Page 3 of Only the Devil
“She’s MacMillan’s employee,” Hudson says. “Programmer. Someone close to her lost everything in a financial scam. She’s taken it on herself to dig in.”
“She’s gonna play detective?” Noah smirks.
Hudson’s mouth tightens. “MacMillan thinks she’s putting her head in a noose. He’s asked us to provide protective detail.”
I didn’t think we really did that, but I won’t complain, given the size of my paycheck. When it comes to the sniff test, there’s no moral problem with protective detail, even if it’s a gig that won’t change the world. “Is there an ongoing police investigation?”
“No. At least, not from the US side. At first glance, the company appears above board. Ms. Jonas believes the owner is too connected for anyone to dig deep, and she got herself a job working in the DC office.”
“She’s going rogue,” Noah says with an appreciative grin.
My first instincts were spot on; she’s fierce. But I’ve got questions.
“Couldn’t she use ARGUS to get whatever information she needs and hand over the evidence to the cops?” ARGUS—MacMillan’s company—is an AI wizard that knows all. “Or the SEC or whoever deals with fraud?” Financial crimes are not my wheelhouse, but it seems getting hired by the firm is an unnecessary step.
“She’s used ARGUS to conclude the firm has powerful connections that are likely killing any investigations. And she also uncovered some interesting coincidences.” Hudson runs a finger over the rim of his pint glass. “It’s why Rhodes called to inquire about our resources. Daisy’s convinced this firm is targeting unsuspecting investors, people like veterans and retirees. The person who lost everything was building a class action lawsuit before he died.”
“Was it a suicide?”
“No. Natural causes. He was old. Vietnam vet. But she wants to complete what he started. She’s convinced there’s fraud and thinks she needs to be onsite to find it. MacMillan says she either wants to get enough information to force the SEC or the DA to investigate or get what’s needed for some law firm out there to file a class-action suit. Given what MacMillan just went through, he’s concerned she might be…” Hudson lets the sentence drag.
“In over her head,” Noah fills in.
Hudson gives a brief affirmative nod and raps the table with his knuckles. “She’s more than an employee to MacMillan, she’s a friend. Sydney says she’s one of his best friends.”
Sydney’s one of our KOAN teammates. She played front and center on our last op and wound up falling for MacMillan. The two lovebirds are taking this week to regroup. I think back to Daisy, and Sydney’s comment that she doesn’t live in DC, that she shouldn’t have been there to be used as bait.
“That’s why Daisy was in DC,” I say.
“The firm is headquartered in New York, but they’ve got servers in Virginia and a small outfit of sales guys in that area. Her job, where they hired her, is actually outside of DC, in Virginia. Basically the DC suburbs. We’re taking the case, not only as a favor to Rhodes and Sydney, but because KOAN is intrigued. We’ve done some of our own research, and we agree with Daisy. Something is off and someone’s pulling strings. There’s no other explanation for why there’s not an open investigation.”
“According to the news these days, the SEC is short-staffed,” Noah says. “Same with the FBI.”
“True. And the fraud needs to hit a significant dollar amount before it’s going to become a case. That might be all it is.” Hudson raps his knuckles against the table. “But given we’re partnering with MacMillan, there’s no harm in offering protective services when we have the available resources. If Daisy uncovers something more, we’ll be on the ground level to take the ball and run.”
“Makes sense,” I say. “I still don’t get why MacMillan doesn’t just hire us to do the investigation. Daisy’s not an investigator, right? She told me she’s a programmer. If they’re only hiring coders, Quinn could get the job and while she might look like your neighborhood librarian she’s got skills.”
“Everything you said is correct,” Hudson confirms. “But Daisy’s refusing help. She got the job without asking for MacMillan’s approval. She resigned from ARGUS, but he’s refused to accept her resignation. He’s worried about her, and Sydney suggested us. Typically, we’d refer him to a security outfit, but this has the potential to be a KOAN case.”
“Look at Syd hooking us up with our next gig,” I say, grinning. “I’m in.” Something about this feels personal—maybe it’s the whole “life you save” thing. Not to mention, the victim is a veteran. Who the hell fleeces veterans?
Amusement coats Noah’s ugly mug, but not Hudson’s.
“What? I like Virginia. And Jonas is cool.” I pointedly say in Noah’s direction. “But if these people who hired her are the scammers she believes they are, wouldn’t they clock her as a risk?” I’m basically thinking it through while talking. “Or is she counting on them not connecting the dots to her connection to a fraud victim?”
“He was her mom’s neighbor, not a blood relative,” Hudson answers. “There’s nothing to connect her as she hasn’t lived in Los Angeles for years. In theory, she should be safe, but protective detail is a precaution MacMillan wants to take.”
“If you’ve got unlimited funds, sure,” Noah says, catching my eye, probably thinking the same thing I am. These billionaires are lunatics.
“He’s instructed us to spare no expense.” Jobs like this are KOAN’s sweet spot—power plays, hidden rot, the kind of corruption that counts on nobody looking too closely. “So, Jake, can you be ready to head out tomorrow? For now, we’ll keep the base here.”
“One person?” Noah asks, not bothering to hide his skepticism.
“For now. Jake, since you volunteered, when you hit the ground, check it out, provide an assessment. Report back with resource needs. And Noah, you’re off to LA.”
“I thought you said we weren’t investigating?” Noah asks, apparently not as thrilled as I’d be with an expense-paid trip to the West Coast.
“Officially, we’re not. Daisy compiled a list of names of others that lost money to the same scam. A cluster in LA. The geographic cluster makes us think there’s a chance someone was going door to door. Go out there and see what you can find.”
