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I felt a wry flicker of agreement off Black.

This guy was so bizarre he might end up being a fount of information.

Are you reading him?I asked Black.Or is he blocked by another of those implants?

I’m reading him,Black sent at once.No implant so far.

I nodded, mostly to myself. Black hadn’t looked at me or Nick at all, not once since we entered the room. His attention remained solely on Leon Wicker.

I got a fleeting impression that Black wasn’t thrilled I’d introduced myself to Wicker directly, and especially that I’d introduced myself as Black’s wife. Black wanted everyone at the company focused on him. He wanted them thinkinghewas the important player, thathewas the boss. He would have preferred it if everyone here saw me and Nick as nameless flunkies.

Yes,Black confirmed briefly, still obviously distracted by Wicker’s mind.I would prefer that, doc. Please don’t introduce yourself to anyone else.

I snorted, but mostly under my breath.

I glanced around the room, taking in more screens, an expensive-looking rug, and a sofa shaped like a woman lying onher side. Everything about the room screamed of masculinity and money with very little taste, like an high-end man-cave.

It made me like Leon Wicker a little more, that he clearly had nothing to do with how it looked, and felt obviously uncomfortable in here.

“Can you call him?” Black finally asked Wicker. “This Evan Morgan? Your security guy, you said? The one with the surveillance footage?” Black’s eyes clicked back to focus, and I figured he was done reading Wicker for now.

Black made a show of checking his obviously more expensive watch. “We don’t have all day. And I have other clients. I’d like to get going on this.”

His gold eyes slid between me and Nick, then returned to Wicker.

“Or, perhaps, we could start without him? Maybe you could show us some of the relevant footage while we wait?” Black quirked an eyebrow. “I understand I’m here to see something you have in one of the medical examination rooms at some point, too,” he added meaningfully.

Leon Wicker’s eyes widened slightly at Black’s words.

“Oh.” The man shoved his glasses up a second time. “You mean the b-b-body, don’t you? I was told you might ask a-about––”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Black cut in coldly. “I don’t know anything about a body. I was simply told there was some evidence related to Mr. Rucker’sdisappearancethat your employers wanted me to see.”

Wicker blinked at him, flushed, and visibly flustered.

His stutter grew more pronounced. “Um, w-well. Y-yes. Of course. I m-m-misspoke.” His face grew redder. “And I was told n-no about that. The… th-th-the…thingyou were going to see in an exam room, Mr. Black. Th-th-that it’s just not possible. And really, there is no reason for… w-well,th-that… I-I mean, we’rea r-r-research f-facility. W-we have p-people for those types of. well, evidence, as you s-say…”

Black’s expression darkened. “Your team wants me to investigate a disappearance but not see the relevant evidence? Does that seem smart to you, friend?”

“W-well, I-I mean… w-we know thehow.They hired you to f-find the wh-who. R-right?” He grew more flustered under Black’s stare. “I-it’s a bit above my p-pay-grade in any c-case, Mr. Black. Th-those types of d-decisions… I a-am simply p-passing along what I-I was told…”

Black’s eyebrow rose higher.

His gold eyes, if anything, grew more predatory.

“W-we will supply you with o-our findings, of course,” the man continued in the same flustered, nervous, stuttering voice. “A-and a-a-any n-new information gleaned from the a-autopsy…evidenceexamination…”

I fought not to roll my eyes. Was this guy for real?

“A-as well as any, well… w-weapons… other p-p-physiological evidence we might r-r-recover in the next few d-days.” He flushed, unable to directly meet Black’s eyes. “B-b-but I-I was t-told this was f-f-firm. N-no a-a-access t-to the… the e-e-evidence. This is primarily ane-e-extractionprocess for us. We have no reason to believe i-i-it’s anything other than a h-highly-skilled professional. Who, er,t-t-tookMr. Lucian, that is.”

Black glanced at me, seemingly unable to help himself.

I could see that he was, like me, battling with a kind of dark humor.

This was their super-secret research head?

The guy was spilling out everything, with barely a nudge from any of us.