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“Yes, I wanted to go over what I have been able to find out,” Henry told him, his eyes darting back and forth between Derrick and Taylor. “First up, Preston Corp. I went through Tappen’s office with a fine-toothed comb but saw nothing out of the ordinary.”
“Well, thank God we had a private meeting for that,” Derrick said sarcastically and Taylor shot him a glare.
“But I lifted fingerprints and swabbed his desk, checking for anything, for any kind of substances that may have caused his erratic behavior. I’m awaiting those results,” Henry explained. “While I was there I ran a comprehensive check of the security system for Preston Corp and it is all in working order.”
“Was there a chance that it wouldn’t have been?” Derrick asked.
“I had to be sure, Mr. Fletcher,” Henry said. “I am having Tappen tracked on the camera footage as well to try and find any pattern in his behavior.”
“Okay, sounds like a plan,” Taylor said. “Now the million-dollar question, Henry.”
“Yes, I am done with Preston Corp. It can be reopened and your advisors can stop breathing down everyone’s neck.”
“Thank you,” Taylor said, relief evident in her tone. She quickly grabbed her phone and sent off a fast text. “Todd and Charlie will be positively giddy to get things back to normal.”
“There is one other thing,” Henry said. “I have been analyzing the security camera footage from the Gala. I have been looking to see who was at the event or in the crowd the night of the event.”
“We had security cameras there that night?”
“No,” Henry said, “these are surveillance cameras the city and businesses have installed.”
“And how exactly did you get access to private camera footage?” Taylor questioned.
“I am going to refer to ourdon’t ask, don’t tellclause,” Henry reminded her. “Anyway, I was looking at anyone who may have disappeared and reappeared and basically acted shifty.” He dropped four photographs onto the table. “This guy is the one that concerned me the most.”
Derrick picked up one of the grainy black and whites. He pulled the picture close then he held it out. He dropped the first one and picked up another, repeating the same procedure he had with the first, and shook his head. “He doesn’t look familiar—”
Taylor’s sharp inhale was loud enough that it stopped Derrick mid sentence. “It’s Ben,” Taylor said, mouth hanging open. She looked at another picture and nodded her head. “It’s totally Ben.”
A cold chill went down Derrick’s back. How could it be possible that the fucking bearded beatnik was popping back into his life again?
“What?” he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “No way, he had a beard, and this guy—”
He was silenced by Taylor’s look of annoyance.
“Are you really freaking throwing out my judgment that it’s him because the guy in the picture doesn’t have a beard? For real? Like a completely and totally, easily removable facial hair choice? That is your only rebuttal for it not being him?”
Okay, so it sounded stupid when she said it like that, but he was desperate.
“Who is Ben?” Henry asked, watching the ping-pong match of their conversation with his eyes. He had been so quiet Derrick had forgotten he was in the room.
“He’s someone I knew once,” Taylor replied quietly.
“Knew in what way?” Henry asked seriously.
“Uh,” was all Taylor could say.
“He’s nobody,” Derrick brushed off, irritated that this guy was still being talked about.
“Derrick, he isn’t nobody,” Taylor corrected, “and I am positive that this is him.” She flapped the picture in his direction.
“How did you know him?” Henry questioned, his tension apparent now as he attempted to get answers.
“I worked with him,” Taylor responded, just as tensely, her glare still pinning Derrick.
“At Preston Corp?”
Derrick and Taylor both looked at Henry then back at each other wearing matchingoh shit, what nowexpressions. Derrick wondered how she would explain this.