Page 34 of Prey

He knows I know.

I let him stew. Let him imagine what I'm going to do. Fear is more useful when it's had time to curdle.

At 4:32 PM, I text him: My office. Now.

He's at my door in four minutes. Not three which would have been eager, almost hopeful. Not five which would have been defiance. Four. The sweet spot of someone who's been waiting for the axe to fall and is too terrified to delay it.

He's sweating. I notice the moment he walks in. Beads on his forehead. Damp patches under his arms. He's trying to look calm, but his hands are shaking.

"Close the door."

I don't invite him to sit. I stay standing by the window, back to him, watching his reflection in the glass. I want him to feel the weight of my silence. I want him to remember it later, when he's lying awake wondering if he still has a job.

"You've been avoiding me," I say.

"I..." He stops. Swallows. "I thought you were busy with the William deal."

"Leo."

The sound of his name makes him flinch.

"Three days ago," I continue, "I asked you to check the security feed. I asked you to tell me who'd been accessing the system without authorization. You sent me a report." I turn to face him. "An incomplete report."

His face goes pale. "I sent you everything I had."

"You sent me what you wanted me to see. You left out the part where you gave Rose Sophie administrative access."

The words land like a physical blow. Leo's mouth opens. Closes. Opens again.

"Cain, I can explain."

"Then explain."

He runs a hand over his face. He's not lying; I can see that much. He's a terrible liar. That's why I hired him. The man who can't deceive is useful for security. But he's also useful to people who know how to use him.

"She came to me," he says. "Three months ago. She said someone was following her. Said she was scared. Said she needed to monitor the floors more closely, but she didn't want to bother you with it."

"She told you she was being stalked."

"Yes."

"And you believed her."

"She's a board member, Cain. She's someone you trust. Why would she lie about something like that?"

Because she's been in love with me for years. Because she watched me get married, then watched me get divorced, and decided to wait. Because she's patient in the way only the truly obsessed can be.

But I don't say any of that. Instead, I say: "And you didn't think to verify? To check with me?"

"I thought I was helping."

"You thought you were being a decent human being." I step closer. "Leo, I'm going to tell you something, and I need you to understand it completely. You don't get to be a decent human being. You're my security lead. You get to be paranoid. You get to assume everyone is lying. That's your job."

He nods. His eyes are wet. Guilty. Genuinely ashamed. "I know."

"What else did you give her?"

"Nothing. Just the cameras."