She stood at the black painted door and smoothed down her gray pencil skirt, unbuttoned one more button on her white blouse and stretched her neck from side to side to release the tension in her neck. With a pat of the chignon expertly swirled at the nape of her head, she made sure the decorative piece just above it was in place before grasping the handle of the door and stepping through.

Inside, eyes shot her direction at the sudden beam of light into the dimly lit room, then just as quickly...