Misdirection (Pros and Cons Mysteries #1)

Chapter 43

CHAPTER 43

TODAY

O live stared at her computer the next morning, her thoughts scattered.

Scattered thoughts meant lack of focus—something she couldn’t afford.

She should have never let herself get swept away in the moment with Jason last night. She’d known better. She’d almost kissed him!

Even worse, as soon as she’d dropped him off at his house, she’d missed him.

Missed him? Was she out of her mind? She wasn’t the type who missed people.

She stared at her computer. Focus, Olive. Focus. Don’t think about kisses and feelings and men. Think about your job. About your assignment. About the importance of stopping a killer from getting his hands on technology that could hurt hundreds of thousands of people.

Her phone rang, and she saw it was Tevin.

She placed it to her ear. “Hey. What’s up?”

“I just found out something I know you’d want to hear right away.”

She straightened, all her attention shifting to him. “I’m listening.”

“It wasn’t easy, but I managed to track down some information on Adriana. Her real name is Adriana Sokolov, and she’s an operative with The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation.”

The FSB. The new name for the former KGB.

Olive’s breath caught. “What?”

“It’s true. I think she’s the buyer, the one trying to get the specs for that new smart dust.”

She pressed her eyes closed as frustration rose inside her. “She was right under our nose the whole time . . .”

“What we don’t know is who she’s recruited from Conglomerate to help her. My guess is that she was feeling Jason out, but she eventually realized he wasn’t going to budge.”

That sounded accurate. Anyone who got to know Jason would see his integrity was rock solid.

He was an amazing man, and the fact Adriana had tried to use him made a surge of protectiveness well inside Olive. People who knew her knew this: she protected those in her circle.

“So who killed Trey and injured Adriana?” she asked.

“I’ve been trying to figure that out, but I have no idea. The CIA hired you, and apparently the US Attorney General got Bennett involved. So who were those men? It’s an excellent question.”

“One we need to find the answer to.”

“So what are you going to do now?” Tevin asked.

Olive glanced at her watch. “Jason is supposed to meet Adriana in an hour. I’m waiting to hear how that all plays out and what excuse Adriana gives him for all this. I also plan on talking to Claudine about those phone calls to Alex, but she hasn’t come in yet.”

“Be careful,” Tevin warned her.

“Don’t worry, I will.”

Olive was more determined now than ever.

She had to track down these answers before it was too late.

Still seated at her desk, Olive texted Jason:

Any updates?

Not yet. I’ll let you know when I hear from her.

She’s a Russian operative, Jason.

There was a pause. Three dots indicated he was typing something. Then they disappeared, only to appear again a few seconds later.

Finally, she read:

I’ll be careful.

Some of Jason’s hurt had no doubt turned into anger. The progression made sense. There were different phases of every emotion and situation.

Olive put her phone away and sighed.

She would walk down to Claudine’s office.

The woman should be in soon, and Olive needed answers.

She told Bree where she was going before heading down one floor and then walking down the corridor where Claudine’s office was located.

She nodded to several people as she passed.

It was strange to think that people here at the company had no idea what might be happening right under their noses. They had no idea that one of the products they were developing could be used against all of them.

How nice it must be sometimes just to be clueless and naive. But Olive didn’t have that privilege.

She paused in front of Claudine’s doorway and saw the woman had just arrived and was taking off her coat.

Claudine glanced up at Olive as if startled, her hand flying over her heart. “Ms. Whiten . . . I didn’t hear you there.”

“Sorry.” Olive stepped through the doorway. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I guess I’m just jumpy.” She fanned her face.

Did that jumpiness have anything to do with the fact Claudine was somehow involved in trying to sell this information? Olive had a feeling the answer was yes.

“I need a moment of your time,” Olive told her.

Without invitation she took another step inside and closed the door.

Claudine’s eyes widened with concern. “What’s going on?”

“Sit down.” Olive nodded to her chair.

A tremor captured Claudine’s muscles, but she did as Olive said.

Olive took another rolling chair and scooted it in front of Claudine. She didn’t want a desk between them. A desk would make Claudine feel more protected, safer.

Olive needed the woman to feel vulnerable.

For that matter, she had to do whatever it took to get answers.