Mis-directed email

Chapter 17 - 18

CHAPTER 17

There were security checks at all of the doors. She had met Roger and several of Dominic's team the previous evening. Dominic had introduced her, as Rosa Carerra and he knew the team assumed that they were married. Again he was amazed how everything had turned out so far.

Roger greeted her at the door and told her that they had added several more plains clothes security. He could tell that Dominic was furious at the girl getting away. Well so was he. How they could have missed her was beyond him.

Rosa said that she hoped they would find the woman soon. Giving Rosa a distracted nod he and Roger stepped away to talk. Telling Roger of another possible suspect he relayed to him the information that Rosa had given him at breakfast. A vague description of a short woman with a bob hair cut didn't give him much hope of locating her.

"You know Dom most hotels now have security cameras at their entrances. Plus a gift shop most likely will have some kind of camera too. That might show us their meeting and maybe we'll be lucky enough to capture a shot of her face." Cheered by the thought Roger sent Agent McKenna to review the tapes that would have been for the time that Dominic said that Rosa had been out of her hotel room last night.

Thrumming with frustration Dominic went to check out the Diplomats in the other conference room. The day would be long with several key speakers scheduled to talk. He knew a few of the guests having met them in Washington but he wasn't there to socialize. Later he'd have to be at the 4 O'clock Dinner. They had installed additional cameras there, as they were sure that the Diplomats were the more high profile targets. But all other conference rooms were treated to additional security. Roger nodded as he headed to the conference room and began checking in with his agents stationed around the perimeter of the room.

Rosa went into the conference room and setup a display of the brochures at a table that had been assigned to BF&G. The tension of the possible terrorist threat was making the after effects of her migraine more draining than usual. She felt bruised and battered. As people passed thru the security checks at the door the noise level of the room increased. The talking, laughing and bantering of several of the businessmen was unusually loud. Her edginess caused her to deal swiftly with the men who stopped by to chat her up. She noticed that they often checked her left hand and was pleased to have Dominic's ring on her finger. She felt sure that it put a few of them off kept them from trying to chat her up. Unfortunately the really obnoxious ones would not be put off if she were 8months pregnant, she thought. In the mean time she mingled and gave out the brochures and deflected the flirts. The morning passed slowly. She wished the day were over, not just beginning. Only by the strength of her will did she manage to get thru the trying tedious morning a smile tattooed on her face, a face that seemed to have frozen in place.

Finally it was time for lunch. The first buffet table was loaded with cold cuts, bread, fruit and vegetables. The second table had hot dishes of baked beans, soups and sliced cuts of hot roast beef. Some of the attendees had very large appetites judging by the piled plates of food as they took to their seats. Others took little food but made up for it with their drinks. Rosa made a plate of fruit and cheese and a small sandwich of Benedictine. There was already a glass of water at her seat. She noticed that some of the guests were having a liquid lunch.

She groaned when she realized that when she gave her presentation, more than a few of them would be too intoxicated to care about what she said. Lunch was a boring affair with her seated next to the Japanese President of a shipping company and the American President of an import export company. She talked with them both but had to keep batting away the American's roaming hands. It did not make for a pleasant meal. She had no appetite and left most of the food on her plate. As quickly and politely as she could she excused herself and went to the ladies room to freshen up and calm herself. She just had to get through her presentation and then she could be done with the convention crowd.