Throwing herself into her welcoming chair, she ignored the insistent flashes of light from her desk. Whatever it was could wait. Everything could wait.
Kamis’s testimony was damning—but it was not conclusive. The maintenance worker had said as much himself. She needed more proof. She needed hard evidence to go with the little man’s eyewitness account. Bergovoy would be no help. What would, what could, constitute the proverbial smoking gun? Fully alert and active now, her mind ran through a long list of possibilities. Eventually, she addressed the waiting desk.
“Sanuel?”
“Administrator Matthias, is there something—”
“Not now, Sanuel,” she interrupted brusquely. “Get in here. I’ve got a job for you.”
Her assistant arrived within seconds. The look of concern on his face was not addressed. She had no time for it.
Without preamble or explanation, she said, “You know the bioprospector Sethwyn Case? He’s been here to talk to me on several occasions.”
Pandusky’s expression remained perfectly neutral. “I remember him, yes.”
“I’m not surprised. You remember everything, Sanuel.” She did not give him time to respond to the mixed compliment. “I want to see his personal financial records for the past year, local time.” She raised a hand to forestall the reaction she knew was coming. “I know it’s illegal. I also know you have the skills and resources to do it. It’s a matter of Authority security.”
At that moment, her assistant looked more uncomfortable than she had ever seen him.
“I’ll take full responsibility,” she continued. “If there’s any fallout, I’ll see to it that you are completely absolved of any liability.”