“We cleared pension.”
“Not enough.”
Daniel spoke calmly.
“What changed since midnight?”
Adrian looked at him.
“I read footnotes.”
Daniel’s eyes held his.
Then he smiled.
“You didn’t sleep.”
“No.”
“Apparently not.”
Adrian closed binder.
“Meeting adjourned until further notice.”
Halcyon’s counsel called within four minutes.
Bankers within two.
Adrian ignored.
Daniel followed him into private office.
Door closed.
“You are blowing up eight-billion-dollar transaction over pension schedules that have been audited three times.”
Adrian loosened cuffs.
“Then fourth should be easy.”
“What are you doing?”
“Due diligence.”
“Stop playing.”
Adrian looked.
Daniel’s mask slipped.
Only slightly.
“Something happened last night.”
Adrian said nothing.
Daniel continued:
“Pierce isn’t answering.”
Interesting.
“You called him?”
“He manages your security.”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
Adrian leaned against desk.
“What does Roland Pierce do behind my library wall?”
Daniel’s face emptied.
There.
For one second, no answer.
Then:
“What?”
“My study.”
“Service passage.”
Daniel laughed.
“I have no idea.”
“Grace Harper saw you there.”
Silence.
Adrian had not planned to reveal.
He did anyway.
Anger.
Daniel recovered.
“I inspected wiring.”
“With Pierce.”
“Yes.”
“At one in morning.”
“You were abroad.”
“House had security concern.”
“Why wasn’t I told?”
“Because it was resolved.”
“What concern?”
Daniel paused.
Adrian saw calculation.
“Potential unauthorized access.”
“By whom?”
“Contractor.”
“Name.”
“I’d need records.”
“You remember everything.”
“Not every contractor.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“Where is Pierce?”
Daniel’s face hardened.
“I don’t know.”
“Call him.”
“Adrian.”
“Call him.”
Daniel stared.
Then reached for phone.
Dialed.
Speaker.
One ring.
Two.
Voicemail.
Daniel hung up.
“Satisfied?”
“No.”
“What happened in house?”
Adrian looked at man who had sat beside him at every funeral.
“Someone knocked.”
Daniel went pale.
Just enough.
Adrian saw.
He continued.
“From behind the wall.”
Daniel’s mouth tightened.
“And?”
“You tell me.”
“I don’t know.”
“Funny.”
“Adrian.”
“Who was behind door?”
Daniel’s voice dropped.
“Was someone there?”
Too carefully asked.
Adrian’s rage became certainty.
He stepped forward.