Page 69 of Deep Tide

“This friend didn’t know his name. Amelia had mentioned he owned a tech company, and this girl got the impression it was a startup.”

Sean pursed his lips.

“I know what you’re thinking. Gagnon’s company isn’t exactly a startup. It’s worth, like, two-point-four billion dollars.”

“Where’d you get that?”

“I looked it up. But anyway, it just so happens that Gagnon is from Seattle, so I thought you might be interested.”

Sean didn’t respond.

“Seeing as how you’re investigating the man?”

Again, no response.

She rolled her eyes. “Are you seriously going to pretend you’re not?”

“This isn’t a conversation I want to have with you.”

“Okay, fine. Just take the tip and do what you will with it.” She slid the sheet of flowers into the fridge and then stepped over to her standing mixer. Using a spatula, she spooned pink icing up the sides of the piping bag and then added a scoop of white, which would create the gradient effect she wanted.

She looked over at Sean. “What?”

“I don’t like that you’re going around asking people questions about this.”

“It was just a casual conversation with someone who works for me.” She shrugged. “So what?”

“So, you shouldn’t be involved.”

“Well, I care about Amelia, so I am involved.”

“You need to drop it.”

She searched his face, wondering if he realized how much his reaction revealed.

“You do know that you’re confirming what I thought, don’t you?”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“You believe Amelia’s murder is somehow linked to that thing you’re here for. Your secret project.”

Now he rolled his eyes. “Leyla...”

“Why can’t we just talk about it? I’m trying to help you.”

“Thank you. But I don’t want you involved. At all. You need to leave it to the investigators.”

“Sure. I just thought you’d want to know.” She watched his eyes, looking for clues that she was on the right track here. “Are you aware Luc Gagnon used to stay at the Windjammer Hotel? He was there all the time while his place was under construction. He’d fly down on his private plane and check on his house between fishing and rounds of golf.”

“What’s your point?”

“We have a location at the Windjammer. Gagnon used to come in for coffee. We even catered an event for him.”

Sean frowned. “When?”

“Earlier this year. It was nothing big. He did a breakfast meeting in one of the hotel conference rooms, and we took in pastries and coffee. My point is, Amelia could have met him at the Windjammer during one of his trips.”

Sean clearly didn’t like the direction the conversation had taken—which told Leyla she was onto something.

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