by Lucy Monroe
“Uh…thank you, Mr. Smith.”
“For my personal edification, would you mind going over what exactly transpired between you and Mr. Danza in regard to the security breach that occurred before as well as the recent phone calls you’ve received?”
“Can we hold off for a moment on that?” Elle asked.
Without waiting for an answer, she pulled the minilaptop she carried with her at all times out of her Coach bag, bought specifically because it was both stylish and the perfect size to carry the small computer. It also held a few other necessary things she was sure other women didn’t carry in their purses. She retrieved one of those items now and plugged it into the USB drive on the computer.
It looked like a transmitter for a wireless mouse. It wasn’t. It doubled as a scanner for electronic listening devices as well as a subsonic scrambler for long-distance spyware. The scan took less than a minute, announcing the results on her system. There was in fact a device in the room, but she was guessing Frank didn’t know about it.
She got up and crossed to the bookcase behind his desk and started a search with her fingertips on the underside of the top shelf. She found what she was looking for on the third shelf down. She pried the small bug away and brought it to the table. Everyone else was staring at her in silence.
She removed the tiny battery from the bug. “We’re clear.”
“Good work, Ms. Gray,” Mr. Smith said.
“Is that a bug?” Chantal asked, looking a little green around the gills.
Elle nodded shortly. She didn’t mention the fact that it ran on a long-life battery, but one that would be dead if it hadn’t been replaced since Eddie Danza had left the company. That was something she would discuss with Frank and Mr. Smith at a future time.
“Now that Ms. Gray has assured our privacy, Ms. Renaud?” Mr. Smith prompted.
Chantal repeated what she’d said at Elle’s apartment, giving more specifics about the times Eddie Danza had asked her questions about her work. Mr. Smith coaxed her into repeating word for word the three phone calls she had received. He also elicited the information that the most recent one had happened the day before yesterday and that the threats had escalated.
“I told them I couldn’t get the information even if I wanted to—since I wasn’t on the project. They didn’t believe me. They’re convinced I’m on the team and told me that if I didn’t get them a copy of the plans and filmed test flight by next week, they would…” She stopped and swallowed, turning moisture-sheened eyes to Mat, who looked back with such steady support and tenderness, Elle felt a lump of emotion form in her own throat.
Which she immediately swallowed. This was a job. Principles involved, family or not. There was no room for emotion, maudlin or otherwise. Still, they were a sweet couple.
“They said they would take me out of the equation.” Chantal’s voice trembled as she spoke, but she did her best to maintain a calm demeanor.
For the second time that day, Mat moved his chair close to the small scientist’s so he could lend her his physical support. Chantal gave him a grateful look and he rubbed her back, whispered something in her ear that made her lips tilt in an almost smile. His expression clearly pleased, he rested his arm over her shoulders and leaned negligently back in his chair.
Frank’s eyes widened in clear surprise while Beau grinned evilly. Elle had a feeling she wasn’t the only one who would be teasing her brother about his relationship and new tender side. Though honestly, it wasn’t new, so much as it had always been reserved for close family.
“Frank has mentioned that Ms. Gray has offered her services for your protection as well as that of her brother,” Mr. Smith said. “Though I’m still a bit unclear as to why the latter is necessary. Have you been approached by these unsavory characters as well, Dr. Chernichenko?”
“Matej has taken a personal interest in Chantal’s safety and welfare, going so far as to insist she stay in his home. Therefore putting himself in the line of fire, as it were,” Frank said before anyone else could speak.
Elle was watching the phone in a natural if useless reaction when talking to someone via speaker, so she saw the small eye on the unit move. Mr. Smith had video. Which wasn’t a problem except Frank hadn’t informed the others present that that was the case. And she wouldn’t have noticed the miniature lens if it hadn’t moved. Not good. Although it was tiny, as many minicams were nowadays, other than being the same color as the speaker unit, it wasn’t camouflaged.
