Chapter 22 - DIRECTOR
Jeremy Voss had never been the top.
That changed everything.
Federal records showed Keystone Human Dynamics had dissolved years earlier.
But money rarely disappeared.
It changed names.
Shell corporations.
Consulting firms.
Research partnerships.
Security contracts.
The investigator spread company records across the table.
One entity appeared repeatedly.
ARGENT RESPONSE SYSTEMS.
Marcus whistled.
“That sounds friendly.”
Leah ignored him.
“Who owns it?”
“Nobody obvious.”
The investigator tapped a page.
“Board chairman died three years ago. CEO resigned. Most contracts moved.”
“To where?”
She placed one final sheet down.
HALCYON PERFORMANCE GROUP.
Daniel read the names.
Nothing.
Then he reached the advisory board.
One entry had no biography.
No photograph.
Only initials.
R.C.
Daniel looked up.
“Raymond Cole?”
The investigator shook her head.
“Cole is dead.”
“Then who?”
“We don't know.”
Marcus leaned back.
“So we have an invisible director.”
Daniel looked at the company address.
Arlington.
Private office tower.
Leah noticed another detail.
“What's HPG Advanced Selection?”
The investigator looked at her.
“That is what concerns us.”
She opened a current federal procurement filing.
Halcyon marketed behavioral screening services.
Police.
Private security.
Executive protection.
Critical infrastructure.
All legal on paper.
Then Daniel saw the phrase.
CONTROL DEGRADATION ASSESSMENT.
His expression hardened.
Same language.
Different decade.
Different company.
Same idea.
Leah looked at him.
“They're still doing it.”
Daniel didn't answer.
The investigator's phone rang.
She listened.
Her face changed.
“What?”
A pause.
“Keep the scene locked.”
She hung up.
Daniel already knew it was bad.
“What happened?”
“Thomas Pritchard.”
Leah stood.
The investigator looked directly at Daniel.
“His house was broken into.”
“Is he alive?”
“Yes.”
Daniel exhaled.
“What's missing?”
She didn't answer immediately.
Then:
“The phone.”
Daniel looked at the evidence table.
The phone was sitting directly in front of them.
The investigator stared at it too.
Daniel understood first.
“They didn't know we already had it.”
“No.”
Marcus stood.
“Then whoever broke in is behind us.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
He looked toward the dark window.
“They're following the old trail.”
His phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
One message.
YOU'RE LOOKING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
May you like
Then a second.
ASK LEAH WHO CALLED HER BEFORE THE GYM.
