Tested by Fire by David Costa (the little red hen read aloud TXT) 📗

of her, pretending to study the laminated copies of properties on display inside the window. She could also see young Jake sitting at a desk just inside the front door reading the documents in front of him. When she entered Jake looked up with what appeared to be a genuine smile on his face when he saw her, a good commission that would come with the signing of this contract would bring a smile to anyone’s face, she thought.

‘Well Jake have you everything ready for me?’

‘Yes, Mrs Webb it’s all here. How are you today?’

‘Very well thank you, but I’m working to a schedule today so can we get on with it?’

‘Of course, I have all the documents here would you like to sit down?’

She sat at the desk as Jake sorted through the papers in front of him, producing them one at a time he asked her to sign in the appropriate places six times in all.

‘I need to take a copy of your passport, have you got it with you?’

She produced the passport of Karen Webb giving it to Jake who continued to complete the paperwork. As he was doing this Mohammad entered the office and sat next to Lyndsey.

‘Sorry I’m late. Have you been able to sort everything?’ he asked Jake.

‘Yes, no problem. Mrs Webb has been able to sign everything off and I now have the copy of her passport. I just need the deposit to go through and I’ll get you the keys?’

‘How much do you need?’ asked Lyndsey.

‘Including the security bond, three thousand pounds please.’

Lyndsey handed Jake her credit card.

‘Thank you. I’ll just go to our accounts office for the machine, back in a few seconds.’

When he left, Lyndsey leaned a little closer to Mohammad so that he could hear her without being overheard.

‘When I leave, stay and talk to Jake for a few minutes then when you leave take a walk away from the direction of the apartments. Stay out for a couple of hours getting yourself a meal before heading back to the apartments and call me when you’re coming towards them.’

‘Are you worried about surveillance; I haven’t spotted any. Did you?’

‘No, but let’s just be extra careful now that we’re this close to the security perimeter.’

Jake returned with a hand-held card reader and punched in the payment figure then having inserted the credit card, passed it over for Lyndsey to provide her pin number.

‘Thank you, that’s everything gone through. I’ll just get you the keys and you can be on your way. Do you want me to accompany you to check that everything is OK?’

‘No, thank you for being so helpful we’ll manage I’m sure.’

‘Right, back in a second.’

Again, he disappeared into the back office returning with a small set of keys and a document folder.

‘Thank you for your business, Mrs Webb,’

He handed over the folder and the keys.

‘In the folder you’ll find all the information you need and details of how to get in touch should there be any problems.’

‘Thank you for all your help, Jake, I’m sure everything will be all right.’

Lyndsey placed all the documents in her bag left the office turning to the right pulling her scarf up around her head once more.

Mohammad made the excuse of speaking with Jake for a few more minutes by asking to see any other brochures he had on similar apartments.

Reece and Grey had been watching the front door of the estate agents since following Tourist One when he’d left the Conference Centre and took a roundabout route to bring him to the estate agents where he’d entered a few minutes before. They had taken up positions at each end of the street. Mary once more stood and watched the eyes of the man she loved as he looked over her shoulder in the direction of the door recently entered by Tourist One.

‘Do you know something, Joseph, you really do have beautiful blue eyes.’

‘Do you mind I’m trying to concentrate here?’ He smiled.

He’d noticed the woman who had left the offices pulling the red pattern scarf around her head, as she’d walked back in the direction of the Great Northern Square where Grey had been looking at the goods in a window display with some interest while still watching for the appearance of Tourist One, but that didn’t surprise him, as the cold wind made it difficult to stand about Deansgate for any length of time if he had a scarf he would pull it round him too.

‘What’s happening, I’m beginning to freeze here?’ Mary still had her back to the estate agents.

‘Nothing much, wait a second. Alpha Three, let’s swap and keep warm with some movement.’

‘Roger that, good idea.’

Both agents carried out the swap with ease. Just as they’d done so Tourist One reappeared onto Deansgate. Reece saw him first and noticed he was walking towards Alpha Three who now had her back to him.

‘Alpha Three, keep walking ahead Tourist One has left the building and is now walking to the junction again.’

‘Roger, Alpha One. I’ll turn left at the junction and find a closed location.’

Closed location meant a safe place from where she could observe without being seen. Reece and Mary moved after Tourist One on the same side of the street as he continued to walk towards the junction ahead.

Grey had turned left into Hardman Street junction and entered a shoe shop with a large window that looked out onto the street giving her a view of Tourist One as he crossed the junction continuing to walk straight ahead on Deansgate. She then left to catch-up as Reece and Mary crossed the same junction about seventy yards behind their target. All three continued to watch and follow Tourist One as he took his time walking through the central