He went past the secretary’s desk and paused to unlock the door of the inner office. Dr. Raymond Perry’s office was neat and uncluttered. A row of locked file cabinets lined one wall.
He did what he had come to do and made his way back out of the building, relocking the doors and resetting the alarms. At the far end of the compound the guards were still drinking coffee and chatting.
He made his way through the stand of trees. The new speedster was waiting in the dense shadows at the side of the road.
He got in on the passenger side. Irene turned the key in the ignition and pulled out onto the empty road.
“I take it everything went according to plan,” she said.
“No problems,” Oliver said. “I left the notebook on top of the executive director’s desk. He’ll see it first thing when he goes into his office in the morning.”
“He’ll wonder how it got there.”
“Sure. But it’s in his own and his company’s best interests to keep quiet. Besides, there’s no way he’ll be able to figure out how the notebook reappeared.”
Irene smiled. “Magic.”
“Magic.”
“You weren’t gone very long. I thought you would have to spend more time getting through the locks and alarms.”
“Saltwood has a government contract, so they’ve got standard government security. They obviously gave the contract to the lowest bidder.”
“Of course. So, now we’re free to go on our honeymoon.”
“Got any particular destination in mind?”
“I hear Burning Cove is a romantic choice for a honeymoon destination.”
“I’ve heard that, too,” Oliver said. “It’s a long drive back to California but there’s no rush. We can stop at some of the roadside attractions along the way.”
“That would be nice.” Irene patted the steering wheel affectionately. “The last time I drove across the country I was in a hurry. I didn’t get a chance to do any sightseeing.”
“This time will be different.”
“Yes, it will,” Irene said. “This time we’re goinghome.”
