Page 20 of Girl, Bound

Ella pulled into thevisitor's lot, flashing her badge at the security guard. He waved her throughwith barely a glance, his eyes glued to the small TV on his desk.

She parked and madeher way to the front entrance, the heels of her sensible shoes clicking on thepolished concrete. The lobby was cavernous and sterile, all white walls andchrome accents. A massive logo dominated the far wall, the word ‘Seraphic’ renderedin a flowing, vaguely angelic script.

Subtle, Ella thoughtwryly. Real subtle.

The receptionist, asevere-looking woman with a tight bun and even tighter smile, glanced up asElla approached.

‘Can I help you?’

Ella flashed herbadge, enjoying the flicker of unease that crossed the woman's face. ‘SpecialAgent Ella Dark, FBI. I'm here about Eric Saunders. I need to talk to peoplethat knew him, his co-workers, his bosses. Anyone knew that knew the man behindthe suit.’

The receptionist'ssmile faltered, then reasserted itself with a vengeance. ‘Dr. Novak would beyour best bet. He and Eric founded this place together.’

Dr. Novak. Ella hadseen the name during her research. ‘Excellent. Could I speak to him?’

‘Of course. Just amoment.’

Ella perched on theedge of a leather sofa, her eyes roaming the room. Everything was just a littletoo perfect, a little too polished. Like a movie set, or a carefully craftedfacade.

She didn't have longto stew. A man emerged from the elevators, his lab coat flapping behind himlike a cape. He was older, mid-fifties maybe, with a salt-and-pepper beard andpiercing blue eyes.

‘Agent Dark?’ Heextended a hand, his grip firm and cool. ‘Dr. Victor Novak. I understand youhave some questions about Eric Saunders.’

Ella rose, meeting hisgaze head-on. ‘I do. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?’

Novak gestured towardthe elevators. ‘Of course. My office is just upstairs.’

Ella followed him intothe gleaming steel box, the doors sliding shut with a soft pneumatic hiss.Novak punched the button for the top floor, his reflection distorted in thepolished metal.

‘I must say, we wereall shocked to hear about Eric. He was a brilliant researcher and a good man.Some of us are still trying to process what happened.’

Ella studied him,searching for cracks in the façade. ‘What exactly did he do here? His title wasa bit...vague.’

Novak chuckled, butthere was no warmth in it. ‘Ah, yes. 'Research and Development Associate.' Abit of a catch-all, I'm afraid. Eric's role was...fluid. He had his fingers ina lot of pies, so to speak. Me and him founded Seraphic Labs together some yearsago.’

The elevator dingedand the doors slid open, revealing a plush carpeted hallway. Novak led the wayto a corner office, all floor-to-ceiling windows and sleek modern furniture.

‘Please, sit.’ Hegestured to a chair, settling himself behind the massive desk. ‘Now, how can Ihelp you, Agent?’

Ella leaned forward,elbows on knees.

‘I'm trying to piecetogether Eric's last few days. Who he talked to, what he was working on.Anything that might shed some light on his death.’

Novak steepled hisfingers, his expression unreadable. 'I'm afraid I don't have much to offer.Eric was a private person, and he played his cards close to the vest. I'd knownthe man for ten years and still didn't really know him. As for his work, much ofit was highly confidential. Proprietary formulas, sensitive data. Youunderstand.'

Ella didn't blink. ‘Iunderstand that a man is dead. A man who worked for your company, on yourwatch. And I'm afraid I can’t leave until I get some answers. From what I cantell, Saunders had no family to speak of, at least not in Maine.’

For a moment, Novak'smask slipped. Something dark and cold flickered in his eyes, a glimpse of thesteel beneath the silk. But then it was gone, replaced by a bland, professionalsmile.

'You're right.Saunders was something of a lone ranger. And, of course, we want to doeverything we can to assist your investigation. But I'm afraid there's not muchI can tell you. Eric's projects were heavily siloed, need-to-know only. Even Iwasn't privy to all the details.'

Ella's bullshitdetector pinged, a silent alarm trilling in her head. But she kept herexpression neutral, her tone even.

‘And there's no oneelse who might have insight? No colleagues, no friends?’

Novak spread hishands, a gesture of helpless ignorance. ‘Like I said, Eric was a very privateperson. He wasn't one for watercooler gossip or after-work drinks. Frankly, I'mnot sure he had any close friends here. He was all about the work.’

Ella's gaze sharpened,her instincts prickling. ‘About that. The reports put Saunders' time of deatharound 11 PM. Was it normal for him to work so late?’

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