Page 30 of Line of Sight (Second Sight #4)

THE QUIET knock on the library door made me jump. “Come in.” It had to be Mrs. Floyd, the housekeeper.

Father never knocked, he simply entered a room.

“Sir, you have a phone call.”

I frowned. I never received calls. It had to be some kind of salesperson.

And if it is, I will have words. She should know better than to disturb me for something so trivial.

“And? Who’s calling me?” I didn’t bother hiding my irritation.

“They didn’t give a name, sir, but it’s a woman.”

Okay, that grabbed my attention. “I’ll take it in the lounge, Mrs. Floyd.

” I followed her out of the room and along the hallway.

Faint music came from the far end of the house.

That meant my parents were occupied. I went into the lounge and closed the door behind me.

Once I’d heard the click of the handset, I said nothing but waited for my caller to speak.

“Hello? Are you there?”

Aha. “Good afternoon, Jennifer.” Her timing was perfect. There could only be one reason for her calling me.

“I’m not interrupting you, am I? I know it’s a holiday, but….”

“You’re not interrupting anything. What can I do for you?”

As if I didn’t know.

There was a pause before she spoke. “How? How did you know this would happen?”

“Know what? Jennifer, you’re talking in riddles.” And I expected better from someone with a mind like hers. Clear, cohesive speech for one thing.

“You talked about someday there being an obstacle in our path.”

I grinned. She’d earned herself my undivided attention.

“Does this mean you now have one?”

Another pause. “I have to be honest. I never intended speaking to you ever again after Brad… after he died.”

I’d gotten that message. Not even a Christmas card.

I got comfortable on the couch. “Well, obviously something has happened to make you change your mind. How about you tell me what that is.” My heartbeat quickened a little.

This meant Opportunity.

I listened intently as the words poured out of her.

How she was involved in groundbreaking scientific research, working with another graduate, Mark Wilson.

How she had the offer of a high-profile job in a huge pharmaceutical company based on the outcomes of that research, a job that would set her up for life.

How she’d stumbled across evidence that Wilson was planning to steal their research and claim it as his own, intending to profit immensely from it.

People sucked. And not in a good way. Did no one ever teach her that?

“You’re sure about this?”

“Unfortunately, yes. There’s no doubt. I’ve poured so much into this project. Mark, he’s… he’s more socially adept than I am, but I’m the brains of the team. Which leaves me facing a moral dilemma.”

I shuddered. “Ugh. I try to avoid such things.”

“Will you be serious for a minute?”

God, the temptation to tell her taking that tone with me could put her on a very dangerous—and fatal—path. However, I played nice. “Okay, I’m listening.”

“As I see it, I have two choices. I expose Mark, but that would put my own reputation at risk. Or I take more… drastic measures. This project is rightfully mine. I’ve done all the hard work. He’s just been riding on my coattails.”

“Then I’d say removing him is the right and proper course of action,” I concluded. “Ethics demands it.”

Never mind ethics. It would feed my own needs.

I couldn’t miss the catch in her breathing. “Then you’ll—”

“Tell me about Mark Wilson,” I said, reaching for the notepad and pen next to the phone.

“What do you want to know?”

“His interests, for one thing, if you know of them. And anything else you can tell me about him.”

I listened intently, scribbling notes on several sheets of paper—sheets that would be burned once I was done with this call. And as I wrote, my plan formed itself.

Perfect.

Then I realized she’d gone quiet.

“Okay, leave it with me.” I poured confidence into my voice. “I’ll let you know when I’ve made plans.” I peered at the word I’d circled. “When did you think you’d be finished? With the research, I mean.”

“We’re on course to have it written up by October.”

“So I’ll have to make a move before then. Okay.”

“But when?” she demanded.

“These things take time. What you need to do is carry on as normal. Don’t give Wilson any hint that you know what he’s up to. And while you’re doing that, I’ll set up your alibi.”

I already had a few thoughts on that subject.

“Should I tell the others?”

Fuck no.

“No, this is nothing to do with them. This is between us. Just make sure that whatever alibi I set up, they play a part in it.”

Except they might need a little notice.

I went with my first idea. They were usually the best.

“You’re sure about that last part? Every weekend?”

“Regular as clockwork for the past two years. The only thing to put him off is bad weather, and sometimes not even then.”

“Okay, I want you to call Greg, Jason, and Amy. Ask them to join you on a little trip this summer. And don’t take no for an answer. If they seem resistant, you can tell them whose idea it was. That should do the trick.”

I was under no illusions. They were scared of me.

With good reason.

“What kind of trip?”

I smiled. “A camping trip in Acadia. You won’t have to do a thing. I’ll make all the arrangements. All you need do is turn up and follow instructions.”

“How… how are you going to do it?” Her voice quavered.

“You don’t need to know that part. Let me surprise you.”