The Clock

by Kathryn Wise

  “Yes, Mrs. Hancock. Good morning. It’s 5:45 am, your regular time for a wake up call.”

  “Thank you, Amir. Um…Amir, would it be possible to get some fresh coffee delivered to my room?”

  “Certainly-”

  “By you?” Rachel asked.

  Amir paused for a sliver of a second. “Yes, ma’am, that can easily be arranged. Is there anything in particular you’d like? Latte or cappuccino? Regular brew?”

  “How about a nonfat latte with sugar free hazelnut flavoring?”

  “Excellent. What size?”

  “The largest size you have. And please bring some Sweet n Low.”

  Right away, Mrs. Hancock. I will make the arrangements and be there by 6:05,” Amir said.

  “Thanks Amir. See you soon.” Rachel hung up the phone and popped out of bed. She’d slept well, probably because of the 1800-thread count sheets. The room was temperature controlled, soundproofed, and equipped with automatic window shades that rose at the first hint of sunlight. The en suite was massive, equipped with a large glassed in shower, claw-foot tub, sauna, and a to-die-for walk-in closet. Time for some music to get ready by.

  Lenny sounds good.

  Rachel felt confident about the day. Even the shower delivered at the perfect pressure and temperature. Are You Gonna Go My Way blasted from the sound system as she washed her hair, her singing voice sounding ten times better given the acoustics of the en suite.

  Jumping out of the shower, she wondered if they’d prepared enough the night before. Did they have a clear pitch? She didn’t know. Maybe they should just stick to the original scope and only propose the team. Take it one step at a time. If they got there and it was obvious they could move more aggressively, she had the option to do that. Grayson didn’t know what she’d been considering, so no risk of confusion there. The plan depended upon Amir anyway. She’d talk with him when he arrived. Then she’d know what her end game possibilities were.

  Amir would be knocking on her door soon, so she got dressed before starting her makeup. As for her hair, it would have to be a curly day; no time to blow-dry and flat iron. She needed something though.

  One of the vanity drawers was half-open. She reached over to shut it and noticed a sparkle peeking out from inside. She opened it to find a gold hair brooch. Suddenly the en suite was awash in a golden light.

  How convenient. Wow…what a sparkle.

  It was the perfect solution for taming her unruly mane. She brushed her hair out and formed a modified French twist, securing it in the back with the brooch. Thinking it might look a little too elaborate for a business meeting, she took one last look in the mirror.

  Uh-mazing! Too yummy to pass up.

  There was a knock on the door. Rachel turned Lenny’s volume down and went to check the peephole, but the door didn’t have one. She looked around and discovered a monitor on the kitchen counter. The screen was divided into four quadrants, three displaying changing views of all the hallways on her floor, and one unchanging display of the suite’s entrance. Amir stood there waiting with a beautiful silver tray containing coffee and breakfast pastries.

  Rachel laughed and opened the door. “Amir, please come in.”

  “Good morning. It’s nice to see you. I brought some goodies to go along with your coffee,” Amir said.

  “Yum! Would you join me? Or at least stay for a few minutes? I need to talk with you about something.”

  “Absolutely, Rachel. Like I said before, whatever you need. And if you don’t mind me saying so, you look radiant.”

  “Thank you. That’s very kind. Why don’t we have a seat in the living room? And by the way, thank you for this gorgeous room. I’m feeling very spoiled right now.”

  “It’s my pleasure, Rachel. What would you like to talk to me about?” Amir asked.

  “Yesterday I had a chance to more closely review the access reports you’d given me, and I have a few questions. If I understand the data correctly, I should be most interested in the keycard ID as a means of identifying the individuals who accessed the room, right?”

  “That’s right. With only one exception, each of us carries a master keycard with a unique ID assigned to us. The number in the ID field should tell us who it was that entered.”

  “What’s the exception?”

  “There’s a small pool of unassigned cards kept for the housekeeping staff. We sometimes use contract staff to fill in when we’re busy. They’re not assigned a specific keycard. Instead, they’re provided with one of the pool cards. The system doesn’t pick those up.”

  “That seems like a design flaw.”

  “Our HR system is a little older. Keycards can only be assigned to people who are in our HR system, and contractors aren’t entered. They’re tracked manually right now.”

  “That’s not good.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “I went through the report and eliminated all the entries I could account for as my own. That left three to review. The first one I noticed occurred during late morning. No keycard ID for that one. The second one occurred in the afternoon. It was the cleaning crew. They were here for over an hour-”

  “That’s too long…”

  “Wait…yes, I know. They were here for an hour and they unpacked my luggage and put everything away. I mean, the room was perfect when I got there. The good news is that there’s a keycard ID. I’m going to need your help in researching who it’s assigned to.”

  “Of course, that shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll work on that today.”

