Page 78 of Wild Fever
Vernon continued. “I’m going to assume we are both on the same page. Nothing that occurred over the last 24 hours ever happened. I will deny any involvement.”
“I think we both have a vested interest in forgetting the past 24 hours.”
“Torchlight has been cleaned. The lab has been destroyed. I suspect if you return to the island, you’ll find nothing but ash. My handlers have seen to that.”
I had no doubt his handlers would rebuild the lab somewhere else. “What about Silk?”
Malcolm shrugged. “Enact legislation to make it illegal. Now, if you don’t mind. I’m tired, and I’d like to return to my boat.”
My eyes narrowed at him. “You can’t leave, can you?”
“Excuse me?”
I wasn’t talking about the boat. “What dirt do they have on you?”
He looked at me like I was a fool, then chuckled. “You know as well as I do, they can manufacture any dirt they need.”
It was a chilling statement.
The intel agencies had ways to make someone’s life a living hell if they didn’t comply. You didn’t want to get on their bad side.
We left theAvventura, and I took Dr. Malcolm back to his sailboat via the patrol boat. Afterward, I returned the boat to the sheriff’s office, then caught a rideshare back to Diver Down. I returned to theAvventuraand checked on Kara. She was out cold. She didn’t stir when I crept into the compartment and felt her forehead. The pulse/ox meter indicated a normal heartbeat and oxygen saturation. She wasn’t feverish.
I left and headed up to my stateroom. It was a little before sunrise when I crawled into bed and got some shuteye, but that wouldn’t last long.
48
Paris called bright and early. I reached a sleepy hand for the phone on the nightstand, swiped the screen, and held it to my ear. In a scratchy voice, I said, "This better be good.”
"Wake up, sleepyhead. I've got good news."
"I'm listening," I said, my eyes still closed, my head fused to the pillow.
"I've been doing some digging. I was talking to Edward Miller, an analyst over at Thorne Wentworth. He mentioned you talked to him before. Well, I got him to admit a few things.”
“I’m still listening.”
“Apparently, Elias is a crook. Edward uncovered a slew of illegal activity, collected the data, and brought it to Lance. According to Edward, Lance said he would look into it. I don’t know if Lance ever bothered, but nothing ever came of it.”
“Maybe Lance was complicit,” I suggested.
“Possible. Who knows? But it sure sounds like a motive for murder. Edward says he’s willing to talk, but he’s freaked out. Thinks someone is following him. He’s a little paranoid.”
“Rightfully so. Where is he?”
“He sent his wife and kids out of town to her sister’s. He checked into the Seven Seas under a fake name and has gone off-grid. He’s willing to go on camera if we conceal his identity. I’m about to head over there. You should talk to him before he changes his mind.”
“I’m on my way.”
I ended the call, dragged myself out of bed, and pulled on some clothes. I hadn’t slept more than a few hours, and it showed.
In the galley, I grabbed a breakfast burrito from the freezer and nuked it. I didn’t bother to wake Jack. From the counter, I snatched the keys to the Porsche, said goodbye to Buddy on my way out, and hustled to the parking lot.
A gentle breeze drifted through the marina, and the amber rays of morning cast long shadows. It looked like it was going to be a nice day.
I hopped into the Porsche, fired up the engine, and sped across the island to the luxury resort.
The valet hustled to the car as I pulled to the main entrance. The kid grabbed the door, and I slipped a few bills into his hand and told him to keep it up front. I hurried inside, made my way across the lobby, and took the elevator up to the fourth floor. According to Paris, Edward was in Suite #413.
