Page 22 of Skinwalker's Bane
“It’s about Lincoln,” she said quietly.
He nodded, hiding his confusion. Why would he be pleased she was here to see him? Why was he even a little bit disappointed that she wasn’t?
“I was thinking about the…” She glanced around, looking for potential listeners, without telegraphing her scan. She was practiced at it, although Adam suspected that usually she was looking for people shewantedto hear what she said. “The debts,” she finished quietly. “I had an idea that might help you find out more about what Lincoln was up to.”
“And that would be?”
“The directors of the Dreamhawks all hold shares in the company,” she said. “At the end of the year, just before the soiree, the profit for the year is split among them. They each get a portion that matches their shares.”
“I heard about the share thing when they started it,” Adam admitted. “It didn’t make much sense to me at the time. Seems to me if you’re sharing something, then it has to be split evenly, or it’s not true sharing.” He shrugged, carefully avoiding adding that she had just shed light on the process in a way that made it make sense for him. It was the second time she had done that.
“Would I be right to assume that the Institute’s managing director would consider splitting up the last of Lincoln’s assets among the creditors in part payment, those payments based upon their proportion of the total debt?”
Adam stared at her, truly impressed. “Yes,” he said simply.
“Well, then, you can use that to find out more from them.”
“I can?”
“It’sleverage,” Devin said, lowering her voice yet again. “When you offer them the deal, tell them they can get more than their share of the pot, if they tell you what Lincoln was into. They’re the type of people who count profits as more important than the morals of a situation, or they wouldn’t be lending money in shady deals, so there will be at least one of them who will jump at the chance to recover more of what they are owed and forget about any promises of confidentiality they may have made to Lincoln.”
He couldn’t stop staring at her. It wasn’t just because she was sucking the air out of his lungs with surprise and admiration, either.
Her expression grew troubled. “It’s not a good idea, after all…”
“No, it’s brilliant,” he said quickly. “I wish I could say I thought of it, too, only I’m used to hauling goofygel sandwiches around for a living.”
“Don’t feel badly,” she replied. “I wouldn’t know how to even begin to get into an environment suit.”
“It would crease your skirt, anyway,” Adam assured her.
She smiled. It was like watching the day rise in the Palatine. Suddenly, everything seemed bright and colors true again. “Well…” she said hesitantly. “I just wanted to give you my idea. I probably shouldn’t linger here.” She looked around again.
The absurd thought occurred to him that he should find an excuse to keep her here and stay talking to her. He had a free day and the gym could wait. How could he convince her to stay?
Devin was looking over at the Institute and there was a slight touch of pink to cheeks.
Adam glanced behind him again. Noa had gone. Yet, as he looked, four or five heads were turning away, returning to screens and files and conversations.
Devin’s full lips pressed together. They were a pink color that wasn’t natural, yet enticing, all the same.
“I’ll talk to Noa about your idea,” he told her. “If we get to the point where we have to strong arm the creditors into accepting partial payment, then we can certainly dangle that as inducement. Only, there are a few steps to go between here and there.”
“If I were Noa, I would want the Captain to press for partial settlement, not her,” Devin said. “Then they would be almost forced to agree to the terms.”
“That’s exactly what Noa said, too,” Adam told her.
She gave him a small smile and moved around him, toward the Aventine. Her skirt swished and he suddenly wondered what the material would feel like under his hand, especially the green top.
“See you,” Adam told her.
“Yes,” she agreed, glancing over her shoulder. She didn’t stop, maintaining the appearance of a perfect civil business discussion.
Then he realized he had not actually said goodbye, but “see you”. Was his subconscious telling him something?
“Don’t be daft, Wary,” he told himself and stalked off toward the rail line. He’d go to the gym and use up every speck of energy he had. It suddenly seemed as though he had more than enough. He was jittering with it.
* * * * *
