If I hadn't been so jetlagged, I would have been going insane with boredom. The whole crew had woken up at seven in the morning, Belgian time, in hopes of catching some ambassadors while they dined. Dari had pulled up the security system, and for an entire hour, we waited around for someone, anyone, to go to the dining room.
I can't believe that there isn't even one morning person here.
I couldn't blame them, though. For one thing, being bitter would distract me from the mission. But more importantly, I knew that if I were in their position, I would be sleeping in too.
I glanced at the others. Ty and Finn were armwrestling at the bar, while Jax watched. Periodically, they invited the older spy to join the 'fun,' but Jax politely declined. Dari was absorbed in her phone, though she periodically checked the hall surveillance cameras for updates. They all seemed to have an exorbitant amount of energy, all things considered. I, on the other hand, felt like I was about to collapse into slumber. I probably would have settled back under the covers and gotten an extra hour of shuteye, but I had naively gotten dressed in my charcoal-pinstripe suit the moment I woke up.
Maybe I can just close my eyes while we wait. It wasn't like we were doing anything else. I doubted there would be a problem, especially if I covered my eyes with sunglasses...
I surreptitiously grabbed my sunglasses from my bag and covered my eyes. I allowed my eyelids to gently close, weighted from the darkened light.
Ah, that's better. I instantly felt my body melt into relaxation.
"Guys, we have a target!" Dari exclaimed.
I pursed my lips. Of course. Of course something would happen the moment I decided to relax.
I removed the shades from my eyes and sat upright. "Who is it?"
"It's Mr. Hansuke Aoki," Dari said. I squinted at her computer to see a gray-suited man walking through the halls. Though the image was slightly pixelated, I could tell that it most certainly was the Japanese diplomat. As usual, he was accompanied by an entourage of two bodyguards in dark suits and glasses.
A brief memory flashed through my mind. I remembered that Ty and Xara had once been part of Mr. Aoki's bodyguard unit. They had worn specially-designed, bullet-proof suits and shielded their eyes with identical glasses. For a month, Ty and Xara were twinning to the next level. Xara had been totally fine with wearing the same thing everyday, but Ty had nearly had a mental breakdown three times. When he got home, he wore the loudest, most clashing patterns he could possibly find.
"What floor is he on?" I asked, snapping back to attention.
"The third."
"Finn and I will take him," I decided. "Dari, text me when you see someone else coming down stairs. I'll assign either Ty or you to watch him."
"Kay."
"Sounds good," Ty concurred.
"Jax, watch the halls as usual unless I give you further instructions," I told him.
"Sure."
The typical, one word reply that Jax says.
Finn slid off the barstool he was sitting on. "Let's go."
We donned our boots and exited to the hallway. A quick scan of the halls told me that there was no one around. I broke into a run towards the stairwell, Finn at my heels. It wasn't very refined to run through the hotel, but it didn't matter so long as there was no one around to judge us. I practically flew down the stairs, skipping two steps at a time.
I don't know how we did it, but just as we descended to the second floor and bounded around the corner, we caught Mr. Aoki at the top of the stairwell.
"Mr. Aoki!" Finn called.
The diplomat whipped around. As his eyes came to rest on us, a huge smile spread across his face.
"If it isn't my old friends from the IIA!" he declared. "Hello!"
"Hello," I greeted.
The Japanese diplomat backtracked in his steps to stand by us. "Did you sleep well?"
"Quite well," I said. Silently, I added, I just wish I could have gotten more of it. "And you?"
"Excellent! Isn't it a lovely morning?"
"Indeed it is," Finn agreed.
Could have been nicer if I had slept in.
Mr. Aoki's eyes shifted to his watch. "Are you going to eat breakfast now?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact we are," Finn said.
Mr. Aoki smiled warmly. "Then I extend a warm invitation for you to dine with me."
"Thank you," I said.
Mr. Aoki returned to his procession to the dining room, and Finn and I followed. The Japanese Representative didn't dawdle like many of the other diplomats. He always took large, quick strides as he walked, carrying himself with purpose. When we came to the staircase, Mr. Aoki bounded down the alabaster steps.