The fact that she hadn’t noticed it earlier said she was more off her game today than she’d realized. There was no place for an off day in an investigation.
The fact that Frank hadn’t mentioned the video feed made Elle wonder what else he wasn’t mentioning.
“Ah, I see,” Mr. Smith said.
“Damn right.” Mat’s fiercely protective nature for those he loved was spilling over into his tone. “Nothing is going to happen to Chantal on my watch.”
“Those are laudable sentiments, to be sure,” Mr. Smith said.
“I agree,” Elle said. “However, while my brother may be a strong and intelligent man, he is not trained in the field.” He might scare his technicians out of their wits with his surly nature, but his patented scowl wasn’t going to stop a bullet, or a professional intent on kidnapping Chantal. “They both need someone accustomed to protective services watching over them.”
“This is in no way a criticism of your abilities, Ms. Gray. Your qualifications for such an endeavor are undeniable. However, I believe that might spread your resources somewhat too thin.”
“I agree. I plan to bring another security team in to handle the bodyguard detail. They’re unknowns, so they should be able to maintain a lower profile than I could.”
“Excellent,” Mr. Smith said.
“There is no reason to let the would-be technology pirates know that Chantal has told you and Frank about the threat, or that she is being looked after professionally,” Elle said. Chances were, the best way to flush out those responsible for the threats was to use Chantal as bait.
That couldn’t happen if they believed she was working with a professional.
“I agree,” Mr. Smith said.
“I don’t,” Mat said, with a frown. “If she tells them she’s exposed them, they’ll leave her alone.”
Elle shook her head. “We can’t be sure of that. The only way to guarantee Chantal’s safety is to find out who is threatening her and to report them to the proper authorities. We have a better chance of doing that if they don’t realize their plans to obtain stolen technology have been exposed. We have a better chance of doing that if your bodyguards go unnoticed.”
Mat didn’t look happy, but he didn’t argue. Her brother was big on justice, and bringing the bad guys in would motivate him only second to Chantal’s safety.
Beau, however, was giving Elle a look of censure. “Don’t you think bringing in an outside security detail is overstepping your authority here, princess?”
She let the endearment slide. “No. This is my brother and his girlfriend’s safety we’re talking about. I’m not asking ETRD to pay for it, if that’s what’s worrying you.”
“We will happily do so, however, Ms. Gray,” Mr. Smith said. “We take the safety of our employees very seriously at ETRD.”
“If that’s true, Mr. Smith, why weren’t more concrete actions taken when Gil Bigsley disappeared?” Elle asked. That was something that had been bugging her since Frank told her about it. “Did you assume he was in league with Eddie Danza?”
If so, it would have been in keeping with their initial response to learning of their security guard’s duplicity for them to write off the disappearance of the project manager as good riddance to bad rubbish. Aside from Mat, only Frank talked like he hoped the scientist would return.
“Dr. Bigsley was not in league with our former security guard,” Mr. Smith replied.
“You sound awfully certain,” Elle said.
“I am.”
&nb
sp; “Why?”
“Gil Bigsley received threats much like Ms. Renaud did. Unfortunately, because he is close to his elderly parents, they were also threatened. He brought his concerns to me.”
“How did he do that?”
“Employees of a certain level at ETRD have access to a phone number they can use to contact me. It is very rarely used, but it is nevertheless available.”
“And Gil Bigsley used it.”
“Yes.”
From the expression of shocked consternation on Frank’s face, this was news to him. “You know where Bigsley is?” he asked in a tense voice.
“I know many things,” Mr. Smith said.
Elle had to hide her smile at the rare frown Frank gave the phone.
“Perhaps the rest of us would benefit from that knowledge, were you to share it more generously,” Frank said. “Though I now understand why you resisted hiring a new scientist and put Matej in as acting project manager.”
Elle could guess too. Although he was fully qualified for the position, no one could have any doubts that her brother would gladly give the job back over to Gil Bigsley when he returned.
