by S L Shelton
“She’s down,” I said quietly.
The light under the coat extinguished and Kathrin emerged from under the cover. “What’s she doing?”
“I can’t tell,” I replied. “The blinds are down on all the windows.”
“Do you want me to go over and take a closer look?” she asked.
I watched the shadows move back and forth across the window for several seconds, thinking about Kathrin’s offer before shaking my head.
“We don’t know what kind of security she has in the house,” I said finally. “She could have cameras set up…or IR motion sensors.”
Kathrin nodded.
A few minutes later, the garage door opened. “Here we go,” I said, starting the engine.
An Audi sedan pulled out of the garage, glided down the short driveway, and then drove off down the street away from us. I waited for her to turn the corner before I turned the lights on and followed.
“Don’t lose her,” Kathrin said.
I sped up to reach the corner before she had an opportunity to turn again. When we turned, we saw her taillights a block ahead of us.
“Not too close,” Kathrin said.
I looked over at her. “I’ve done this before,” I said.
“Okay,” she said defensively.
Frau Loeff wove through the streets of Zurich, headed toward downtown, where she stopped in front of a dry cleaner. We pulled into a bus stop and watched from about half a block away. She reemerged a few minutes later, carrying a small bundle of clothing covered in clear plastic. I was able to get a much better look at her. Her hair was blond and pulled back in a tight bun.
“How old do you think she is?” I asked Kathrin.
Kathrin shrugged. “It’s too far to be sure…maybe late thirties or early forties?”
I nodded my agreement. Loeff was thin and athletic at first glance, judging by her posture and carriage, though under a heavy winter coat, it was hard to be sure. Other than the rigid posture, she could have been Kathrin from this distance.
“Very conservative dress,” Kathrin said.
“Uh huh.”
Frau Loeff carefully hung her dry cleaning in the back of her sedan before departing again, pulling out into the light morning traffic. We pulled out of our spot as she went around the corner.
For several more blocks, we followed her at a discreet distance until she entered a gated parking lot near the banking district. The building was a drab-looking institutional design from the thirties or forties. We drove past the gate and glanced into the lot before going down and turning to come back.
The marble of the building had slowly grayed over the years until its appearance more closely resembled concrete rather than expensive stone. It was a large building. It must have housed offices for many dozens of companies.
“Do you feel like taking a walk?” I asked.
“If I hurry, I might be able to find what office she is in,” Kathrin said as she unlatched her seatbelt.
I nodded. She reached into our breakfast bag, extracting the menu before hopping out and trotting across the street. As she went up the stairs, I began taking mental notes of the security features that were in place outside. The two cameras on the front of the building covered the sidewalk immediately in front of the building. Unless they were using an extremely wide-angle lens, we were in a blind spot.
The gated parking area wasn’t manned, but it had a card entry system and an additional camera facing the entrance. Following another vehicle in would be possible, but avoiding the camera would not be. We’d have to find another way in.
After several minutes, Kathrin reappeared through the doors, her hands shoved deeply into her pockets and a bright smile on her face—she had been successful.
“What are we up against?” I asked as she climbed back in.
“A security desk facing the front door, ten meters from the main entrance. A side door that bypasses security…either they have separate security in the parking structure or they trust their parking access system,” she said as she warmed her hands in front of the dashboard heat vent. “Four cameras visible from the lobby. The first as you come through the door, ceiling mounted. Two on the lobby and one on the side entrance to the parking area, also ceiling mounted. A wide-brimmed hat would block camera coverage for all but the side entrance.”
“What about computers at the security station?” I asked, handing her the coffee from the console.
“The cameras display on the computer monitors. I’m not sure if they record to the system or a separate drive, but they have to close a video screen to access the directory. The phone system doesn’t appear to be tied to the same system. It probably has a separate PBX. The computers all look very new, but the phones look ancient…like a system from the Eighties.”
I laughed. I loved working with professionals. “You are awesome,” I said. “That should get us started.”
“One more thing,” she said, smiling. “I saw Frau Loeff come into the building through the side door. She went into the elevator by herself. I couldn’t see the elevator from the security desk but I could hear it…four dings starting with the door closing.”
I smiled broadly. “You didn’t happen to get a map of her office did you?” I asked, joking.
“Now that you mention it…” She extracted a plastic fire escape map placard from under her jacket. She had ripped it off the wall.
“You thief!” I said with a broad grin. “I hope you didn’t do it in view of the cameras.”
She shook her head. “It has all six floors with office numbers,” she said, pleased with herself as she handed it to me.
“Excellent,” I said. “Let’s see who else has offices in this building.”
I did a quick web search on the address. I found many listings for the building, with businesses ranging from accountants and lawyers to shipping fronts. I started formulating a plan.
“I need access to the building’s security and phone computer systems,” I said.
“Just hack it,” Kathrin replied as she pulled a gooey pastry from our breakfast bag, offering it to me first.
I declined with a shake of my head. “A frontal hack might be discovered and could take a while,” I said. “Besides, we might be able to get easier access.”
“How?” she asked.