"Am I correct to assume that your whereabouts are not confidential right now," Mr. Aoki said in a lowered tone.
"You can be open about it with the other diplomats," I told him. "But keep it on the downlow with the other hotel guests and staff."
"This is a more laid-back assignment," Finn chimed in. "We're not anticipating that anything will go too wrong, just some light guarding work."
"I'm sure that it's nice to get a break from the usual, high-intensity spy work," Mr. Aoki agreed. His face solemned. "But then again, the times that things are going well are the times to be most vigilant. There's always a catastrophe waiting around the corner."
I nodded, thinking about the insanity of yesterday. "We'll be careful."
"As always." Mr. Aoki beamed, his eyes shining in the fluorescent lighting. "Out of all of the secret service agents I have met, your team is by far the best."
We had now come to the double doors of the restaurant, and upon saying this, Mr. Aoki's guard flung open the doors for us to enter. Mr. Aoki scanned the room for a moment until his eyes rested on a clear door on the left corner of the room which led to the hotel gardens. The golden rays of the morning sun were gleaming through the glass.
"Why don't we enjoy our breakfast outside?" he suggested. "Food nourishes the body, but nature nourishes the soul."
Finn shrugged. "Why not."
One of Mr. Aoki's guards waved the host over and asked if we could dine outside. He nodded, and we followed him out of the side door.
The door opened to a spacious courtyard. Ten tables were placed sporadically throughout, giving an animated air to the gardens. Upon closer consideration, however, I discovered that each table had been carefully placed equidistant apart from the others.
The mass of blossoms flourishing in the garden tainted the air with a naturally sweet fragrance. All sorts of beautiful flowers were planted, vibrant yellows, pinks, and purples. The sun smiled down from the sky with the perfect warmth. The ambiance was positively delightful for an outdoor breakfast. A gentle breeze tousled the layers of my short hair.
The server placed five menus on one of the wrought-iron tables. Mr. Aoki pulled a chair out from the table and motioned for me to sit.
"Thank you," I said. Mr. Aoki was always such a gentleman. So far, he seemed to be his usual self.
"Thank you for dining here this morning. I hope you have a lovely morning. Your waiter will be out shortly," the host said with a bow.
"Thank you, sir," Mr. Aoki said. The host bowed once more, then left the courtyard.
I felt my wrist buzz with a new message from Dari.
Mr. Kohler is heading to the dining room.
I lifted my menu up so no one could see me reply.
Send Ty.
Excitement welled up inside me. We were actually getting somewhere. Over the course of two meals, we were going to be able to speak with six out of nine of our main suspects. Mr. Peter Kohler was the Swiss representative. He was the oldest out of all of the delegates at the World Leaders Convention, but also one of the sharpest.
I focused on the menu in front of me and recalled what the real Xara would order for breakfast. She usually ate something that was full of veggies, low in carb, and high in protein and fat. I had just selected my breakfast when I saw a gray-haired man in a formal suit approach us.
"And what would you like to eat?" the waiter asked Mr. Aoki.
"We will have three, ham and cheese quiches," Mr. Aoki said, motioning to his guards.
"D'accord. Monsieur?" The waiter turned to Finn.
"I'll have the deluxe crepes, side of bacon and three fried eggs," Finn said.
"Okay. And what may I get you, Madame?"
"I would like a french style omelet with spinach, peppers, mushrooms, gruyere cheese, and chives," I said.
"Of course, ma chere. Your order shall be out in a moment." The waiter whisked our menus away and disappeared into the restaurant.
"How is everyone in your family?" Mr. Aoki asked.
"Mom and Dad and doing well," Finn said. "How's your wife and daughter?"
"They both are in good health. My daughter recently began piano lessons."
"Wow! Starting out young, huh?"
"Yes, musical development is essential for the youth. It strengthens their mind and body, builds stamina and endurance."