  “You rock. Okay, so the last one is a bigger mystery than the other two. There’s an entry at 5:45 am, no key card ID. Both this one and the one in the late morning were situations where it looks like the door was held open for only a few seconds, and then closed. As if someone opened it, held it open, did whatever they did in a matter of seconds, and then left, closing the door behind them.”

  Amir looked pensive. “Hmm. That’s very strange.” He seemed to be trying to sort out how that might have happened.

  “What is it? What are you thinking?” Rachel asked.

  “Well, the afternoon access makes a little sense except for the length of time. The late morning access could have been a contractor, but your theory about someone holding the door open makes me suspicious. I can’t think of any reason why that might happen, but I’ll check it out with housekeeping.”

  “What about the third one?”

  “That’s the one that’s troubling me. Housekeeping doesn’t start operations until 6:30 am, which is 45 minutes later than when the access occurred. I’m not sure I can help you with that one. I can at least see if they had a contractor keep a key overnight. That’s not allowed, but we don’t always get the keys back before they leave for the day.”

  “Amir, that third one is the most important one to research, okay? You understand?” Rachel looked hard at Amir, trying to convey to him that the 5:45 entry was the highest priority of the three.

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m on it.”

  “All right…that’s that. Now, there’s one more thing I need to talk with you about.”

  “I’m all ears, Rachel.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  And So It Begins

  “I should be back later this morning. You have my cell, right? And I’ve programmed your number so I’ll know to pick up,” Rachel said, mentally reviewing the list of items they’d discussed.

  “I’ll be awaiting your call-”

  “Oh, I almost forgot. I won’t have my cell with me today. If we do an offsite today, Mr. Raphael and I want to be sure we can’t be tracked. I guess I’ll have to contact you the old fashioned way, eh?”

  “I’m sure I will find that to be most refreshing,” Amir said, smiling ear to ear.

  “All right, my friend. Au revoir.”

  “Speaking French now, are you? Very nice.”

  “It must be the new digs,” Rachel said, chuckling. “You go now…I know you’re late,” she said, waving him away while closing
the door.

  “Have a good day, Mrs. Hancock,” Amir said.

  The door clicked shut. Even though she’d be leaving soon, Rachel locked both the top and mid-door bolts. It was time to pull herself together before meeting Grayson out in front of the hotel. Today was easier. She had no doubt about the security of the room, except…

  The brooch…

  Grabbing her cell, she dialed Amir’s number.

  “This is Amir.”

  “Amir, one last thing. I found something in the room this morning. I need to know who stayed here last, and I need to know if anyone accessed the room last night while I was in Tribeca.”

  “Got it. I’m on it. I’ll also pay attention to the access activity today. In fact, I’ll tell housekeeping to contact me when they’re ready to service the room.”

  “That would be fabulous. Thanks so much.”

  “You’re welcome. ”

  The brooch, as lovely as it was, had changed things again. She’d hoped to secure the key case in the room safe. Now she wasn’t sure leaving it behind was such a good idea. Yet, today wasn’t the day to carry it on her person. Despite Trader and Priestly’s efforts to put on a good show of healthy corporate culture and harmony, she and Grayson were entering a hostile environment. Somebody knows she has the case, and maybe it’s one of them. She couldn’t take it with her; too risky. The room safe was her only option. She’d have to trust Amir to do what he said he would.

  Rachel stepped off the elevator and started walking through the sitting area and into the main lobby. People were looking at her.

  Whud ya lookin’ at?

  She was feeling extraordinarily upbeat, and a little sassy. Not her normal disposition under the kind of circumstances she faced. A few people abruptly stopped dead in their tracks as they caught her walking by.

  Okay, what’s going on? Did I forget to button my blouse?

  Rachel looked down, slyly felt around her back to check her skirt, and confirmed all was in place. Deciding to ignore the stares of strangers, she made her way directly through the front entrance doors where Charles was talking with a guest just outside.

  “Yes sir, you’re all set,” Charles said as the guest got into a cab. He turned to greet Rachel. “Good morn…ing, Ms. Wheaton.” He was clearly taken aback.

  “Good morning, Charles. Beautiful morning, isn’t it?” Rachel asked. “You seem a little startled to see me. Were you not expecting me?”

  “Oh yes, I was expecting you. But I wasn’t expecting you!” he said.

  “You too, huh? I swear, I don’t think there was one person in the lobby who didn’t stop and gawk as I walked by. What? Do I look like an ogre or something?”

  “No, Ms. Wheaton. On the contrary, you look extraordinarily stunning. Striking. I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe it’s your hair. Is it different today?”

  “Oh gosh…it can’t be my hair. It’s an unruly mane. I didn’t have time to tame it, so I had to pin it up with a brooch I found in the en suite. I kind of like it, though.”

  “Well, if you don’t mind me saying so, it suits you well,” Charles said, grinning with his goofiest smile so far.

  “Thank you, Charles. Is the car here yet?”