I reached into the bag and pulled out a sausage muffin before taking a bite. “You took the menu in,” I said as I chewed. “What did you do with it?”
“I asked the guards if they were interested in ordering anything,” she replied. “They didn’t, but said it was okay to leave the menu.”
“Good. Let’s get going. I think I know how we can get in to see ARG Banti’s records,” I replied as I pulled away from the curb.
“What’s the plan?” Kathrin asked.
“For now, the plan is to get into the building’s security system and steal as much information about Banti and Frau Loeff as possible,” I replied as we rolled down the street. “If we play it right, we might be able to gain access to her office—and her computers.”
“From the security systems?” she asked.
“No. Those will only help us find her in the building,” I replied. “We’ll have to make a new plan once we’ve gained access to her.”
Kathrin nodded. “Do I get to wear fancy clothes?”
I smiled.
“What?” she asked.
“Eventually, yes, you’ll get to wear fancy clothes,” I replied with a crooked grin.
“Why is that funny?”
I chuckled. “Do you like the way Loeff dresses?”
“Pfft!” she scoffed and then snapped her head toward me, realizing what I was actually asking. “No.”
“‘No, what?”
“She dresses like the headmistress for an all-girls reformatory!”
“But they’re nice clothes,” I said, mock complaint in my voice.
“Then you wear them,” she responded, clipped.
I shrugged. “Well if you
won’t do it, then I guess I’ll have to.”
She sat silently, staring straight ahead, as we drove toward the shops. Abruptly, she burst out in laughter. “I’d pay to see that.”
“You’ll pay alright,” I muttered with a grin.
We parked downtown in front of a barbershop and began our shopping. I got a haircut and a professional barber shave while Kathrin picked up some of the supplies we needed, including some new clothes and a burn phone. We would need to make two trips into Loeff’s building, starting with the setup.
Once I was shaved and had my hair trimmed, I walked down several doors and began looking for suitable attire. Kathrin met me in the store.
“I got everything you asked for,” she said through the dressing room door.
“Do you have any cash left?” I asked.
“Some,” she replied with a mouth full of something. I looked over the door and saw her munching on another pastry.
“How do you not weigh three hundred pounds?” I asked, looking down at her over the top of the door.
She stuck her tongue out at me and continued to munch. When I stepped out a few minutes later, she whistled. I was dressed in a thousand-euro outfit, complete with white silk scarf, Italian wingtip shoes, and a wide-brimmed felt hat.
“Ooooo, hast du huete Abend Zeit,” she asked seductively, inquiring if I was free tonight.
I smiled and winked. “Spinnst Du? Verschwinde!” I replied, asking if she were crazy and telling her to get lost.
“Your Deutsch is getting convincing,” she said. “You sound almost Bavarian.”
“Just repeating what’s been said to me before,” I replied with a wry grin.
“Such a player,” she cooed, stroking the sleeve of my new suit. “We’ll have to take you out and show off those new threads.”
“Anything you want, baby,” I smiled, leaning over to kiss her.
“I’ll have to change into my frump disguise first,” she said with a mock pout.
“Not yet. You’re the delivery girl first,” I replied. “That’s our way into the building.” I kissed her again.
“Are you ready?” she whispered after our lips parted. “It’s getting late in the morning.”
I looked at my watch and saw it was almost nine thirty. “Yep,” I replied before going to the counter to pay for my purchases in cash.
Once we were back in the car, I handed her my iPad, displaying the name and number of an accounting firm in Loeff’s building. She nodded, pulling out her phone to make the call.
In German, she gave the good news to the receptionist.
“Good morning! This is Elisa at Schiffban Bäckerei. Your office has won the weekly business card breakfast drawing,” she said.
I could hear through the phone that the receptionist on the other end was thrilled as Kathrin turned to me and smiled, nodding.
“Yes. Breakfast pastry and coffee for up to eight people,” Kathrin continued. “Excellent. And do you have a preference?
“…Very good.
“…And the coffee…any decaf?…No?
“…Excellent. We will deliver it to you within the hour. Please be sure to let your front desk know we are coming. Tschüs!”
When she was done, she nodded. “Okay. Let’s go pick up their breakfast.”
After stopping at the bakery, we went back to Loeff’s building. As soon as we were parked, I handed her my iPad, along with a pouch of accessories.
“Password?” Kathrin asked with a smug grin.
I smiled in return. “Gretel.”
Her face melted into soft wonderment. “You used my code name as your iPad password?” she asked as red flushed her cheeks. She proceeded to zip her finger across the letters in the image.
After trying it twice, she turned and looked at me through slitted eyes.
“It is!” I said defensively. “It’s E-L not L-E.”
“That’s the wrong way to spell it,” she muttered as she returned her attention to the screen.
“If you say so,” I replied, teasing.
“Okay. What do I do?”
“When you get in, look for any network port near the building’s computer room, plug it in, and hit this app,” I said, pointing at an icon that looked like a drill. “Once it’s done running, disconnect it.”
She nodded her understanding as she slipped the iPad into her delivery bag. “Do I have to worry about alarms or anything?”
