anding outside Gideon Rusk's office with a

st time, I had come looking for evidence. The second

hing almost amu

re ea

urn

and a takeaway coffee in the other. Her eyes brie

ke people nerv

that ob

rived before the cle

y to look less ent

me a secu

office and the conference rooms assigned to acquisitions.

card. "And Mr

locked when h

ural

at suggested she wasn't

'll show yo

a glass partition and a narrow corridor. It had a computer, two

nyone sitting behind it could see

d pretending this arra

Sloane explained. "You'll also coordinate with the acquisitions team. Mr Rusk expects yo

unds man

ded you don't

a folder

quisition files. Start wi

stopped on

oked

deliberate

mained neutral. "Mr Ru

urse

ed the

belonged to my family. The second outlined their current v

tels was sche

buyer's n

ick Ho

d on the transfer document I

expressi

problem?"

t famili

usk wants a summary of the proposed

ave it

I closed the do

no coin

tly in front of me. Either he wanted to see how much I knew, or

o make the mista

uter and opened the

urrent portfolio, transaction summaries and selected s

ated shortly before the acqui

n. Its directors were listed as two investment firms

ration details into

he original acq

third page cau

recorded as a short-term bridge payment. According to th

e transfer had been made to Alderwick Holdings,

changed the

figures when a notificat

SS D

ied

had been

aned

ppened when I

ng tr

osed the en

orway, one hand resti

rning to

moved to

e you loo

on summary you

h sec

ery prop

ed close

rded a transfer to Alderwick Holdi

ghtly that someone unfamiliar

idn

id you s

he re

h rec

uld access fiv

ed at th

le is re

t when I

topped when the system

d

oked

rned t

econds, neith

the desk and clicked out

summary of the proposed sale, n

mmary require me to unde

s you to report the informat

ded m

onvenient d

w tigh

reful,

onal instruction or

ever way helps

d and walked t

s at ten. Sloane will

s atte

ns team, legal

oked

vie

pau

es

epare anythi

the re

he

the doorway

enne

sat behind her brother in the courtroom, dressed in cream, watchi

wondered wh

about to

carrying my notes and a printed

dy seated at the f

blonde hair fell just below her shoulders, and her pale suit lo

s settl

he new as

n Ell

came notice

ace, but her fingers stopped tu

ler

es

ed towar

red an

't move fro

e qualified for

small laugh. "Of

mpty chair b

. I followed the discussion carefully, recording eve

Alderwick Holdings had made a competitive offer and that delayin

oned the origi

action was settled years ago," she said.

ked a

rified the original

s moved

sor

uisition. Have they been independentl

e leane

specific question

is part

silence

ed his pen

action summary," he said.

s express

going to delay a profitable transaction because s

own her e

tinued, but I n

tioned, Vivienne looked at

us. It was almo

noticed m

ed to my office and found a

mpany's internal r

estricted

ened

transaction records has been suspended pend

d it

time the restrictio

forty-

had even com

ed the file before I

towards h

aking on the phone. He looked calm, almost bored

ne vib

nown n

d the m

pted that job. Some door

d at th

message

ones connected

ightened aro

he corridor, then

t it knew about

exactly what I

walked to Gi

d up as

's wr

n his desk, the mes

investigating the E

n rea

had met him, the control

sent

ng you coul

umber, then reache

reply

hy

t wants to know whether

d him ma

executive floor from this morning. And I want to kn

e call and

ppening, you won't be l

red a

n't be

not a

d up my

remember that I'm your em

es hel

er that someone just threatene

answer

was right to

ad confirmed something I

k International kn

ready afraid of