Mr. Jones Checks Into the Hotel Green
Ali walked up to the desk and the clerk greeted him warmly.
“Hello, sir. Welcome to the Hotel Green. Are you checking in?” asked the clerk, smiling.
Ali smiled back. “Yes, I have a reservation. I’m Mr. Jones.”
The desk clerk started to type on a computer keyboard while Ali stood there, giving an effortless performance. The transformation to Mr. Jones was smooth and he gave no reason to the clerk or anyone else who might be observing him to think that he wasn’t a native-born American on a business trip to England. There was nothing Iraqi about him in either his speech or his looks. Ammar had not made the wrong choice.
The clerk looked at Ali, smiled, and said, “Certainly, sir. Just give me a moment.” He looked at the computer monitor on the desk.
Meanwhile, Ali stood waiting patiently and let his eyes wander all around the lobby. He quickly assessed his surroundings, noting any other doorways leading in or out of the lobby, and memorizing the approximate distances from the stairs and from each other. He also sized up the other people in the lobby. None of them aroused his suspicion.
Suddenly, movement in a mirror on the wall right in front of him caught his eye, and he immediately shifted his glance back to where it had been. He saw two police cars pull up to the porch. He frowned.
The clerk’s voice shook Ali from his thoughts. He heard the clerk saying, “I have a nice suite up on the seventh floor. Would that do, sir?”
Impulsively, Ali asked, “Do you have any available rooms on a lower floor?” As he said this, his eyes were watching the police officers’ reflections in the mirror as they move around on the porch.
“One minute, sir,” the clerk replied and looked at the screen again. After a few seconds, the clerk turned to Ali and said, “We have something on the second floor. It’s not as good as the room on the seventh floor, but still I’m sure you will like it.”
Ali, his eyes still glued to the police officers in the mirror, answered, “That should be just fine.” He nodded and smiled back at the clerk and took the keycard from the clerk’s hand. The clerk signaled toward the elevator. Ali thanked him and said, “I would prefer to take the stairs.” He began to walk toward them.