The car ran quietly, the heater blowing warm air on my ankles as I switched off the headlights.

Across the four lanes, the six-story stone building glowed under bright yellow floodlights.

At eight fifteen a uniformed security guard came out through the glass lobby doors carrying a black flashlight.

He walked the outside of the building, checking the brass emergency exit handles on the alley side, and went back in eight minutes later.

He made exactly the same round at eight forty-five.

On the sixth floor, three big windows were lit up, showing a wide mahogany conference table ringed with empty executive chairs.