“I’d like to talk to Bigsley,” she said.
“I would too,” Mat said, sounding more than a little pissed.
Mr. Smith wasn’t making points with his newest hire, that was for sure.
“Phone calls can be arranged. However, I feel it would be better for him to stay where he is, along with his parents, until this matter has been dealt with.”
Elle agreed. Protecting Mat and Chantal would be enough surveillance work for a small detail. But something was bugging her. “I don’t understand how you expected the matter to be ‘dealt with’ since you haven’t brought any authorities in to investigate what has been going on.”
“But I did, Ms. Gray. In fact, I brought in the best.” Now Mr. Smith just sounded smug.
She stared at Frank. “You told me that no one was investigating Dr. Bigsley’s disappearance.”
“Officially,” Mr. Smith said, “no one is.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Perhaps it’s time for full disclosure, Ms. Gray.”
“I’m all for full disclosure, Mr. Smith.”
Beau made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort, and Elle’s gaze flew to him. What the heck had that been about?
“Good, good.” No one said anything for several seconds. Then Mr. Smith said, “It might be best if Dr. Chernichenko and Ms. Renaud waited in another room for this part of the discussion.”
Mat got his stubborn face on. “Absolutely not. If this concerns Chantal’s safety, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Unfortunately, that will not be possible. There are certain facts better kept between the other principals at the table at present.”
“Like you kept the fact that Gil Bigsley was safe to yourself?” Mat could do sarcasm even better than Elle. “I don’t think so.”
“I’m very sorry, but in order to have full disclosure between myself and Ms. Gray, you and Ms. Renaud cannot be present.”
Elle didn’t know what Mr. Smith wanted to talk about, but she understood revelation of information on a need-to-know basis. He had decided her brother didn’t need to know. Elle would judge that for herself, but for now, she would cooperate by helping to get her brother out of the room.
She turned to Chantal. “My brother is stubborn, and sometimes, that’s a good thing. Sometimes, though, it can put his livelihood at stake.”
Though she didn’t think Mr. Smith would fire her brother for his insistence on staying, the possibility did exist.
Chantal, the intelligent woman who she was, got Elle’s meaning immediately and nodded. She turned under Mat’s arm until they faced each other. “Gil Bigsley’s trust in Mr. Smith paid off; I think we can trust him too. I’m okay with leaving them to their discussion. More than, to be honest.”
“But—”
“Please, Mat. No more stress right now. Okay?” Whether the vulnerable exhaustion lacing Chantal’s voice was real or for Mat’s benefit, it worked.
His appearance went from pissed off to concerned in a single eye-blink. “You could use a break.”
“Oui.”
Mat stood and looked at Elle. “You don’t let them talk you into doing anything you aren’t comfortable with, you hear me?”
Oh, her big brother really wasn’t in a space where he trusted the mysterious benefactor for his new company.
“You’ve got it. I’ll come to your office when we’re done here. Okay?”
“Okay.” Throwing a glare at the speakerphone, he left the room, taking Chantal with him.
Elle shook her head, impressed all over again by the sway the diminutive blonde had over her bear of a brother.
“He really cares about her,” Mr. Smith said, echoing Elle’s thoughts. His voice was filled with satisfaction too. “They make a lovely couple.”
Stifling a snort of laughter at the thought of her brother as a lovely anything, Elle asked, “So, what is it you wanted to discuss that you didn’t want my brother or Chantal present for?”
“In actual fact, I asked them to leave for your benefit, Ms. Gray.”
“Why is that?”
“You wanted to know the nature of the unofficial investigation into Dr. Bigsley’s disappearance. Revealing that would no doubt make certain facts available to your brother and his girlfriend that they are not currently in possession of.”
“What facts might those be?”
“That although you are arguably legitimately one of the best security consultants in the world, you are also a top agent for The Goddard Project.”
