Page 27 of Control's Undoing

Colum shook his head.“Not once in all the years I’ve been here.”

“Do you think this was a random break-in?Have you heard of other robberies in the area lately?”

Again, Colum shook his head.“No.”

Annie ran a finger over her lower lip.“Have you recently acquired anything of value?Something that someone might have noticed being moved in?”

“No,” he answered.

She looked around briefly before honing back in on him.“What exactly do you keep here?”

Colum felt a bit like he was being interrogated, Annie’s questions coming quickly, all her focus concentrated on him.

“Artifacts, records, artwork, books.”The back half of the lower floors and the majority of the upper floors were state-of-the-art storage.

“Do you think one of the members might be behind the break-in?”she asked.“Perhaps?—”

“No.That’s not it.”Xavier had been pacing back and forth, his hands shoved in his pockets, but at her question, he turned and stopped in front of them.“Most members don’t even know this place exists.I didn’t until my admiral told me to meet the two of you here to join in this investigation.”

Annie reached over, lifting Colum’s hand, encouraging him to put the ice back on his cheek.Distracted by her questions, he’d let it fall to his lap.

Xavier pointed to him.“You heard Colum.He hasn’t acquired anything of valuerecently.He’s had the first part of that manuscript for years.”

“I don’t think we can immediately assume that the thief was afterControl’s Undoing.There are probably a dozen things in this archive of higher value,” Annie argued.

Xavier shot Annie a dismissive look.“You believe in fairy tales and coincidences?”

Annie’s eyes narrowed.

“He had to have been after the manuscript,” Xavier said.“We know there are people out there on the dark web searching for it.”

“I’m not discounting it,” Annie insisted.“I’m just saying we can’t make that assumption without considering other possibilities.”

Xavier glanced at him, his brows furrowing as he looked at Colum’s injury.“We need to assume that this has to do with the manuscript.”

Annie started to shake her head, clearly ready to continue the argument, but Xavier cut her off.

“I need some air.”

Before either he or Annie could reply, Xavier stormed downstairs.Colum was tempted to call out and demand he come back.After all, the maybe-thief was still out there, somewhere.What if he was watching the archive from a distance?Still looking for a way in?

Colum’s chest tightened with the realization that he’d put Annie and Xavier in harm’s way by bringing them here.

“Would you like some more tea?”Annie asked.

Colum glanced down.He’d let the first cup go cold.“Aye, but I can make it.”

He started to stand, but Annie pressed him back down.“Stay there.I’ll get it.”She took his cup and the rapidly melting ice pack.“I’ll get more ice too.”

Colum remained in the workroom alone, leaning back on the couch, weary beyond all measure.He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but Annie and Xavier both returned at the same time, Annie descending from the kitchenette as Xavier reached the landing.

Annie handed him the fresh cup of tea as well as the new ice pack before reclaiming her spot next to him on the couch.

Xavier, still keyed up, resumed his pacing.His constant motion reminded Colum of Josephine, and he found himself smiling at the comparison, imagining the ruts the two of them could wear in the carpet.

Xavier paused.“Is something funny?”

Colum shook his head, jerking slightly when his phone began ringing.Retrieving it from the coffee table, he frowned.“It’s Eric.FaceTiming me.”

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