“If you have such a low opinion of us, why ask us to protect your daughter in the first place?”
“Because I trust the High Council even less.”
Maybe that was why he was working as a personal advisor to the prime minister, though if you asked me, just as many snakes slithered through the offices of the parliament as the halls of the High Council. Parliament was filled with politicians who lied and schemed for a living, after all.
“I’m sure the Society will have absolutely no problem with doing an audit wherever you are most comfortable. I’ll arrange it immediately.”
He grunted and pushed up off the floor. “I have calls to make, so if you can give me some privacy, that would be appreciated.”
“Before you make said calls, will you please go check your safe, because if a telepath was here, then they may well have forced you to open it without you remembering it.”
He gave me the sort of look that suggested I was a fool to believe that. “Stay here while I check.”
I raised my hands. “Sure.”
He strode around the sofa and disappeared around the corner, the sharp tattoo of his footsteps telling me he was moving into the bathroom. Folks up here in Brisbane obviously had a thing for locating safes in bathrooms.
A few minutes later, I heard a soft curse. “Mr. Ashworth?”
“The safe has been opened. Documents untouched, but several valuable pieces of my wife’s jewelry are missing.”
“Then I’ll need to call in forensics to investigate.” Not just to grab any prints—though I personally doubted we’d find any—but also to check what documents he was keeping. Just because they remained didn’t mean they hadn’t been scanned.
“Yes.” The fact that he’d agreed without protest did suggest the documents weren’t too confidential, even if they were in the safe.
“I’ll contact forensics now. Please leave the safe open until they arrive.”
“Fine. Now, will you please leave so that I may make my calls?”
I made a mental note to check whether head office was monitoringhiscalls. “I will, on the proviso that you remain here until forensics arrive. Otherwise, they will break in.”
“I have no intention of going anywhere until my daughter has been found.”
Which meant I would probably have more of these delightful tête-à-têtes with him. Great. Just great. I tapped the earwig and made the call for forensics, then left, as requested. I didn’t go far, however, waiting in the stairwell with the lobby door open to ensure Tane kept his word and didn’t leave.
Ten minutes later, Betty informed me that forensics had just arrived at the building. I leaned over the railing, heard the distant sound of the front door being buzzed open, then quick footsteps.
“Up here on the second floor,” I called out. “Use the stairs.”
“Oh, let joy run free” came Sienna’s dark response. “I take it the lifts aren’t working?”
“Key coded.” I grinned. “I take it the lack of sleep is playing havoc with your usually sunny disposition?”
“You,” she said, appearing first on the second level, “can go get fucked.”
I laughed and, once Janice had appeared, gave them a quick rundown of events.
“No dead bodies this time?” Sienna asked, the slightest spark of amusement in her voice despite her continuing scowl. “That is at least an improvement.”
“Maybe we don’t need the second team Canberra is sending up,” Janice said. “Maybe you’ve hit your quota for dead bodies this week.”
“Thatcomment is one you shouldn’t have put out in the ether,” I said wryly. “There’s still a long day ahead of us.”
Sienna sniffed. “I take it Ashworth is waiting for us?”
I gave her the apartment number, then added, “Do you want me to hang around? I believe his memories have been tampered with, so you both need to be wary.”
“Do you think he’s dangerous?” Janice asked sharply.
