Page 115 of Misdirection

She and Jason didn’t bother to wait for the elevators. Instead, they ran up two flights of stairs until they reached the fourth floor. Then they sprinted toward Duncan’s office.

Everyone else was gone, thanks to the fire alarm that had cleared the building.

The hallway was eerily quiet.

They reached Duncan’s office and threw the door open.

Olive sucked in a breath when she saw Claudine holding a gun to Duncan’s head. The CEO sat at his computer with sweat dripping down his forehead and stiff motions, as if he feared moving and triggering her.

Claudine swung the gun toward Olive and Jason as they stepped inside, and her eyes narrowed. “What are you doing in here?”

Olive raised her hands before Claudine did anything foolish. “You don’t need to do this.”

She let out a harsh chuckle. “Ofcourse, I do. The best part about me being here is that I’ve always been underestimated. I’ve learned to use that to my advantage.”

Jason bristled beside her, his body poised to act if necessary. But he remained quiet—for now.

“I can see where that’s something you might use for your benefit,” Olive said. “I’d do the same if I were you. But why are you going after Duncan?”

Olive and Duncan were the only ones who knew the information had been split and stored in two different spaces.

Satisfaction glimmered in the woman’s eyes. “I slipped a covert listening device into his pocket today, so I overheard your earlier conversation. I know he split up the specs on the smart dust so even if someone did get into the SCI corridor they wouldn’t get the full picture of this new invention.”

“Even if Duncan gives you the second part, you still won’t have the first,” Olive said.

Claudine snorted. “Of course, I will. I mean, that’s all I was able to download before Beau walked in on me anyway. He cut my stay in the SCI corridor short.”

Facts began to click into place.

Claudine had tried to use Beau to get the information she needed. She must have gone into the SCI corridor to retrieve the information . . . only to have Beau walk in on her. He probably realized exactly what she’d been up to.

Then Claudine had shot him to keep his silence. Being the IT specialist she was, Claudine had gone into the computer system and erased any signs she’d been on it—the logs recording who signed in and what they were doing. Then she’d manipulated the video footage.

Claudine’s mom had never been threatened. She’d made up that story to gain sympathy.

But Sonny really had tried to manipulate Alex.

The whole thing was tangled and messy—but it was beginning to make sense.

“What about Sonny?” Jason’s gaze shot lasers at Claudine, but he remained in place. “How is he involved in your scheme?”

A smile quickly curled Claudine’s lips. “He’s been working with that other woman. Adriana. I knew what they were doing. I really have to hand it to them. They were an excellent distraction for me while I did my own work. The timing was pretty amazing.”

Olive was almost impressed, though she refused to let her thoughts go there.

She glanced at Duncan again. More sweat dripped down his forehead. He seemed frozen with fear.

Not that she could blame him.

Jason shifted beside her. “You set me up in the security video, didn’t you? Made it look like I was the one who’d been down that hallway?”

Claudine grinned. “I needed to buy more time, and who better to set up than our head of security.”

His scowl deepened. Claudine might be amused, but he wasn’t.

“Who are you working for?” he demanded.

“My home country.” Suddenly, Claudine’s American accent disappeared and was replaced with a new one.

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