Page 48 of Line of Sight (Second Sight #4)

Takeda Pharmaceutical, Cambridge

RILEY PULLED out his phone and stared at the screen. “Four o’clock, we said. Who does she think she is, keeping us waiting like—”

The door to the conference room opened, and Jennifer Sullivan walked in, a white coat covering jeans and a beige sweater.

“My apologies, gentlemen. I got held up.”

Dan’s first impression was of a slim, beautiful woman with satiny café au lait skin, high cheekbones, eyes the color of autumn leaves, and lips many women would pay to possess. She wore her brown hair pulled back, and he noted the absence of makeup.

Jennifer didn’t need it.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us,” Gary began after first introducing them. “I hope it was a successful trip.”

She smiled as she took a seat. “Yes, it was, but tiring. Now, how can I help Boston PD?”

“We’d like to talk to you about Mark Wilson.”

“Then I’ll admit I’m puzzled.” A frown marred her smooth brow. “Why now? It’s been, what, twenty-one years since he died?”

“He didn’t just die, though, did he?” Dan observed. “Mark was murdered.”

Jennifer stiffened. “Not something I will ever forget, I assure you. I worked with Mark for almost two years. We were close.” She paused. “That still doesn’t answer my question. Why are you looking at his case?”

Dan focused on her body language, noting the hands she kept in the pockets of her lab coat, the faint frown that hadn’t left her since its first appearance.

“His death is one of several cold cases that we’re investigating,” Gary told her.

Riley glanced at his phone. “I remember the results of your work with Mark made headlines. Did your research get you the job with Takeda? I hear they’re really going places.”

She smiled. “I’d like to think their decision wasn’t based entirely on the research. I hope they saw someone who would not merely dovetail into their existing team but would also lead the company in new directions. It always makes me sad Mark never got to see the end result.”

“We managed to talk with some of your professors at UMass,” Dan told her.

Jennifer laughed. “I’m amazed they’re still there after all this time.”

He consulted his notes. “They described you as a very gifted student, with a lot of imagination, the willingness to try new things.”

She smiled. “I’m flattered they remember me.” Then she tilted her head. “But why would you want to ask them about me?”

“We asked questions about Mark too,” Gary informed her.

Dan watched for Jennifer’s reaction. Her face tightened a little around the mouth, but then she squared her shoulders and looked Gary in the eye. “I’m not surprised they remembered him. Mark was a gifted student. That was why I chose to work with him.”

“Your professors said he was the one who could talk a good game.” Gary stared at her. “They also told us you were the brains.”

That frown was back. “I couldn’t have done it without him. It was a joint effort, I assure you.”

Talk about the perfect lead-in.

Gary gave her a sympathetic glance. “Not according to Mark it wasn’t.”

Jennifer blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Mark had job offers from two pharmaceutical companies,” Riley said, reading from his phone. “Eli Lilly & Co., and Merck & Co., Inc.”

“I know. We were both applying for positions at the time.”

Dan focused on the visible pulse in her neck. Fast heartbeat. It was going to get faster.

Gary was about to toss a grenade into the conversation.

“I’m assuming you didn’t know Mark told them the research was all his own work.”

Jennifer stared at Gary, her face flushed. “He…. No. Mark wouldn’t have sold me out.” She removed her hands from her pockets and folded her arms. “You’ve got it wrong.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s the way it looks.” Gary’s tone was apologetic. “We visited the companies last week. Both their HR departments confirmed it. And we also have photostats of Mark’s original application. There was no mention of you.”

Her face was a mask of horror. “I don’t believe this. I knew him. Mark would not do this.” She unfolded her arms and clasped her hands together, resting them on the table.

“And I’m sorry too,” Dan added. “We’ve obviously upset you.”

Now .

He’d learned never to ignore that voice inside his head.

Dan covered her hands with his, and the onslaught of emotion was so overwhelming, he had trouble sifting through her reactions, but there it was, the knowledge he’d sought. “Are you okay?” He kept his voice even, fighting to hide his elation.

At last. A goddamn break.

Jennifer paled and pulled free. “I’m fine.”

Too late, lady .

“Of course you’re fine.” He speared her with an intense gaze. “Because we haven’t told you anything you didn’t already know.”

She froze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Because if you’re implying I knew about this, and that I had something to do with Mark’s—”

“But you did know,” Dan interjected. “I sensed that the moment I touched you. So we’re not implying anything. And no, you didn’t kill him.”

Jennifer expelled a breath. “Well, thank God for that. Because I was nowhere near—”

“But I am saying you know who killed him. You might not have strung him up against that rock face or disemboweled him, but you certainly know who did.” Dan ignored her gasp.

“The same person who thoughtfully provided tickets to the Led Zeppelin concert. The same person who was supposed to join you, Amy, Greg, and Jason for dinner the night Jeff Murphy died. You know about Jeff, don’t you?

And we will discover the identity of this mystery person, don’t you worry about that. ”

Before she could utter a word, Gary took up the conversation, scarcely missing a beat.

“Did you all know what was going on? Did you know when you went out on that boat trip that you were providing yourselves with an alibi?”

“And what about the meal?” Riley flung at her. “Did you all sit there, laughing, eating, drinking, knowing that somewhere , someone was losing their life? Or are you telling us you didn’t know until after the fact? That you were all innocent.”

Dan kept up the pressure. “Was it you who organized the camping trip to Acadia? Because we know you didn’t pay for the booking. That was our mystery guest.”

Apparently that was the proverbial straw.

Jennifer rose, her face flushed. “I think you should leave. I have nothing more to say to you.”

Gary pocketed his notebook and stood. “Fine. We’ll go. But the next time we want to speak with you, Ms. Sullivan? You’ll need to have a lawyer present.”

Her breathing hitched, and Dan had to give one last push.

“And to think all of you were so careful at the charity, avoiding shaking my hand.” He stared at her.

“You all knew why I was there, didn’t you?

That’s why you pulled away so fast just now, as though my touch burned you.

Because you knew you couldn’t hide anything from me.

” That last part was a lie—Dan knew his gift could be hit or miss—but he wanted to leave her rattled.

“Leave. Now,” she choked.

Dan and Riley followed Gary out of the conference room.

As soon as they were outside, Gary turned to him, his eyes sparkling.

“Way to go. You were amazing.”

Dan shook his head. “It was a team effort.”

“But you didn’t see who the killer was?” Riley fired him a hopeful glance.

“Unfortunately, no. But her reactions to our questions at the end told me one vital thing.” Dan smiled at them. “We’re on the right track. And maybe if we rattle them enough, they’ll lead us to the killer.”

Time to apply more pressure—until one of them cracked.