I, Spy? (Sophie Green Mysteries, No. 1) (Sophie Green Mystery)

He’d probably expect me to sleep with him.
    Although that wouldn’t be so terrible a prospect.
    “No,” I said, summoning a smile from the depths of my ancient Ace training, “thanks. That’s what credit cards are for.” To the receptionist I said, “I’d like a room, please. Just for tonight.”
    Harvey had a suit carrier, the sort I wasn’t supposed to allow as hand luggage but usually did, out of boredom. It was the sort of bag that could carry everything for an overnight stay. I had my Ace bag with a hairbrush, lip gloss, body spray and handcuffs. Not what you call overnight essentials.
    Well, depending on what kind of overnight you had in mind.
    I said a reluctant goodbye to the handsome American and went to find my room. It was gorgeous. There were toiletries and everything. I just really wished I had some spare clothes. I could hardly wander around in just my uniform, could I?
    Unless they had a laundry service. I checked the room service card. They had a damn laundry service! Yes! If I just stayed in my room, I could get my clothes washed and go home in them in the morning. Easy.
    I called Reception and they said they could have it done in half an hour. I started running a bath. Things were not as bad as they seemed. I had to remember that. Things were never as bad as they seemed.
    I switched on my two phones and used one to send a text to Chalker that I’d be staying at Angel’s tonight. That would stop them from calling home. At least Tammy was being looked after. Then I used the other phone to call Luke.
    “You let him through,” I said.
    There was a pause.
    “Sophie?”
    “Yes?”
    “Where are you?”
    “I’m in Rome,” I said. “I’m in Wright’s hotel. You let him through. Sven let him board. I followed him like a good secret agent and they thought I was crew. So now I’m spending next month’s grocery bill on getting my uniform washed in a ludicrously expensive hotel because I’m fucking stuck here until the next flight out tomorrow morning. And if you tell me to stay in Rome and trail Wright I’ll be forced to improvise a weapon on you.”
    Luke laughed. I hung up.
    He called back in a few seconds. “I lost the connection,” he said.
    “No. I hung up.”
    “Look, Soph, I’m sorry. He slipped through.”
    “Slipped through? Slipped bloody through ? Luke, remind me in words of one syllable just what you do for a living?”
    “Erm,” he said. “I’m a spy.”
    I suppose he thought that was clever.
    “So how could you let a dangerous criminal just slip onto a plane? He could have been armed.”
    “I doubt it. Security isn’t that bad. And I don’t really think he’s dangerous.”
    “How do you know? You haven’t even told me why I’m following him.”
    Luke sighed. “Promise not to get mad?”
    I said nothing. I had a feeling I knew what was coming.
    “He’s not a dangerous criminal. That we know,” he added quickly. “But he’s interested in buying Ace. He already owns WES,” Wright Engineering Services, of course , “and there’s a suspicion he’s hijacking Ace planes to bring the price down.”
    I opened my mouth to tell him that was ludicrous, then I thought about all the delays we’d been having. All those planes off tech.
    Having to borrow from Titan because we didn’t have enough to cover for our own. Low-cost carriers don’t have spare planes.
    “Suppose you’re not lying to me,” I said eventually, “tell me what I’m going to do out here?”
    There was another long pause while Luke came up with something.
    “Well, since you’re there and all, I sort of need you to get into his room,” he said.
    “His room?”
    “Yes. Do you know where it is?”
    “It’s on my floor.”
    “Great. Get yourself in there, have a look around, check for papers and things. Use the camera in your phone to take pictures.”
    “I don’t get it. Why is this so important?”
    “Sophie. The future of your employment hangs in the balance,” Luke said severely, and I knew he wasn’t going to tell me the real reason. Well, fine, then. I wasn’t going to snoop around Wright’s room.
    “You do this for me,” Luke added in Luca’s voice, “I take you out for dinner.”
    I sniffed. “That better not be an empty promise.”
    “No, sure, I’ll take you out. What do you like? Tomorrow’s Friday, I could—”
    “Tomorrow’s Friday?”
    He hesitated. “Erm, unless they changed the calendar. Today’s Thursday.”
    “Oh, God! Luke, I need you to