“The merger.”
“Don’t.”
“How do you know about that?”
Julian’s eyes closed.
“Mercer.”
The nurse stepped between.
“Now.”
Adrian walked out with his hands shaking.
Elena stood.
“What?”
“He knows the merger.”
“It’s rumored publicly.”
“Not this way.”
“He said don’t sign Halcyon.”
Elena’s eyes narrowed.
Adrian’s phone vibrated.
Daniel Mercer.
They both stared.
It rang out.
Then a message appeared.
Heard there are police at Beacon Hill. Are you all right? Call me.
Adrian looked at Elena.
“How does he know?”
“Security vendor.”
“Police contact.”
“Neighbor.”
“Maybe routine.”
“Do not choose meaning yet.”
Another message.
Call immediately.
Elena reached.
“Give me the phone.”
“No.”
“Adrian.”
“I’m calling him.”
“On speaker?”
“No.”
“Then I sit here.”
He answered.
“Daniel.”
“Thank God.”
Daniel sounded worried.
Perfectly, genuinely worried.
“I’ve been calling.”
“I was busy.”
“Police were at house.”
“What happened?”
Adrian stared at the closed hospital-room door.
“Grace Harper collapsed.”
“Your cleaner?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“There was another problem.”
Silence.
“What?”
“Someone was inside study.”
Daniel’s breathing changed.
Not much.
But Adrian knew him.
“What do you mean inside?”
“Behind the wall.”
No answer.
Adrian closed his eyes.
Daniel finally said:
“There are old service passages.”
“Yes.”
“Probably a trespasser.”
“Probably.”
“Was anything taken?”
“I don’t know.”
“You need Pierce.”
Roland Pierce.
Head of private security.
Daniel’s recommendation three years earlier.
Adrian said:
“Why Pierce?”
“He knows house.”
“So do police.”
“Adrian, if someone breached—”
“Daniel.”
“What?”
“Who has access to that passage?”
A pause.
“I have no idea.”
“You’ve been inside.”
Another pause.
“Years ago.”
“Recently?”
“No.”
Adrian remembered Grace had not yet told him anything about Mercer in the passage. He was probing.
Daniel continued:
“You sound exhausted.”
“I am.”
“Come to office.”
“Board meets eight.”
“Yes.”
“Halcyon ready.”
“No vote.”
Silence.
“What did you say?”
“I’m postponing.”
“Why?”
“New information.”
“What information?”
Adrian waited.
Daniel’s voice hardened.
“Adrian.”