“By conniving to fix votes and encourage politicians and policies that you ten agree on, no matter what the public wants?”
“You can’t be so naïve you think the people’s will is what matters?” Stephen scoffed. “It’s always been about who holds the biggest wallet. That’s who makes policy. That’s who determines how we live our lives.”
“And who’s giving you your marching orders?”
“I don’t know. Nor do I care.”
Ray huffed. “Seriously? Are you stupid?”
“Are you?” Stephen waved at his room. “Look around. I’m living here with my family. We’re living the dream.”
“You call it a dream when a masked man comes into your house and threatens your family? What did he want, Stephen?” Jane asked, her tone even.
Stephen looked as if he meant to resist, but then he stared at the wet footprints on the floor. “They wanted what we had on the drives.”
They,he said. Nothe.“What drives?”
“I don’t know. The others pay me to talk to people for them. I’m a lobbyist. But I do most of my work for Castle Capital.”
“Castle Capital,” Jane mused. “Any relation to the Castle Club William Malk is a part of?”
Stephen nodded. “The corporation owns the club. Castle Capital is a private equity company that hires me to influence policy. It’s all legal, okay?”
“Then why did a man come here in a mask wielding a knife?”
“He wanted the drives. Look, I’m as confused as you are becauseI do as I’m told. Always. I never try to cut out the boss or the middleman. Iamthe middleman. But today, he came.”
“Who was he?” Ray asked.
Stephen shrugged. “No idea. But he said he works for Rook. He scared the crap out of me the way he looked at my children. I couldn’t see his face under that mask, but I felt that ugly focus. Especially when he said he felt bad that he couldn’t treat my wonderful children the way he’d treated the others.”
“And by others, who do you think he meant?” Jane asked.
Stephen audibly swallowed. “I assumed the Duvalls, Coatneys, and Strands. The guy wasn’t all there. He kept crooning some Polish lullaby.”
“You’re sure it was Polish?” Just as she’d thought.
He nodded. “I’ve done work with a few corporations based in Warsaw. Holly and I had a holiday there two years ago. It’s a beautiful country.”
Jane brought him back on topic. “But this man wanted something from you. Drives, you said.”
Stephen motioned for them to follow him. They entered his study, the grand desk a mess of papers and items strewn on the desktop and around the floor. Behind it, in the wall, a safe door remained open and empty.
“What did he take?” Jane asked.
Ray poised his pen to write down notes.
“Four drives, a cold wallet, and ten grand in cash. That’s it.”
“Where did the drives and cold wallet come from? Do you have any idea what was on them?”
“Well, that’s what’s funny. I have another safe upstairs that holds all my personal information. We’re talking access to millions.” Not quite a humble brag. “But I also have two drives with data from the Burgesses and Pryors. Before you ask, I have no idea what’s on them.”
The Pryors and Burgesses were another two names on the Collective list. The Pryors were involved in steel, and the Burgesses were heavy into textile manufacturing.
Stephen continued, “The thief didn’t know about them. Or at least, he never asked for them. Just the information from the Jacobsons and Browns, which are—were—in this safe. I also kept cash in here so it would look like my main storage for valuables.”
“Smart.” Jane nodded. “Those drives, how long have they been in there?”
