The naked edge

8

"Still got a headache?"

Cavanaugh used a moist paper towel to wipe blood from Jamie's face. The restroom didn't have windows, so it was safe to turn on the lights, which pained Cavanaugh's eyes.

"Not as bad. You?" Jamie wiped blood from his face.

"Shook up."

"You don't show it." Her voice echoed off the room's tiles.

"You're doing a good job of hiding it, also. Are you sure you don't feel dizzy?" The bright lights continued to hurt his eyes.

"You mean, do I think I'm going to pass out from a concussion? No. How do I know? Because I'm starved for a medium pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms."

"I guess you're going to live."

"For now."

"Yes," Cavanaugh said, the words sticking in his throat. "For now."

As he guided her toward the door to the hallway, she hesitated, no longer able to ignore her troubled thoughts. "How did they know to make the bedroom the target? I didn't turn the light on. They couldn't have known we were going in there."

"Maybe the phone call," Cavanaugh replied.

"You didn't answer it. They couldn't have known we were in that office."

"But then the call was automatically transferred to Brockman," Cavanaugh reminded her.

"You think he told them where we were?"

"I have no idea. He claims the phone call was about another agent who was killed."

"We'd need phone records to find out where the call came from."

"Yes, and while we figure out how to get them, here's something else that's been troubling me."

In the harsh light, Jamie's eyes narrowed.

"Duncan chose Brockman to be his chief-of-staff. It's a logical choice. Brockman's a first-rate administrator as well as a proven operator."

"So?"

"Why didn't Duncan give the company to him?"

"Because Duncan felt a bond with you."

"But he also knew I hated working at a desk. We were close, yes, but Duncan saw Brockman all the time and must have gotten along with him if Duncan kept him as chief-of-staff."

"I don't see where you're going with this."

"According to William, Duncan decided to make me his heir a month before he was killed. What if he gave GPS to me because he'd begun to suspect something was wrong with the company?"

"Is that what you think? You told Brockman, Kim, and Ali you trusted them absolutely."

"I lied."

"In other words, we're not sure of anything."

"I'm sure of one thing. You."