“You tell me,” Michelle shot back.
“And exactly what is that supposed to mean?”
“I think you know very well.” Michelle’s show of defiance seemed to require some effort. “And even if your friendly family lawyer gets you out of that, it would be just too much of a coincidence if anything happens to me too.”
Vanessa was becoming aware then of a feeling welling up within her that she was not accustomed to, that she normally managed to keep under control and out of her mind. Only now was she beginning to realize just how much she hated this woman. “And what was this about Eric?” she demanded coldly, ignoring the remark.
“Just that we know all about your plans for him too. Husbands tend not to do very well around you at all, do they?” Michelle made what looked like a feigned tired look. “You might as well acknowledge it now and save yourself a lot of trouble, Vanessa. It’s over. Let’s be realistic.”
Vanessa searched Michelle’s face. If this was bluff, she was unable to tell. She went through the implications in her mind, one way, then another, touching on all the possibilities.
And what they added up to was, she couldn’t risk it. She hadn’t bothered answering Martin on the phone earlier about getting rid of Michelle because then the question had been too idiotic; but now, suddenly, there was no choice. There seemed a real chance that Michelle and Corfe had indeed unearthed something damning to do with Jack’s death; therefore, they would have to be silenced. One was here already, and it wouldn’t take long to track down the other.
The ironic part was that Michelle herself had brought it on them both by not keeping her mouth shut, which made her a fool on top of everything else. And that made all the other things that Vanessa had been holding back come boiling out. It might be quick when it happened, maybe just a bullet without warning. There might not be time then. But just in case, before it happened, Vanessa wanted her to know.
“You stupid little bitch!” she spat. “You had to, didn’t you? You just had to! You couldn’t leave it alone. Can you see what your interfering in what wasn’t your business has done for both of you now?” Now Michelle was looking bewildered. Vanessa pressed on, “Yes, all right, we did it! Jack was another one like you: didn’t know how to be satisfied when he was on to a good thing. He had to come back and interfere in what was over his head too.” She paused for a moment, enjoying the incredulous expression spreading over Michelle’s face. “Do you want to know how? You might as well, because you’re not going to be telling anyone now. Well, just ask yourself, what can go in through a locked hotel-room door . . . or maybe under it?” She waited, then gave a satisfied nod. “That’s right, honey. I think you’re getting the picture now.”
Michelle was shaking her head protestingly. “It still won’t do you any good. Eric will—”
Vanessa laughed. “Forget Eric. He won’t be around for much longer to be doing anything. In fact . . .” She looked at Finnion. “How are we doing?”
But before Finnion could say anything, Michelle gasped. Her face went pale. She was staring, horrified at the VR body suit that Vanessa was wearing. Its significance had just dawned on her. “Oh, my God, it’s now! You’re doing it today!”
Vanessa saw then that Michelle’s own bluff had backfired on her. Michelle hadn’t known about that part. Neither, then, would Corfe know. It followed, then, that if Eric went ahead and had his accident, neither would anyone else. They didn’t have to postpone things at all.
Vanessa also saw something else. It was just a glint of light off something metallic, but enough for her to spot the mec ducking back into Michelle’s coat pocket. With a masterful effort of self-control, she managed not to let her expression alter while her mind raced. Who was controlling it? It couldn’t be Corfe—the van was here at Microbotics. Eric was on his way to the conference. But whoever it was had heard and probably taped everything. It could only be Kevin, relaying through the van, which meant he had to be in the lab at Neurodyne.