Page 10 of The Secret

“No. My number two, the point man on the ground, he was responsible for that. He was authorized to act independently if there was an emergency. And this was all long before you and I met. Before I even knew you existed.”

“Who was this guy? Your number two?”

“That’s not important.”

Kasluga snatched a chef’s knife from a block next to the stovetop. “Say something I ask you about isnot importantagain and I’ll stab you. Now, come on! Pritchard, right? Neville Pritchard? He was your number two. He’s the guy we’re talking about.”

Stamoran didn’t reply.

Kasluga set the knife down next to her mug. “Pritchard reported to you. So he knows your name?”

Stamoran nodded.

“Does anyone else?”

“Only him. The structure was compartmentalized. For security.”

“So he could give you up. If whoever is killing his team members catches up to him, trying to put names in all the frames.”

“Theoretically.”

“Then this murderer could come after you, too? Oh no, Charles. I don’t like that. I don’t like it at all.” Kasluga moved around to Stamoran’s side of the kitchen island and stretched to touch his arm.

Stamoran said, “I’m in no danger. It’s you I’m worried about.”

“Why? I wasn’t involved with that team. I was just aPR mouthpiece. You said so yourself. And what I did is hardly a secret. There’s no reason for Pritchard to point a finger at me. Or for any of the other survivors to.”

“You’re not seeing the bigger picture, Susie. Singh was an old man, living alone. Bridgeman was in a hospital bed, half dead from a heart attack. Getting to those guys was easy. But me? After the president, I’ve got to be the best protected man in the world.”

“So what do you think? This guy will come after me to get to you?”

“That’s what I’d do in his shoes.”

“That’s not very nice.” Kasluga let go of Stamoran’s arm.

Stamoran shrugged.

Kasluga moved back to the other side of the island. “Can’t you do something? Catch this guy before he gets to anyone else? Before he even finds out about you?”

“It’s in hand.”

“ ‘In hand’? What does that mean? What are you doing, exactly?”

“That’s not…Suffice it to say, this guy won’t be on the loose for long.”

“Is it safe to leave the others out there, while he’s roaming around, hunting them down? Can’t you lock them up somewhere where they’ll be protected?”

Stamoran said nothing.

“So that’s a no?”

“I can’t get into the specifics. You know that. You also know I’m not someone who leaves anything to chance. So I’m going to ask you to do something for me.”

“Of course. What is it?”

“Stay here. At the house.”

“When?”

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