Page 45 of Go First

Marcus let out a low whistle.“Unless he’s learned to teleport.”

“Or time travel,” Kate added.“The guy dresses and talks like a drinking buddy of Herman Melville.”

“Second,” Poppy went on, “He told you that he had two meetings with a client, on Thursday night and Friday night.One in person, one online.I managed to find out who.”

“How did you manage that?”

Poppy blushed under the attention.“He pleaded client confidentiality, as was his right, but the people he’s represented in the past are a matter of public record.One name kept cropping up, so I looked them up and discovered they were an old schoolmate of Stone’s.”

“Who are they?”

“Olivia Blaker.”

“Of Blaker Bakeries?”

“The same,” Poppy said, pushing her huge round glasses back up her nose.“She’s divorcing Old Man B., and he’s trying to pretend he’s worth a lot less than she says he is.”

“She must be screwed if she’s had to resort to Edward Stone,” Marcus remarked.

Poppy shook her curls.“Stone actually has gold-star rating on RateYourLawyer.Anyway, once I supplied the name, he was quite open with me.On Thursday, he had a Zoom call with her, from around 11.30 pm until 2.30 in the morning.On Friday, they met at his apartment in the evening, got take-out.Miss Olivia ‘slept on the sofa’.Allegedly.But she was happy to confirm the details.”

“Stone and the Cupcake Queen… I don’t know whether to be charmed by that,” Kate said.“Or just bang my head on the desk.”

“The latter,” Marcus said.“Because we’ve now got no leads at all.The only thing we need now…”

His voice trailed off as the door to Winters’ swung open and the boss appeared—immaculate as ever, impatience radiating from her like static.

“I thought you were going to sweat Santos.”

“I am.I’m just catching up on the other angles,” Kate said, trying not to sound indignant.

“And?”Winters directed her icy beam onto Marcus and Poppy.

“Stone’s alibis check out,” Marcus admitted, gruffly.“He’s in the clear.And the attack on Philips was random.So we’re completely fu… I mean we’re fresh out of leads.Ma’am.”

Winters’s mouth tightened.“You were right the first time,” she said.And with that, she strode away towards the vending machines.

Silence followed her departure.Poppy grimaced.“I don’t envy you when she cools down.”

Kate managed a thin smile.“Just enjoy being a baby agent while you can.”

Marcus nodded over towards Winters, who was feeding money into one of the snack machines.“It’s bad.She’s buying chocolate.”

“I don’t blame her,” said Kate.

Marcus set his coffee to one side with a sigh.“Oh well,” he said.“Back to chasing ghosts.”

“Blindfolded,” added Kate.“And armed with a teaspoon.”

They were still commiserating when the duty phone shrilled, cutting through the low hum of the bullpen.Every head turned.

The agent on call answered, listened, then looked up—face pale.

“There’s been another murder,” he said, hoarsely.“Tongue cut out.Ankh em Maat Spiritual Centre.”

The room went still.Kate felt the cold knot tighten beneath her ribs.

Random?Not anymore.