Page 40 of Elliot

“He was?” Maya frowned and sat down on the edge of the couch. “He’s not very well respected in the business world. I wonder how he got an invite?”

“He wasn’t on the guest list Guardian obtained.”

“So, a guest of an invited guest?”

“I'm not sure. Asher Hudson and I will talk to him tomorrow while you’re at work.”

Maya frowned. “How did you know I was going to work tomorrow? It’s Saturday.”

“I believe you told me when I first arrived you work twelve to fifteen hours a day. I assumed that was seven days a week.”

“Oh, well, okay. That makes sense.” She sighed. “Why is someone doing this? By this, I’m talking about whatever happened in my bedroom. Do you think that was Ulman?”

“I can’t say. He’s still in the hospital, so he didn’t do it personally, but he could have hired it done.”

“Wait … rat bitch,” Maya said and lifted to her feet again. “He’s called me that before.” She started pacing. “When he was shouting at me … he interrupted a meeting before we moved to the building we are at now. I had to threaten to call the cops before Jessica, accompanied by several engineers and software developers, got him to leave. Elliot, could he be behind it?”

“It’s a definite possibility,” Elliot admitted.

“But you don’t think so.” Maya sighed, and her shoulders dropped.

“Too many questions are still hanging in the wind to make a definitive call. Being certain about anything is difficult.”

“You’re hedging.” She smiled at the floor.

“I’m being realistic and following the evidence, as our investigators like to say.” Elliot chuckled. “Hedging sounds …”

“Deceptive.” Maya finished for him. “And you aren’t a deceptive person.”

“Thank you,” Elliot replied.

“Where are you now?” she asked, looking at the clock.

“About five minutes away. I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay. Bye.” She disconnected and sat on the couch, watching the clouds float in the sky. The tufts of white and gray were swept by the wind, making them look like strokes from a painter's brush on the blue sky. She could see Dillon Ulman holding a grudge. The last she’d heard of him, he’d declared bankruptcy and gone to work for one of the bigger industrial pharmaceutical producers. But why now? What would he stand to gain?

She glanced down at the phone on her lap, picked it up, and walked to the hall. “Hello? Mr. Guardian?” she called from the end of the hall. The door opened, and she caught a glimpse of the disaster behind him. She lifted his phone.

“Thank you.” He shut the door behind him and walked down the hall. “The name is Silas. Silas Norton.”

“Well, thank you, Silas,” she replied. “They really made a mess in there, didn’t they?”

He glanced down the hall and then back at her. “It’s better if you wait to see any more.”

She glanced up at the man.Were all Guardians six feet tall or taller?“To tell you the truth, I’m not sure I want to see it.” She shook her head. “I would like to catch whoever did this, though.”

“Yes, ma’am. We all would,” Silas said.

They both turned around at the sound of the elevator returning. Elliot strode out of the elevator, and Maya turned, walking straight into his arms. He held her, and she breathed in the heady scent of his cologne and the scent that was all him.

“Do you want to see the room?” His words rumbled under her ear.

She shook her head no and said, “Yes.”

Elliot chuckled. “I’ve seen pictures. Let’s go. If you know what happened, your imagination can’t make it worse.”

She looked up at him. “Promise?”

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