Page 114 of The Twilight Theft

“I appreciate you bringing me in. I need the fresh start.” She chuckled. “And the money.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I fumbled to silence it. I only saw Jayce’s name at the top of the notification before Craig popped his head out from Wyatt’s office.

“Drew,” he said, “thanks for hurrying over.”

I stuffed the phone into my breast pocket and smiled at my boss. “You’re not alone?”

Vanessa appeared from the office and her shawl dropped to her elbows. “I told Craig I had some theories on Wyatt’s behavior at the party.”

“Oh?” If I wanted information from either of them, treating her the way I usually did wouldn’t work. I had to play nice.

“He approached me a month ago.” She leaned against the doorframe and folded her arms, causing her neckline to shift dangerously close to revealing something. “Said he was in a bit of trouble. He had a big story—wouldn’t give me the details—and wanted my help disseminating the information when he had it.”

“And you…” I raised an eyebrow at her.

She shrugged one shoulder. “I told him I’d have to see what it was before I made any promises.”

I glanced from her to Craig, as though his face would reveal any lies. “And you think that’s related to his attempted theft of the chip?”

Craig nodded. “I doubt it’s related to his investigation, but it’s possible whoever he had some dirt on put him up to this.”

“And you want into his safe in case he was storing the information there?”

“You told me he gave you a key.” Craig gestured toward my office. “If the information he had is significant, I don’t want the authorities to decide whether it gets buried. We’ve had enough of that with our own, haven’t we?”

I didn’t have the type of relationship with Wyatt as I had with Alex, but Craig was right—I couldn’t leave Wyatt to the same fate. Not that he’d wind up dead on foreign soil, but that he’d wind up a pawn in someone’s game. “You’re right. On both counts.”

Craig and Vanessa followed me into my office.

Had they been plotting something else before they heard me? Was I too suspicious? Too accustomed to lies, so I saw them everywhere?

I pressed my thumb to the scanner on my safe and it clicked open, revealing Wyatt’s key, the research my MI6 contact had done into Alex’s death, and all my other documents.

My phone buzzed again. I pulled it out of my pocket to check. It was only a random email notification, but Jayce’s text sat beneath it. Since I wasn’t hiding anymore, I read Jayce’s message as I withdrew the key for Craig. “Good news. The Reynolds team got a tip about the huma bird statue at an antiques shop nearby. Jayce is retrieving it.”

“What?” Vanessa’s response was too sharp.

A prickle ran up my spine. Theyhadbeen up to something. But what?

Calm head, Drew. Give nothing away.

When I turned around, Vanessa was staring wide-eyed at Craig.

He, on the other hand, was a mirror of me. Professional calm. He extended a hand for the key. “I appreciate your help, Drew.”

His gentle smile. The use of my name. The non-threatening posture.

He should have been reacting to Vanessa’s panicked stare. Should have responded to her question or waved it off.

Instead, he focused on me.

I wrapped the key in my fist. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“My employee tried to steal something from one of our clients.” Craig left his hand out. “I want to know why.”

The best lies were couched in truth. His response was honest, but it wasn’t the full truth. And‘our’client? Nothing more than a manipulation, intended to remind me we were a team.

“And…” Craig’s lips tightened. “I’m also going to need the thumb drive with the information about Alex.”

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