Page 38 of Double Edged Hearts
Shit. What do I do now? I should tell someone, but maybe I should check it out first. I call Lyndsey and her phone goes straight to voicemail so I leave a message telling her I’m going downtown. I don’t say why though.
I’ll explain more either when I see her or when I have more details. whichever comes first.
Quickly, I print off the screen shot, stuff it in my pocket and head out with my gun in my back pocket, ready for trouble.
The accountancy firm isn’t far from the Bureau office. It took me twenty minutes to get there in the traffic. All the hope I felt when I picked up the number drains from me when I get out of the car and see the building is being renovated.
There’s a man inside painting the walls and there doesn’t seem to be anyone else. I didn’t expect to come here and catch Matvey, or see him here waiting to be handed over on a silver platter, but shit I can’t deny that I’m disheartened. I push the door in and walk inside, alerting the painter to my presence.
He’s got on the standard protection suit a workman would wear and doesn’t exactly look thrilled to see me.
“Can I help you with something?” he asks.
“I’m agent Monroe. I’m looking for someone,” I say, taking out my badge.
I show it to him. He scans over it with scrutiny and looks back at me cautiously.
“Did anyone come by here in the last half an hour?” I ask.
“Nobody’s been here, just me all day,” he answers.
“Are you sure?” I ask. The ghost tracker wouldn’t have been wrong.
“Yeah, sorry I can’t help. If you don’t mind I have to get back to work.” Something in the way his eyes shift and his breathing changes catches my attention. It’s subtle but not enough to go unnoticed.
I think he’s lying. I have a strong feeling he is and he seems to want to get rid of me.
“That’s okay. I’m sure you won’t mind if I just check out the back,” I insist, holding his gaze.
“Not at all, be my guest.” He waves his hand for me to walk in and I do.
I’m guessing that if anyone was here they’re gone if he’s so willing to allow me passage. I won’t take any chances though. I fire off a text to Lyndsey so she knows where I am, just in case anything happens to me.
I make my way out back and see there’s no one. There’s not a lot to look at either. Just a handful of empty offices, a break room, and a storage room. There is a back door though and it’s open.
It doesn’t help me much at all, anyone could have gone through it including Matvey.
With a sigh of frustration I make my way back to the front and walk past the painter who’s resumed his work. He doesn’t say anything to me as I leave and I just keep my focus straight ahead.
I get back into my car seething. This is all such bull shit. The ghost tracker worked though. That’s a surety, but what if it wasn’t Matvey who used the phone?
It could be anyone using it. That’s the fucking downside. Until I hear a voice I have nothing.
With a heavy heart I head back to the office.
I spot Richard ahead of me when I walk in. He’s talking to one of the agents who’s based here. He turns to see me, and I smile at him, but my smile fades when I notice the saddened look on his face.
Richard walks up to me, and the look intensifies.
“Hey, are you okay?” I ask. “You look like something happened.”
“Yeah, something did happen. Something bad.”
“What?” I ask as dark dread fills me.
“It’s Giles. He’s dead. He’s been murdered.”
