LARCH BELIEVED HE WAS a cautious man. He thought this trait had allowed him to live much longer than his professional colleagues. “Leave no trace” wasn’t just a good motto; it was environmentally friendly, too. He returned his rental car, took a cab to the Delta Barrington Hotel downtown, and registered with an official-looking British passport under the name Mitchell Gant.
His faint English accent impressed the tall, dark-haired beauty at check-in. She smiled and he smiled back, careful not to indulge in any flirtation. He didn’t want to be remembered by anyone. The receptionist was certainly attractive, but he wasn’t there to pursue women. It would be unprofessional. And Sandrine would not be pleased. At least until he bought her some guilt jewellery at the duty-free on the way back home.
A small envelope was waiting for him at check-in. He tucked it into his jacket pocket and strode to the elevator. After examining his room, he looked out the window at a view of the harbour; Dartmouth was barely visible in the fog. He had packed enough clothes for three days, plenty of time for his new assignment. He thought he might even be done tonight, depending on his luck.
Time to check for any updates on his assignment. He opened the envelope. It contained only a SIM card. He took out his Samsung smartphone and swapped his SIM card with the new one, snapping the case closed. With his phone in hand, he walked back to reception and asked the clerk for the nearest internet café. She was a bit puzzled, since the hotel offered free Wi-Fi, but she pointed to a café in the mall next to the hotel. He thanked her with his best imitation of Prince William (or Basil Fawlty, he couldn’t be sure).
The problem with hotel internet was that he had to identify himself. He had to give his name and room number. Anonymity was more assured if he used the internet in the café next door in the Historic Properties Mall. He nursed a small coffee and logged in to the open Wi-Fi and checked a Gmail account with a long, seemingly haphazard combination of letters and numbers. Yes, three draft mails had been written less than an hour ago.
The first email was short. 12:00. Ash.
The second one said Meet today. Birch.
The third email had no subject. It contained only an address and a time.