The God's Eye View

CHAPTER 43

Manus lay on his back in one of the beds, one eye closed, the other open just a crack. Evie had been in the bathroom for almost an hour, presumably composing her message to Hamilton’s editor. And then she had come out and sat on one of the chairs in the small room, keeping watch through the window as she had said. Now Manus was waiting for her to do what he thought she was planning next.

He knew they were already at cross-purposes. And while he respected her determination, he also thought confronting the director head-on was suicidal. They had no good options, but Manus was sure returning the thumb drive and a promise of silence would be the least worst of the realistic possibilities. If he could get the drive, he would do what he had to, and hope Evie would understand after that it was for her own good. And Dash’s.

He thought about where she had told Delgado she had hidden the drive. There was no way to be sure, of course, but Manus sensed it was someplace she had in fact considered and then rejected. The best lies were generally the ones closest to the truth, and in the confusion and terror of the Sprinter, a smart person like Evie would have reached for something familiar, something real.

Besides, the director had said her cell phone geolocation records indicated she hadn’t been home since retrieving the drive. Manus had searched her car — and, he thought with a jolt of fury and disgust, Delgado would have been no less comprehensive in searching her person. A good hiding place had to be both secure and accessible, with familiarity also a plus, and for Evie, the senior center would have been all three. If she had hidden the drive somewhere in the women’s room, she had chosen an exceptionally clever spot, because Manus had searched the room carefully on just this kind of hunch. Or she’d chosen poorly, and the drive had been discovered by a third party. It was also possible she’d placed it somewhere in her father’s room. Regardless of the exact location, Manus had a feeling the senior center was the place.

He waited another half hour, then deepened his breathing. He couldn’t hear it himself, but he could feel it and knew it would be audible to Evie. A few minutes went by, and then he was gratified to see her walk over to Dash’s bed. Manus couldn’t see what she was doing without turning his head, but he thought he knew.

A minute later, he saw them heading to the door. The boy had on his backpack; Evie was holding her bag in one hand and the laptop under her arm. Manus imagined the conversation she must have had with the sleepy child: We have to go, Dash. We’re going to meet Mr. Manus later. For now he needs to sleep. No questions, okay? I’ll explain everything soon.

Something like that, anyway.

The moment they were gone, Manus got up and watched through the window as they headed into the front office.

She was on her way to get the thumb drive, as he’d expected. And he would be there waiting for her.