Elle couldn’t prevent the single gasp that escaped at those words.
Mr. Smith went on as if he had not noticed. Perhaps he hadn’t. “That unless the decision is made to bring in a second agent, which is not the way TGP usually operates, you will be investigating this new attempt to procure the antigravity plans and thus the threats to both Dr. Bigsley and Ms. Renaud. And that it will be your responsibility to see that the culprits are apprehended and brought to justice.”
He paused, but still working at hiding her complete shock, much less responding to it, Elle was silent.
“Correct me if I am wrong,” Mr. Smith continued, “but TGP has always required its agents to conceal the true nature of their jobs, even from close family members. I assume your brother is unaware of the true nature of your primary job and has no more knowledge of the existence of The Goddard Project than the average citizen. Ms. Renaud is most certainly in the dark concerning such things.”
Chapter 10
Elle was stupefied.
No one had ever copped her cover. No one had ever even come close. To identify her as a federal agent, as her family had done, would be one thing, though implausible without inside information. But to know that she was an agent for TGP? She would have said that was not possible.
So few people were even aware of the existence of her agency that the risk of one of them ever running into her personally was almost nil. And even if someone did so? To know that she worked for said agency was beyond improbable. Without a leak in TGP, it should be impossible.
How, then, did Mr. Smith know about TGP, and further, how had he discovered she was an agent?
Was there a leak? Oh, man, she needed to talk to her boss.
While thoughts whirled in her head—speculation competing with prospective answers to Mr. Smith’s words—she let her gaze fall first on Frank and then Beau. Neither showed the least surprise at Mr. Smith’s words. They had known. Beau had known. This whole time.
“Before you attempt to deny your status as a TGP agent, or your assignment here to discover both what we are working on and the true status of the antigravity experiment, let me assure you, it would be useless. Not only do I know which agency you work for, but I know the name of your boss and, in fact, think it would be a good idea to bring him in on this meeting.”
Elle crossed her arms
and sat back in her chair. When in doubt, maintain silence. It was neither an admission nor a denial.
“Frank, will you please call the number I gave you earlier and request the man who answers to join our discussion?”
“Of course, sir.”
Elle waited while the connection was made.
“Hello?” The Old Man’s voice came over the speakerphone, cautious but unmistakably his.
Adrenaline surged through Elle at this further evidence that Mr. Smith had way more information than he should have, but she maintained her calm facade while she waited to see what came next.
“Hello, Whit. We’re having a meeting with your agent Elle Gray and thought you should be brought in on it,” Mr. Smith said.
Several beats of silence and then, “I’m not sure what you are talking about. I don’t have agents.”
Mr. Smith laughed. “Ms. Gray is technically a Goddard Project agent and TGP is your baby, so that makes her your agent, wouldn’t you say?”
“TGP?” The Old Man asked carefully.
“Please, let’s dispense with the subterfuge,” Mr. Smith said.
“Whom am I speaking with?”
“I’ll answer that, since I seem to be the topic of this conversation, as bizarre as it might be,” Elle said.
When Mr. Smith had called Whit by his name, Elle was utterly convinced he did indeed know about TGP and her role as an agent. She didn’t know how he knew and that was something they would have to investigate, but she didn’t want The Old Man worried that she was at risk. So, she’d used her code word—bizarre—to let him know she was not in any known physical danger. It was not her code for all green, however.
This situation was too fantastic for her to be okay with it.
“You are speaking with Mr. Smith, benefactor and founder of Environmental Technology Research and Design. In the room with us is Frank Ingram, company controller. We’re actually at the conference table in his office. The only other person in the room is Dr. Beau Ruston, second in command to Mr. Ingram. I am Elle Gray, a security consultant hired by the company. Although the room is clean since I disarmed the single listening device my equipment detected, I can’t tell you whether or not our conversation is being recorded or listened to by anyone else via the one-way videoconference apparatus Mr. Smith is using.”