  Right then, a limousine pulled up.

  “Yes, Ms. Wheaton. Right this way.”

  The limousine slowed to a stop. Rachel could see Grayson waiting for her inside. Charles opened the passenger door, motioning for Rachel to take her seat on the passenger couch.

  “Have a wonderful morning, Ms. Wheaton,” Charles said as he gently shut the door.

  “Good morning, Ms. Wheaton,” called a voice from the driver’s seat. Rachel looked up to see who it was. Peter looked into the rearview mirror to greet her, but his expression suddenly changed. It was as if he’d seen a different person.

  “Good morning, Peter. You look a little rattled. Is everything all right?”

  “Uh, yes ma’am. Everything is fabulous!” Peter said.

  “Good morning, Mr. Raphael,” Rachel said as she turned to her limo companion.

  Grayson stared back.

  Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

  “Mr. Raphael, is everything all right?”

  Grayson was reading her as if he wasn’t quite sure about whom she was. He was suspicious.

  “Michael? What’s wrong?”

  “My apologies, Ms. Wheaton. There is something different about you today. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it seems familiar.”

  Rachel thought he was joshing her. “Oh come on, what do you mean? Familiar in what way?”

  “You may not want to hear this, but you remind me of my mother.”

  Copyright

  A SOUL WORDS EBOOK.

  First published in the United States in 2018 by Soul Words

  Ebook first published in 2018 by Soul Words

  Copyright © Soul Words 2018

  All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor to be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  Contents

  From Kathryn Wise

  Previously…From The Key

  The Clock

  1. The Game’s Afoot

  2. The Aim

  3. Tea Time

  4. Vague Recollections

  5. A Sighting

  6. Portals

  7. Dots

  8. New Digs

  9. To Tribeca

  10. None

  11. A Grace Given

  12. The Pitch

  13. An Unexpected Visitor

  14. Dinner and Data

  15. All at Once

  16. The Calm Before

  17. And So It Begins

  Copyright

  From Kathryn Wise

  Enjoy this book? You can make a difference

  About the Author

  Also by Kathryn Wise

  From Kathryn Wise

  In the off chance you haven’t read The Key, the first installment of the Clairvoyant Serial, you really must read it before you start The Clock. I want you to fully enjoy The Clock…that’s why I’m offering you The Key FREE.

  Download My Book!

  Enjoy this book? You can make a difference

  Leave a Review

  Reviews are the most powerful tools in my arsenal when it comes to getting attention for my books. Much as I’d like to, I don’t have the financial muscle of a New York publisher. I can’t take out full page ads in the newspaper or put posters on the subway. (Not yet, anyway.)

  But I do have something much more powerful and effective than that, and it’s something that those publishers would kill to get their hands on.

  A committed and loyal bunch of readers.

  Honest reviews of my books help bring them to the attention of other readers.

  If you’ve enjoyed this book I would be very grateful if you could spend just five minutes leaving a review (it can be as short as you like) on the book’s Amazon page. You can jump right to the page by clicking the link above.

  Thank you very much.

  About the Author

  Kathryn Wise is the author of the Clairvoyant Serial. She makes her online home at www.KathrynSWise.com. You can connect with Kathryn on Twitter at @KathrynSWise, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorkathrynwise and you should send her email at kathryn@soul-words.com if the mood strikes you.

  Also by Kathryn Wise

  In the Clairvoyant Series

  The Key

  A key to all doors has gone missing.

  She's been chosen to find it.

  Social media has moved far beyond photos, favorites, and follows. H
idden behind the innocent screens of unsuspecting users, its ubiquitous tentacles grow increasingly integrated across tech companies, leaving little room for anyone; individuals, companies, and governments; to remain free from its overreaching global grasp. Now one sinister force wants to take full control.

  But Rachel Vaughn is a bad ass. And she works for the good guys.

  An escalating pattern of unexplained social media outages triggers the call for her expertise in data forensics and special ops, setting her on a hunt for an algorithmic key with the power to take down the entire global infrastructure.

  Day 1 in Manhattan begins her odyssey of dangerous and otherworldly encounters, including her first contact with special ops agent Grayson Blaine. With him by her side, she prepares for what may become her most dangerous assignment yet. The enemy is vehement in their quest, hindered only by the absence of one important puzzle piece; a piece that only Rachel can provide.

  The Key is the first installment of the five-book Clairvoyant Serial by Kathryn Wise, an eclectic thriller you won’t be able to put down. Don’t wait…and then move straight on to the next installment, The Clock.

  The Clock

  It no longer keeps time. It defies it.

  Time is running out.

  Mass social media outages wreak havoc while the world demands a remedy. Service is quickly restored with each incident, but the windows of relief are short-lived. As long as the algorithmic key remains in the wrong hands, the outages grow in their reach and frequency across the globe, threatening to hamper the world’s major economic regions and disrupt the societal stability of the world.