Page 58 of The Proving Ground

“Take it to them, Haller,” Mason said. “You have just over six hours. The offer expires at five. All parties must agree. No split settlement. You understand?”

“I understand,” I said. “Put it in writing and email it to me so I have something to show them.”

“I just did.”

“Then I’ll review it and—”

Mason disconnected.

“Fuck you too,” I said.

I opened the email app on my phone and saw the offer on top. I read it, looking for any discrepancy between what Mason had just said and what he had written. There was none. The email was a duplicate of the previous settlement offer except that the number had changed and it contained the additional line about the clients deciding how to divide the money. I wondered what was behind that line. Had the Masons been back-channeling with the Coltons? Did the opposition think that giving the Coltons the possibility of a bigger chunk would help bring the sides to agreement?

There was a single knock on the door and Lorna walked in.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Are they gone?” I asked. “The cops?”

“Yes. Cisco walked them out. We can start our meeting when he gets back. Should I call Jack?”

“I just talked to him. He’s checking on Naomi and then he’ll call back.”

“Challenger.”

Lorna pointed to the ceiling as if that might be where Tidalwaiv had planted listening devices.

“Tidalwaiv knows about her from court,” I said. “No need for code words anymore.”

“Right,” Lorna said. “What is Jack checking on?”

“I don’t know. We had a break-in here. I just want to make sure she’s okay up there.”

“Mickey, you really think Tidalwaiv is behind this? It’s not the greatest neighborhood, you know.”

“If it had been a real break-in, we would have noticed things gone. The place would have been torn up. There’s two thousand dollars in copper netting over the cage, plus the laptops are in there. This was Tidalwaiv, Lorna. They were looking for something.”

“What?”

“I don’t know. Or maybe they were just trying to send a message.”

“What message?”

“That they’re playing hardball? I’m not sure.”

“And they call it civil court.”

“Ain’t that a joke.”

I heard the front door of the warehouse close and soon Cisco entered the office.

“What’s happening?” he asked.

“Cisco, I want you to sweep the warehouse again,” I said. “If they didn’t take anything, then maybe they left something behind.”

“On it,” Cisco said.

“And we just got another settlement offer from Tidalwaiv,” I said.