“Do you think you can go breaking into buildings when you feel like it?” Garsten retorted. “This company happens to take care of my security. Legally.”
“This still isn’t some banana country where people run private armies. How long do you think you’ll stay in practice after this?”
“Oh, you just let me worry about that. For now, I’m asking the questions. What did you expect to find there?”
“Enough that you should be very worried.” From the frown that crossed Garsten’s face, Michelle knew she had scored a point. But just at that moment, all that really mattered to her was finding a way to stall somehow and make her situation safer. Even though a part of her knew that she was going too far, she carried on, unable to check herself. “I wouldn’t let your friends here do anything rash, Mr. Garsten. We know about Jack Anastole . . . and the scheme you’ve been working on since. Don’t make it any worse.”
That evidently did it. Garsten looked as if he had been punched in the face. He seemed to lose the thread of what they had been saying, and glanced unconsciously at his watch. The transformation was so abrupt that Michelle was at a loss to know what she had said to produce it. Seemingly losing interest in her, Garsten went over to the door and opened it, still looking dazed. He said something to the two men standing outside and went into another office opposite. The two came back in, closing the door, and resumed standing guard.
Jack Anastole had been strictly Martin and Vanessa’s affair.
Garsten had been just a go-between carrying messages. He hadn’t even known what they were planning until after it was over. He could clear himself of the worst from that; there was no reason why he should have to go down with them over it now. He pulled across the phone and punched in the number of the room at the top of the adjacent building, where Vanessa had her stuff set up. Finnion answered. Garsten told him to put Vanessa on. Her voice came on the line a couple of seconds later.
“Whatever it is, Phil, you’ll have to sit on it. We’re almost ready to go here. I’m not available for anything until we’re done.”
“That’s the whole point.” Garsten spoke in a low voice, but urgently. “You may have to call it off. I think she may know everything.”
“You mean about Eric?”
“I think so.”
There was a short pause. “That’s not possible.” For once Vanessa sounded nonplussed.
“You haven’t heard what she just said. I’m telling ya, hold off for Christ’s sake.”
A long, dragging silence followed. Then, “Get her over here,” Vanessa’s voice said.
Garsten went back out and collected Michelle and her two escorts. As they were leaving to go across to the lab block, Kyle, the duty supervisor, took an incoming call. “One moment, Mr. Garsten.” Garsten stopped. Kyle drew him aside while the others waited.
“I’ve got the Seattle police on the line,” Kyle muttered. “They’re at your office now, with a Mr. Corfe. He’s saying something about a stolen van, and that a woman is being held inside, but they don’t have sufficient grounds to enter. Would you like to talk to them?”
Garsten groaned and shook his head. “Not now. I’m not here, understand? You’re the security company responsible. Can you get over there and deal with it?”
“Yes, sir, I can.”
“Do that. I’ll clear it with Andy later.” Garsten rejoined the others at the door, and they left together.
Something didn’t add up, Vanessa could see. Although she was trying hard not to show it, the Lang woman was a lot more frightened than someone ought to be for just being caught raiding an office. She looked as if she thought her life was at stake.
They were in a storage room a few doors along from the room where the VR equipment was set up. Garsten and Finnion were with them, and two of Finnion’s men were outside in the corridor.
“Jack, my ex-husband?” Vanessa said, when Garsten finished repeating what Michelle had told him. “What about him?”