"I wish my parents had started me with an instrument. Maybe then I would have turned out a little better." Finn laughed, nudging me. In typical Xara fashion, I didn't smile.
Neither did Mr. Aoki. "Your gift is guarding people, which is a vital service. I remember when I was being guarded by you. Not a single detail was missed by your eagle eye. Be proud of who you are and what you do."
Finn nodded awkwardly. Mr. Aoki took things very seriously.
My attention was diverted again by Dari.
Linda Clavel is heading downstairs. Should I dine with her?
I covertly texted her 'yes.' She wasn't as big of a priority—she wasn't on our main suspects list—but it was worth looking into.
I raised my glass to my lips to drink. In the process, I caught a glimpse of the most peculiar thing. Miss Monpelie hurried from the front entrance of the hotel to a taxi—alone. I quickly noted the time: eight-seventeen a.m.
Where is her guard or escort? She should have at least some sort of accompaniment in case of emergency.
I snapped my attention back to Finn and Mr. Aoki as a server brought our food.
"Three quiches?" the server asked.
"That is for us," Mr. Aoki said. I breathed in the delicious smell of cheese and meat as the plates were passed to Mr. Aoki and his guards.
"French omelet?"
I raised my hand. A round plate was set before me, an omelet delicately placed in the center. I could see the puffs of steam rising from the freshly cooked food.
"Crepes with a side of bacon and eggs?"
"Right here," Finn said. The server presented him with two plates—one with crepes dripping in red syrup, the other with his sides.
"If you need anything more, please let us know," the server said. "Bon appetit!"
"Thank you," Mr. Aoki said.
I lifted my fork and pressed on the omelet. The egg cut like silky clouds. I inhaled the scent, tasting with my sense of smell first, before placing the bite in my mouth. My eyes went wide. It practically melted in my mouth. It was the perfect balance of savory, earthy, and herbal notes, and had just enough textural contrasts with the vegetables.
There was really no way to go wrong with Belgium cooking at a high-end restaurant.
There was little of interest for the rest of the meal. Mr. Aoki appeared to be his usual self. When we finished eating, the waiter brought our check, and despite our many protests, Mr. Aoki insisted on paying the entire bill.
"It was a pleasure dining with you both," Mr. Aoki said.
"Ours as well," I said.
Mr. Aoki glanced at his gold watch. "Oh my! It is already past nine o'clock! I have a meeting at the Japanese embassy at ten-thirty a.m. that I must prepare for. Please excuse me." He stood with his guards, and hurried back into the hotel.
"Shall we go, siss?" Finn asked.
"Yes."
Finn and I exited through a wrought-iron gate on the side of the garden, which led to the front of the hotel. We nonchalantly strolled down the street, blending in with the bustling tourists.
"Anything of suspicion?" Finn murmured. "I found it odd how rushed Mr. Aoki was at the end."
I shook my head. "Mr. Aoki hates extended farewells. When he has to leave, he leaves. What I did notice, though, was Miss Monpelie."
Finn cocked his head. "What do you mean?"
"I saw her getting into a tax at eight-seventeen. She was unaccompanied."
"Hmm, that is rather odd. Do you think she's the imposter?"
"It's too early to tell. But that is rather unlike her," I said. "And even more importantly, it could be dangerous for her to roam the city alone. I'll have to make sure that I talk to her at the party tomorrow night."
"What we really need to do is follow her," Finn said.
"Well, we can't do that tomorrow," I said. "I told Mr. Le Foie that we would join him on a sightseeing tour." While I was speaking, an idea began to form in my head. "But what we could do is get her to come with us, and we could follow her the next day. She really shouldn't be alone."
"Good idea," Finn said. "What do we do for now?"
I thought for a moment. "It might be kind of weird if we have a second breakfast with another representative."
"Yeah," Finn agreed. "Besides, if I eat any more food, I might burst."
"Let's head up to our hotel rooms. We can monitor the video surveillance for anything suspicious."
Finn nodded, and we headed back into the hotel.