if Pry is still in the alley? He didn’t know for a fact, but he didn’t want to risk it either. His mind raced with possible options.
The cop took a few more steps toward the rear exit of the building.
Owens didn’t know what to do. He blurted out, “Excuse me, Officer?”
The cop stopped midstride and turned to see who had called to him.
Owens walked toward him slowly, hoping to give Pry as much time as possible to clear the alley. When he made it all the way to the cop, Owens asked, “How would I get to Columbia University from here?”
The cop thought about it for a moment. “If you’re talking about the main campus, take the 1 train uptown to 116th Street station. The university has offices all over upper Manhattan. Do you have a specific address?”
Owens slowly searched his pockets to use up time. Finally, he said, “I guess I don’t have it with me.”
The cop pointed at Owens’s briefcase and said, “Maybe it’s in there.”
Owens shook his head. “I appreciate it. You’ve been very helpful. I’m going to the office of the registrar. I’m sure it’s on the main campus. Thank you.” He turned back to the directory like he was searching for some office on an upper floor.
He kept standing there, looking up at the names of companies, until he saw the cop turn and speak to a pretty young woman. The young woman seemed to appreciate talking to the cop as well. By now Pry had to be out of the alley.
Owens turned and looked over at the Virtual Spaces reception area.
It was completely enclosed by glass. Glass walls and a clear glass door separated it from the building lobby.
From the street, tall windows stretched from a few feet off the ground to the second floor.
The room literally offered no privacy whatsoever.
From where he was standing, Owens could see there were maybe seven or eight people in the reception area, all talking or waiting to talk with one of the women working at the two desks inside.
This was probably as crowded as that room ever got.
That meant now was Owens’s best chance to complete this mission.
Owens made certain his scarf covered the majority of his face.
He could feel his wool ski cap was still in place.
He was hesitating. He’d planned everything out so carefully but hadn’t realized how nerve-racking it would be in person.
Finally, he marched directly toward the door of the Virtual Spaces lobby.
He switched his briefcase to his left hand for a moment to give his aching right shoulder a break.
As he slipped through the door, the young woman behind the desk on the left looked up and smiled at him.
He gave her a little nod. With a hand gesture, she indicated there was a sign-in sheet on the table against the wall.
This was perfect. The small table was exactly where he intended to set the case.
No one was paying any attention as he stepped up to the table, casually placed the briefcase on the floor, then scooted it against the wall with his foot.
Owens pretended to write on the sign-in sheet, then backed away from the wall and checked that no one would notice his case on the floor.
He then casually strolled back through the glass door into the building’s lobby and out onto the busy sidewalk.
He felt a wave of excitement. He glanced down the street and saw that Kimmy and Ellis were still in the same spot where he had left them.
Now all that was left was to find a comfortable spot to watch the fireworks.