She drove straight to the office.
Didn't stop for coffee. Didn't answer the three messages her assistant had sent about the morning's schedule. Drove with both hands on the wheel and her eyes on the road and her mind running the same calculation over and over with the specific focus of someone who needed to be certain before they acted and was becoming more certain with every block.
She parked in the underground lot. Took the elevator. Walked through the open plan with the specific neutrality of someone who was not walking quickly and was not carrying anything unusual on her face. Said good morning to two people who caught her eye. Smiled at a third.
Closed her office door.
Did not lock it—locking it would be a signal.
She didn't sit down.
