Hardison couldn't help but pause as Parker shifted from the couch to the seat to leaning against the kitchen bar. A nervous energy kept her from settling as she perched on one of the stools of the hotel suite the team was using as their temporary command center.
An inarticulate sound escaped the thief as she slid off the stool and wandered about the room. She was distracting and Hardison caught himself repeatedly glancing up from his work to follow her.
Parker's pacing brought her to the table where he was working. She climbed into one of the black metal chairs. Her form cast a long shadow across his workspace.
"What's up, Mama?"
A frown as Parker glanced about the room. She whispered, "I feel like I should be doing something." Sliding slowly across the table, she studied the small screen.
Leaning back, Hardison stared at the blond head that had completely overtaken his workspace. "You are doing something," he began as he reached out and gently pushed Parker out of the way. "You are waiting patiently while Sophie gets the mark on the hook."
"Right," Parker said with a nod. "I'm waiting. Patiently." A beat. "Waiting." She pulled away from the table and walked to the sliding glass door and stared out onto the balcony.
Nate sloshed his drink about the glass between draughts before going back to the paperwork he had been studying. Through the earbud, he could hear Sophie making small talk with Lauren.
"What? What?" Hardison was agitated.
Sighing, Nate tossed the paperwork onto the coffee table and looked over at Hardison and a fidgety Parker. He felt a headache coming on. "What's going on?"
"Are you sure Rose is going to be okay?" the thief asked.
"She'll be fine," Nate said in a placating tone. "Eliot is there."
"Right," Parker repeated. "She'll be fine." She stood there and looked about the suite. "I'm going for a walk," she announced. Turning sharply, she approached the sliding glass door and pulled it open.
A cool breeze sent Nate's paperwork flying across the room. He made a futile grab at the pages catching only a few as the rest scattered across the stained carpet. When he looked back up, Parker was gone. "Are you tracking her?"
"You mean in her shoe? Um, yeah, we still doing that?"
Nate sighed.
"Noted for future jobs." Hardison didn't stop his work though and went back to typing, only occasionally pausing the glance at a small video window in the corner of the screen showing various interiors of Rose's house. The old woman was in her tall backed chair reading.
Inside Lauren's large office that served as both her work area and a makeshift storage area, Sophie made herself comfortable in the seat opposite Lauren's desk.
A predatory look lighted Lauren's face. Pride rich in her voice. "That Sylvia must be desperate to send you calling on me."
Sophie shifted and returned a warm smile. "As you know, times are difficult and for the sake of the greater good, one must expand their network." Leaning forward every so slightly, she began, "Community Hope—"
"You know," Lauren said abruptly. "I'm not really interested." She stared at Sophie. "Did you know that Sylvia used to own Home Keepers? I used to work for her. She did not make it easy." Lauren rocked back in her chair, but didn't meet Sophie's look. "When a client accused me of stealing, Sylvia fired me with no investigation, no question. She never listened to my side and she refused to hire me back when it turned out the client had forgotten she had given the piece in question to her daughter to have a broken clasp repaired. I wanted my job back, but it wouldn't have made for a comfortable working environment."
Sophie let her surprise show through.
"If it isn't digitally filed somewhere, I can't access that information," Hardison said in her ear. "I mean, I'm good, but I'm not that good."
Lauren rubbed her arm through the sleeve of her grey suit. "When Sylvia ran this place into the ground my husband—my ex—bought it for me. Because I enjoyed this place and I enjoy helping people. It wouldn't have made for a good environment to keep her on." She paused. "She went off and started that non-profit and encourage people to use any other support avenue except Home Keepers."
"I was unaware of the depth of ill will between your organizations," Sophie said smoothly while Hardison continued to ramble about not having the facility to find information like that out. She glanced to the shelves and scanned the organized items the caretakers used in their daily visits to clients.
Rising from her chair, Lauren said, "I don't see myself doing anything to help them. I'm sorry you have wasted your time."
Sophie rose and extended her hand to the other woman. "I'm sorry you are not interested in participating in the upcoming benefit. Perhaps in the future there will be a means to help both of your organizations." She paused as if to say more and pulled out her phone. Casually, she checked it, though it was only an act. "You'll have to excuse me. Thank you for your time," she said and excused herself.
Out in the main area of the office, Sophie paused near Stephanie's desk. She pressed the phone to her ear even as she stepped toward the front door. "Laundry King? I can meet with them shortly.". Behind her, beyond the other door she caught the sound of approaching footsteps and slid her phone back into her purse.
Sophie was out on the sidewalk before the glass door opened and Lauren stepped out. "Ms. Holloway?"
The grifter paused before turning. She gave the woman in the doorway a questioning look. "Yes?"