“It’s not illegal,” Elaine answered with a confident smile. Don’t be ridiculous. “No more so than taking a photograph of someone in public. Permission is not required, nor is full disclosure.”

Rick, the older of the two, said, “You can’t record a telephone conversation without full disclosure, but the government has yet to pass a law prohibiting camera surveillance.”

“Anytime, anywhere, except for a private residence,” Graham added. “Just look at all the surveillance cameras watching buildings and sidewalks and parking lots. They don’t need permission to film anyone.”

Elaine, who was very much in charge and outranked the two men, said, “I like this scarf with a buckle ring. Let’s try it.” The scarf was a flowery mix of colors and appeared to be expensive. Mercer folded it into a tri-fold and put it around her neck. Rick handed her the buckle ring, a golden clasp with tiny fake jewels, and she slipped the ends of the scarf through it. With a tiny screwdriver, and moving in far too close, Rick examined the buckle ring as he tapped it with the screwdriver.

“We’ll put the camera right there and it will be virtually invisible,” he said.

“How big is the camera?” Mercer asked.

Graham held it up, a ridiculously tiny device smaller than a raisin. “That’s a camera?” she asked.

“High-def. We’ll show you. Hand me the buckle ring.” Mercer slid it down and gave it to Rick. He and Graham put on matching pairs of surgical magnifying glasses and hovered over their work.

Elaine asked, “Do you know where you’re going to lunch?”

“No, he didn’t say. I’m meeting Jake at Noelle’s store at eleven, then I’ll walk next door and see Bruce. Lunch will follow but I don’t know where. How am I supposed to use that thing?”

“You don’t do anything, just act normally. The camera will be activated remotely by Rick and Graham. They’ll be in a van near the store. There’s no audio, the camera is too small, so don’t worry about what is said. We have no idea what’s in either basement so try to scan everything. Look for doors, windows, more cameras.”

Rick added, “And look for security sensors on the doors to the basement. We’re almost positive there are no doors that lead to the outside. Both basements appear to be completely below ground surface with no stairways on the exterior leading down.”

Elaine said, “This is our first look and it could well be the only one. Everything is crucial, but obviously we’re looking for the manuscripts, stacks of papers that are larger than printed books.”

“I’m familiar with a manuscript.”

“Of course you are. Look for drawers, cabinets, anyplace they could possibly fit.”

“What if he sees the camera?” Mercer asked, somewhat nervously.

Both men grunted. Impossible. “He won’t, because he can’t,” Elaine said.

Rick handed the buckle ring back and Mercer slid the ends of the scarf through it again. “I’m activating,” Graham said as he punched keys on a laptop.