Robert shook hishead, sighing as he did. “I don’t know if that’s true, dear,” he said, hisvoice creaking all of a sudden.
“It is. Don’tworry about the computers; you’ll figure it out. I’m sure. We just need someoneto touch base with, to coordinate from back here. I wouldn’t want anyone else.”
Robert noddedagain, his expression still glum. “I’m old, Adele. I know I might not look it.”He ran his hand through his clearly dyed hair. “But this agency, this place, Ithink it’s for the younger folk now.”
Adele’s browdipped. “Why are you saying these things?”
Robert waved ahand. “It’s not important. I’m grateful. Likely, if you hadn’t asked for me, Iwould’ve been out of the agency within the week.”
Now Adele’sfrown turned to a scowl. “You heard that? Did someone say they were trying toget rid of you?”
Robert justshook his head. “I am an investigator. I’m not meant to be stuck behind a desk.Sometimes you just know these things.”
“You’re thinkingtoo much. You’re invaluable—trust me. And besides, if you go, then I go.”
Robert smiled atthis comment and tapped his fingers together. “Fair enough. Computers aren’t myforte, but I’ll try my best. But you still haven’t said, who did the executivepair you with? John?” His eyebrows flicked up ever so slightly. A small glimmerof a smile edged the corner of his lips, but Adele shook her head, quieting hisexpression.
“Agent Paige,”she said with the gravity of a judge’s gavel.
Robert stared ather.
She shrugged.
He continued tostare.
“I didn’t askfor it,” she said.
“Sophie Paige?”
Adele glancedback out the door, checking that the hall was clear, then nodded. “Looks like.She was about as happy as I was.”
“Doesn’tFoucault know your history?” said Robert, his voice rising.
“It’s fine,”Adele replied in a hushing voice. “I don’t know what the executive does ordoesn’t know. But it is what it is.”
“And what aboutJohn?” Robert demanded.
Adele waved ahand airily, as if the thought hadn’t really crossed her mind. “You mean AgentRenee? Well, I think he’s working another case. That’s what Paige said.”
Robert’smanicured eyebrows hung low over his eyes like dark clouds threatening a storm.“Paige,” he said with a grunt. “Now I know why Foucault didn’t tell me.”
Adele hesitated.There was something in his tone she couldn’t quite place. “What do you mean?”
Robert was stillfrowning at his fingers, though, and Adele had to repeat the question. His eyesdarted up at last. “Oh, I mean, nothing, or—except, he knows how I feel aboutyou. And Paige hasn’t exactly been the warmest towards you since the incident.”
Adele paused,studying her old mentor. She knew Robert would take her side. But there’d beensomething more to his tone. Something behind his frown that she didn’t quiteunderstand. “Have you had words with Paige since I left?” she asked, slowly.
“Words? No.” Hetrailed off as if preparing to add more, but then he seemed to decide againstit and gave a quick shake of his head, latching his fingers together andfolding his thumbs on top of each other. “No, nothing like that. I’m sure bothof you can be professional though, yes?”
Adele shrugged. “Ican if she can.”
“Magnifique,”he said. “I hope you slept on the plane, though. Foucault wanted to meet themoment you landed.”
Adele nodded,her lips pressed firmly together. “Agent Paige is already in his office,” shesaid. “We’re to start right away?”
Her old mentornodded as he pushed out of his chair and moved with stiff motions around theedge of his desk. “Leave your suitcase here,” he said. “I’ll send someone totake it to my home. Come now.”
Robert took herby the arm, looping her hand through the crook of his elbow, and escorted herto the elevator. Robert was old-fashioned, and there were some who thought ofhim as pompous. But to Adele, his behavior only summoned a fond amusement.
They waited forthe quiet ding of the elevator and stepped into the compartment. For thebriefest moment, Adele’s finger hovered over the button for the secondfloor—John’s office would be there. Was he in? No—now wasn’t the time. Therewasn’t a gap of three weeks between kills like the last time. Three days. That’sall that had passed between the killings. A rapid, startling pace. A pace thatmight only get worse.
Adele pressedthe button for the top floor and, with Robert next to her still holding herelbow, she waited as the elevator carried them up and toward the office of the executive.
***
Paige sat by thewindow, a familiar comfort in the way she reclined in the office chair.Executive Foucault himself peered out from beneath a hawk-like brow, gnawing onone corner of his lip and shaking his head.
Adele and Robertstood, waiting, watching. Foucault’s eyes fixed on his computer screen and hisexpression only darkened. “This is it?” he asked, glancing up. “Nothing new?”His eyes darted to Agent Paige, whose own gaze bounced to Adele as ifredirecting the executive’s ire.
Adele hesitated.Sunlight streamed through the open window of the executive’s large office—thegusting air ushered out some of the scent of cigarette smoke, but the odorstill clung to the walls.
“I just arrived,”Adele said, hesitantly, unsure if she was being blamed for something. “I wasplanning to settle at Robert’s…” She trailed off at the look on Foucault’s faceand then cleared her throat. “Honestly, I slept on the plane. We can start thisafternoon. I’d like to see the crime scene of the second victim.”
Foucault nodded,waving a hand. “Yes,” he said, his thick eyebrows narrowed over his dark eyes. “Thatwould be best. We don’t have time to wait on this one, hmm? No.” He nodded towardPaige. “You two have worked together before, yes?”
Paige continuedto sit in silence by the window. She nodded once. Adele also nodded.
After a fewmoments of awkward silence, Robert intervened, clearing his throat. “A strangeone, this,” he said, quietly.
Adele kept hereyes fixed on Foucault, but nodded in agreement.
Robert gruntedas the attention in the room shifted from Adele to him. “The victims must haveknown the killer,” he said. “A friend? Maybe a family member?”
Adele turned herface slightly, rolling her head against her shoulders. “Maybe. Or maybe thekiller snuck up on them. A landlord? With a key?”
Robert hesitatedfor a moment and silence reigned once more. At last, he said, “What do you makeof the missing kidney?”
“You’ve been overthe files?”
“Second
