Chapter 21
CHAPTER 21
O live slipped her shoes back on and then hurried up the stairs.
She glanced at her phone again, briefly considering calling Jason back before meeting Duncan. But she didn’t. Not now. That would have to wait until later.
Instead, she ran a hand through her hair and sucked in a breath, composing herself before stepping back onto the fourth floor.
A few other people also headed toward the conference room.
She frowned.
Apparently, Duncan didn’t want to meet only with her. So what was this about?
As she passed another hallway, someone fell into step beside her.
From the corner of her eye, she saw it was Jason.
“I tried to call you,” he said quietly.
“I was busy doing something and couldn’t answer.”
“It was important.”
“What was so important?” The two of them continued walking side-by-side without making eye contact.
“I wanted to let you know that?—”
But before Jason could finish the statement, Bennett appeared beside them.
How had he gotten here so quickly? He must have left right after her. If that was the case, then it was a good thing he hadn’t caught her in the stairwell.
Whatever Jason was about to say, it would have to wait.
They stepped into the conference room where top-level executives mingled.
Whatever Duncan had to tell them must be important.
She and Bennett found seats at a large conference table.
Duncan shut the door and buttoned the front of his designer jacket as he turned toward them, each movement stoic. Jason stood beside him.
“I have something I need to tell you all,” Duncan started. “Something significant has happened, and I wanted you all to hear it from me first.”
Olive’s lungs tightened. She couldn’t imagine what this might be about, but it was clearly important.
“I wanted to let you all know that I just got a call from the police.” Duncan paused. “They found Ryan.”
The heavy undertone to his words stopped Olive from feeling any relief. “Where?”
“In a park not far from his house. Olive . . . he’s dead,” Duncan finished, the corners of his lips tugging down in a frown.
“What happened?” Concern filled Bennett’s voice.
Duncan’s frown deepened. “I’m sorry to tell you all this, but Ryan died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
Olive couldn’t believe what Duncan had said.
Ryan was dead? From suicide? Did anyone here really believe that?
Maybe Ryan did kill himself. Maybe he knew too much. Was this somehow tied with the deal that was about to go down—the deal Olive was here to investigate?
Jason didn’t look surprised at the news. That was when she realized Jason had probably been trying to give her a heads-up when he called earlier. If she’d taken his call, she wouldn’t feel as bamboozled by the news right now.
Part of her was surprised Tevin hadn’t heard about this yet. But why would he? He didn’t monitor all the police reports in the area.
“Are they sure it was really suicide?” Robin David, another executive, asked.
“From what I heard, Ryan left a note that made it very clear,” Duncan told them.
“What did the note say?” Albee Peters, head of HR, creased his forehead as he listened earnestly to the update.
“Ryan confessed he’d killed Beau and could no longer live with the guilt of what he’d done.” Duncan’s jaw twitched with tension as he said the words.
Gasps went around the room.
That was not what Olive had expected to hear.
“Why would he kill Beau?” Bennett asked. “Did the note say?”
“To my knowledge, the note didn’t explain,” Duncan said.
“Was the note written in Ryan’s handwriting?” Maybe Olive shouldn’t ask the question, but she couldn’t stop herself from doing so. She needed to know.
Even more, she wanted to see this note with her own eyes. Could Aegis arrange that? She could ask.
Duncan offered a shrug. “I’m not sure of all the details yet. This is all relatively new for all of us, and the police are still sorting through everything.”
“What about the video footage from the SCI corridor?” Robin asked. “Was it tampered with?”
Growing worry captured each executive’s voice as more information was revealed.
“That’s what we believe,” Duncan said. “But we’re still looking into it. Obviously, this investigation spans beyond the staff here at Conglomerate. The local police are also involved, and Jason will be working with them as they try to piece together exactly what may have happened.”
Olive’s mind continued to whirl.
She didn’t believe for a minute that Ryan had killed himself. No, she believed either the buyer or the seller was actively eliminating any threats.
She glanced across the table at Bennett. He stared at the wall in front of him, his face emotionless.
She remembered his secret meeting in the market. The receipts in his desk. The burner phone in his drawer.
Just where was he yesterday when Ryan disappeared?