Right Watson?

288.

For any fan of Sir Arthur Ignatious Conan Doyle, the overuse of the expletive 'elementary' can range from mild to excessive. I use it in this case to underscore the obvious. We need to know the location of the meeting in order to prep our surveillance gear and thusly ensure quality recordings of both audio and video. Without it our entire operation, spanning as of today, two-hundred and eighty-eight days, six months of which I spent in a trauma induced coma, is nothing more than just another stake-out with marginal results. What the Brits might call nil-nil, a tie, no win and no loss, as bland as tea without honey. And completely unsatisfactory.

Having made the formal invite and now awaiting official response, Golsdon has his staff arrange the logistical details of the big meet. Davis, as Sharkey, uses his recent internal status upgrade to coerce a young and enthusiastic staffer into the details, he is, after all, part of the traveling envoy and has a set of standards with which he must adhere, if for no other reason than for the optics. "Sunglasses are always cool in winter," he says.

Once affirmed, he calls me with the details.

"The Buccaneer on Beauregard Bay. Looks like we have the entire penthouse floor. Should come as no surprise that the corporation has a 15% stake in the enterprise, with plans to expand into a full-fledge casino by the end of the year. The VI gaming commission is playing hardball with the license it seems, extortion by any other name."

"Alright, I will play dumb with Hartaugh and see if he agrees to the location and security. As soon as we have two-way conformation I'll send Drysdale down to get started. We don't want to miss this, so there will be cameras everywhere. Do we know who runs hotel security?" I ask.

"Not yet, but it is my understanding that we will be traveling with staff agents, about four, one has already been assigned to Saunders, ah Bess, and I. Decent guy, stoic but friendly, likes to fish. I'll see if I can get that from him."

"I am meeting with Hartaugh later today to hash specifics, let's exchange notes around 1800 your time."

"Roger on the 18, out."

I prep for another indoor cycling session, what has become the mainstay of my therapeutic convalescence. The intersection of endorphin flow and a relaxed focus seems to offer creative opportunities I greatly appreciate and anticipate. The rare chance to combine an active spirit with physical activity and a open mind is to my circumstance what a new case must have been to Doyle's Holmes and Watson.

Even before the work begins following a good warmup, a Holmes classic comes running down the cobbles towards me; "When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

Am I right Watson?