I shook my head. “It’s a port sniffer,” I replied. “If it finds suitable access, it will install a new access entry to their firewall. If it doesn’t find anything, it will let you know on the display. It’s totally passive unless it finds access.”
She nodded her understanding and left after giving me a quick kiss on the lips.
After an agonizing twenty-minute wait, she reemerged from the building at a leisurely pace. Her hands were in front of the heater before the door closed completely.
“Any trouble?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I found a port and ran the app,” she said, prompting me to take the iPad from her bag.
“It’s working,” I replied after checking the connection. “Did you see anything new that might cause problems?”
“There’s a guard at the side entrance,” she said. “The desk isn’t visible from the lobby, but after you come off the elevators, he’s sitting in an alcove next to the parking entrance.”
“Does he look alert?” I asked.
She shook her head again. “None of them really seem to be into their job,” she replied. “I can’t imagine it would be difficult to just walk right past them if they were focused on anything else.”
“I wouldn’t chance that,” I said.
“You won’t have to,” she said. “As a bonus, the receptionist pre-ordered her lunch for delivery at eleven forty-five.”
I leaned over and kissed her. “You, my dear, are amazing.”
“You flatter.”
We moved the SUV to another parking space around the block and I began probing the system with the Trojan—the predator virus—that Kathrin had installed. I was able to access video surveillance, entry and exit logs, office directories, and security schedules. I streamed through the security footage until I found Frau Loeff. I scrolled through several days of footage, making note of her comings and goings.
“She’s as precise as a Swiss clock,” I muttered.
“Bankers,” Kathrin replied.
“Hmmm.”
“What?”
“It looks like she takes lunch each day at eleven forty-five and doesn’t return until nearly one p.m.,” I said. “Other than that, she seems to stay in her office the entire time.”
“So I was right to take the lunch order from the accountants,” Kathrin said.
I nodded and then looked up at her. “You did great,” I replied. “We’ll go in at lunch time.”
“This is so cool,” she said, barely able to contain her glee. “I never get to go undercover.”
“What do you mean? You were undercover for almost a year, hiding your identity from me.”
“It’s not the same,” she said with a patronizing smile. “I just didn’t want you to get off the hook.”
I leaned over and kissed her. “You hooked me real good.”
She flushed red again.
“Want to hear what Loeff sounds like?” I asked.
Her lips pulled down in a confused frown.
“You’re going to have to answer the phone as her at some point for this to work,” I added.
She looked at me with a worried crinkle in her brow but then she nodded. I pulled up the number for Loeff’s office from the directory listing and punched it into the VoIP app on my iPhone.
“What are you doing?” she asked, panicked.
“Don’t worry,” I replied. “The number is being bounced from the server room and the app is untraceable… You said it was an old phone system. Are you ready?”
She looked up as if thinking of something to say and th
en nodded again. I hit the record feature and then pressed dial before handing her the phone.
“Hallo. Ist das der Firmensitz Greggor Versand?” Kathrin asked.
“Nein? …Wissen Sie, wo sie sich befinden?” she said after a short pause.
“Haben Sie davon gehört? …Nein?”
Something Frau Loeff was saying made her cringe.
“Okay. Vielen Dank.”
She ended the call.
“She’s very rude,” Kathrin said. “But I think I’ve got it… I think…I think I’ve got it,” she said, lowering her voice and adjusting her pitch, pinch, and accent to match the voice she had just spoken to.
“What did she say?” I asked.
Kathrin turned to me and put on a very serious expression. “Ich bin kein Informationsdienst. Ich bin keine Sekretärin, und ich habe keine Zeit zu helfen, Idioten dabei zu helfen ihre Mütter zu finden,” she said in a voice I wouldn’t have recognized had it not been coming from her lovely lips.
I laughed aloud. Loeff had indeed been very rude, telling Kathrin, “I am not an information service. I am not a secretary, and I do not have time to help idiots find their mothers.”
She continued to practice Loeff’s flinty voice as we made our way to the café where Kathrin would be picking up the lunch delivery. She listened to her recording repeatedly until she was confident she had it. After picking up the lunch order and concealing Kathrin’s change of clothes in the delivery bag, we drove back to Loeff’s office building.
This would be Kathrin’s third trip into the building. Operationally, that would normally be a bad thing, exposing her to three times the scrutiny. But in this case, the first two trips had been useful, not only resulting in us being able to hack the building security systems, but also establishing her cover as a delivery person for the café.
“Wish me luck,” she said as she got out after kissing me.
“Luck,” I replied before she touched the button on her Bluetooth headset, dialing my number.
“COM check,” she said into my ear as she walked across the street with her delivery bag.
“I read you five by five,” I replied.
She made a kissing sound before disappearing inside the building.
I monitored the security feed from my iPad, watching for Frau Loeff’s departure from the building. She was right on time. It was 11:45 a.m. when I caught her on the monitor as she made her way to the side door. I promptly accessed Loeff’s contact number in the building’s directory via my predator virus and changed it to that of the burn phone Kathrin had purchased earlier.
