CHAPTER SIX
The Seattle field office, under Agent Rawley, occupied a new building. As Ilse entered through the sliding glass doors, the scent of paint in the government building overwhelmed another fragrance of sour cigarette smoke. The security in the lobby wasn't nearly as thorough as it had been back in the prison. And yet Ilse was becoming intimately familiar with metal detectors and conveyor belts with x-rays. As she retrieved her keys and wallet and phone from a gray Tupperware on the other side of the conveyor belt, she nodded to the nearest security officer and then moved towards the stairs. The elevator doors dinged next to her, and she watched as three occupants exited and moved towards the entrance to the building.
Three passengers. An odd number.
Ilse stared at the empty ele
