ENDING OF PREVIOUS POST:

They walked a few yards before they came to an elevator. Once the door closed, Anderson pushed the button.

"I've never seen an elevator with only one button."

"It's private."

"Oh my!" Shana's eyes widened.

TODAY'S POST:

Chapter 2 part 1

"This elevator's moving fast. We must be at the very top." When Anderson grinned, Shana said, "How do people get to the other floors?"

"In the front lobby there are elevators that stop at each floor. This one just happens to only go to the top."

"Do the others go to the top?"

"No, but next to the regular ones there's one like this." He waited for the door to open. "After you."

Inside Shana was greeted by three German Shepherds. She froze.

"I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't expecting a guest." The butler motioned for the dogs to sit beside him.

"Not a problem, Philip. I wasn't planning to bring anyone home. We sort of found each other." Anderson introduced the dogs with a smooth wave of the hand. "Axel, I'd like you to meet Shana."

The dog raised his paw for her to shake. Shana accepted the paw.

"Axel's the lead." Anderson motioned for the next dog to come closer. "This is Thor. He's the loudest of the boys. That being said, the old saying about 'the bark is worse than the bite', doesn't hold true for Thor."

Thor repeated Axel's actions as he greeted Shana.

"This is Romeo. He lives up to his name. Although when the need arises, he's still a great guard dog."

When Shana accepted Romeo's risen paw, he licked her hand.

Anderson shook his head and grinned. "Now you know how he got his name."

"Oh my. They're huge. Do they stay inside? How do they get exercise and go outside?"

"I hired a college student who takes them for a run in the late afternoon or early evening. It depends on his schedule. I take them out every morning." Anderson motioned for her to follow. He pointed to a flap at the bottom of a large glass door. "A doggie door. If the boys need to go outside or just want to play during the day, they have their own garden." He opened the door for Shana to enter.

A lady in her forties jumped, startled. "Drew, " she said. "I wasn't expecting you."

"Sorry, Jane. I didn't mean to startle you. Shana, meet Jane. She's in charge of taking care of my house."

Jane removed a glove and offered her hand. "Glad to meet you. I was pulling weeds from the garden." She took a few steps to her left. "The tomatoes are about ripe. We should have fresh ones in a few days." She paused. "Should I tell Helen to expect Shana for dinner?"

"Yes, she flies home tomorrow. Can you show her the East guest room? I think she'll be comfortable there." Anderson acknowledged Philip standing by the door, before he asked, "Do you know what's for dinner?"

"Lobster, New York strips, New England clam chowder, and a salad."

"Sounds good." Anderson turned to Shana. "Jane will help you get settled. I need to take care of something. I'll see you at dinner."

Jane set her gardening gloves aside, and then touched Shana's arm. "I noticed you touched your necklace when I repeated the dinner menu." She paused. "I'll tell Helen to substitute a baked potato for the lobster and clam chowder. I'm sure she can whip up some dinner rolls. I'll make sure the steak is kosher. Your Shabbat begins at sunset, correct?"

"Yes." Shana studied the floor. "I don't want to be a problem."

"You're not." Jane glanced at the sky through the ceiling panel. "Sunset is imminent. Let's get you settled. Do you have luggage?"

"It's still at the hotel. I haven't been able to get it."

"Not a problem. I'll show you to your room. I'm sure Drew will see to it that everything is taken care of."
*****

Once Anderson was behind his mission oak executive desk, with the three German shepherds lying in a line beside him, Philip showed three gentlemen into the office. "Mr. Sharp, this is Dmitry Bezrukov and his...."

Anderson motioned for Philip to leave, walked to the front of his desk, and offered his hand. "How can I help you?"

"We're from the Russian consulate," Dmitry said with a very strong accent. One man stood statuesque to his left and the other to his right; both were void of emotion.

"I know I'm addressing Congress Monday morning about an oil deal, but I wasn't aware Russia had an interest in it."

"We are not here about oil." Dmitry glared at Anderson. "We are here because Shana Kohlberg has something that belongs to us."

"Now, I'm really confused. What does that have to do with me?"

"We know you drive a black Jaguar convertible."

"I do, but...."

"We know about three o'clock this afternoon she got into that car at a corner on Fifth Avenue and East Eighty-fourth."

Anderson turned to his right and spoke into an intercom that sat on his desk. "Philip, please come into my office."

Within moments, Philip stood in the doorway. "Sir?"

"I know you ran some errands today. Did you drive the Jaguar?"

"No, sir. I drove the Bentley, like I always do."

"Thank you. You may leave." Anderson held up his right index finger. "I need to check on one more thing." He pressed a number on his cell phone. "Joe, is my Jaguar parked in its usual spot?" He listened. "Thank you." He put his phone away. "I guess you're mistaken. I'm sure I'm not the only owner of a black Jaguar in New York City. If there's nothing else I can help you with, then I hope you find this lady." He pressed the intercom. "Philip, our guests are ready to leave."

When the butler stood in the doorway, Anderson said, "Philip will show you the door."

Moments later, Philip returned to the den, and Anderson met his gaze. "I take it they left."

"Yes. I stayed with them until they left the building and I made sure I locked the elevator."

"Thank you. I guess I'd better see what our little house guest is hiding. She may not be as innocent as she seems." Anderson headed in the direction of the guest room.


INFORMATION THAT MAY HELP:

Shabbat -- is the cornerstone of Jewish Time. It's the only day of the week with a Hebrew name; the rest are merely numbered in relation to the Sabbath.