Nadia glanced at her watch anxiously; a series of movements performed so often in the last ten minutes that it happened almost without conscious thought. And the answer was just the same as it had been thirty seconds ago: 9: 48 AM. Twelve minutes until the arranged time of Black's meeting with Thomas outside of her apartment. She sighed, looking around the room for something to distract her. A surprisingly difficult task, despite being in one of the most beautiful rooms she had ever found herself in. The Laurier Room, to be specific, at the Lord Elgin Hotel. She did take a moment to silently thank her luck that the room had not been booked on this particular morning; she knew that it typically was used for conferences and the like just about every day of the week. It was a large space, with an exquisite wooden table able to seat what looked like twenty or more people, with smaller ones set against the walls for occupants to use as they needed to. The walls were a creamy shade of white and sported framed pictures of floral arrangements, while potted plants and nearly delicate curtains embellished the windows and corners, respectively.
But it had not been for the accommodations that she had picked this as the location for her meeting with Black. First, it was just across the street from Confederation Square, with the Rideau Centre taking up the Square's opposite side, meaning there was no shortage of people around. Second, and just as important, she knew that the Ottawa Police Department had its headquarters no more than four blocks down Elgin Street and she had their number set to speed dial. She had hoped it would help steady her nerves, but at the moment she could only think about the distance Thomas would have to travel alone with Black before he could enjoy that same security. She sighed again, remembering his slightly reluctant admission that he had no cellphone to keep in touch with her during this time. And, not for the first time, she had found herself curious as to how her friend had lived his life before meeting her. He did not talk about himself a great deal, or at all, if she were to be completely honest. She shook her head to clear her thoughts; now was not the time for idle wondering. Checking her watch again, she groaned inwardly at the display; 9:50 AM. She hated waiting.