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it was 10/4/98, 13:05; that would be April the way Brits show the date, but
October if this was American; exactly a month ago.
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The scene switched to a bedroom lit by sunlight on closed net curtains; the
drapes moved slightly, as though the window was open behind them. It looked
like the camera was sitting on top of a wardrobe or a cupboard, angled
downwards. The image quality had deteriorated a little. No date/time display.
The same woman probably led a tall man in a business suit to the bed and
started kissing him. He was white, tanned, had black hair and a neatly trimmed
beard. They slipped each other's jackets off, then they fell together to the
bed. They started undressing each other, quickly. I looked up at Poudenhaut,
raising my eyebrows. He stared back, impassive.
They both had good bodies. She sucked his dick (a little stubby for my taste,
and with a distinct rightwards curve, but there you are), then they
sixty-nined, then they fucked missionary position for a couple of minutes,
without protection. Looked like they both enjoyed it. I cleared my throat. My,
but it was hot in here. The screen flickered, and the couple were screwing
again, him taking her from behind.
They were both approximately facing the camera, but I got the impression
neither of them knew it was there. I studied their faces. I had a vague
feeling I knew the guy, but I wasn't sure. He took longer this time. It looked
like real sex and not por-nography because they just humped away with no
cut-away shots of her face or his backside, and when he came he did so inside
her, not over her face or her tits or anything crass like that.
Another few shots of them lying on the bed together, on top at first, then
under a sheet, both talking and smiling and playing with each other's hair.
Another flicker, then him leaving the apartment, hailing a cab.
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A yellow cab, so almost certainly the US. Possibly NYC. Flicker, then her
leaving and walking away. The date/time display indicated they'd been together
for just under two hours. Then, the end. Blank screen.
I sat back. Poudenhaut sat looking at me.
'Yes?' I said.
'It's finished?'
'Would you eject the disc and take it out?'
I sat forward and inspected the machine, finding the eject button. The disc
appeared and I slipped it out.
'Please keep it.'
I popped it into a side pocket in my jacket.
'Do you know what you've just shown me?' I asked. Poudenhaut shook his head
briskly as he turned the
DVD player off, closed it and put it back in the briefcase. 'No,' he said.
'I just have this feeling it might not be what I was supposed to be looking
at.' This was becoming more than slightly ridiculous: Poudenhaut with his
fancy helicopter and his Hollywood-villain briefcase and minuscule sat. phone
and spanking new DVD machine coming all the way out here just to show me a few
minutes of amateur porn.
At least he had the decency to look confused. 'What ?' he began, then frowned.
'You& I believe you were supposed& expected to recognise a person.'
I thought back to the guy in the bedroom. Did I recognise him? I didn't think
so. I shook my head.
'You sure?' Poudenhaut sounded worried now.
'I may forget a face, I never forget a& Never mind.'
Poudenhaut held up one hand. 'Would you wait a minute?' He moved about ten
metres away through the pale grey fronds of the hanging wires. He stood with
his back to me and tried to use the sat. phone. It didn't work. He shook it
which was, somehow, an encouraging thing to see then tried again, once more
fruitlessly.
'You'll probably find you have to go outside,' I called over to him. He looked
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at me. 'Satellite,' I said, pointing upwards. He nodded once and headed for
the line of windows.
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He stood in the sunlight, talked briefly and then started waving at me,
motioning me to join him.
I left his briefcase where it was and strolled out. He handed me the phone. He
was really quite sweaty about the face now.
'Kathryn?'
'Mr Hazleton?'
He laughed. 'Ah, the best-laid schemes, eh?'
'Gang aft agley,' I agreed.
'Hmm. One should not make too many assumptions. You aren't just teasing poor
Adrian, are you ? You really didn't recognise anyone in that little film?'
'Did I see what I was supposed to see?'
'A man and a woman having sex in a hotel? Yes.'
I smiled at poor Adrian, who was dabbing at his forehead with a handkerchief.
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