Page 96 of Deep Tide

“Golf people.” She rolled her eyes. “And a bunch of women mooching drinks and coke.” She tugged her hair loose and it fell in waves around her shoulders. “God, I need a drink. And a shower. It was hot as hell outside. All I wanted to do was jump in the pool.”

“What was your impression of Gagnon?” he asked.

“My impression?”

“Yeah.”

She tossed her hairband onto the desk. “He was just what I expected. Big money. Big ego. Cringey pickup lines.”

“He hit on you?”

“He hit on everyone, even his assistant.” She stood up and pulled her phone from her back pocket. “Here, I want to show you something.”

Sean’s irritation with Gagnon morphed into dread as Leyla unlocked her phone.

“What did you do?” he asked.

“Nothing. I just took a picture you might be interested in. So, at the beginning of the party his assistant brought him a phone call.”

“What do you mean brought him a phone call?”

“She brought a phone out to the pool. It wasn’t his, because his phone was black, and this was a silver one. Maybe it was hers, I don’t know. Anyway, I think it might have been an important call, because she whispered something in his ear, and then he took the call downstairs, away from the party.”

“You saw all this?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t even tell me you followed him.”

“I didn’t.”

Sean studied her face, and he goddamn knew she was lying to him.

“What? I didn’t,” she insisted. “I was busy in the kitchen.”

He looked down at the phone in her hand. She’d probably fucking recorded him. And this was exactly why he hadn’t wanted her going over there.

“Here.” She handed him her phone. “That’s a picture of the desk in his office.”

“You went through his office?”

“I didn’t go through it. I just stepped inside for a sec on my way back from the bathroom. I wanted to snap a picture of whatever he was looking at when he took that phone call.” She tapped the screen, enlarging the photograph. “See?”

Sean bit back a curse as he stared down at the screen. “What is this?”

“It was some kind of map rolled out on his desk. Or it looks like more of a diagram. I don’t know. I thought you might know what it is.”

Sean set the phone on the desk. “Leyla. Shit.” He took her hands and pressed them against his chest.

“What?” she asked.

“Did anyone see you?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

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