Page 37 of Flash Freeze

“Is that all you needed?” Walsh asked. His muscles tensed as if he were about to bolt.

In a cool, dispassionate voice, Bach said, “Does your manager, Mr. Booker, know that you’re related to Lone Star Industrial’s chief attorney, Ms. Claire Buchanan?” He lifted his gaze to Walsh. Athena watched the young man’s jaw drop and his face pale.

His breath quickened, and he reached to adjust his tie, only he wasn’t wearing one. “I,” he stammered, closing and opening his mouth. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“A great deal, Mr. Walsh,” Athena declared, “and you know it.”

“It, it never came up in my interview with HR,” he finally sputtered out. “I have excellent references, was an honor graduate from a prestigious business school, and—”

“And landed the perfect position from which to conduct corporate espionage for Lone Star,” Bach concluded.

“Espionage?” he squeaked. “I’m not a spy! And I had nothing to do with the bomb, or the fire, or what happened to Mr. Nolan.”

“But you were in a position to ensure he received the most damaging version of safety reports at the top of the paper pile,” Athena said. “And you were right there, typing correspondence, privy to appointments, viewing shipping and receiving manifests. No one paid attention to you, but you overheard everything that was said, saw everything that happened in that office.”

“I never stole anything!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t copy files or download records. I just do my job.”

“And answer your aunt’s questions,” Bach pushed. “Point the inspector toward violations to ensure Lone Star Industrial was chosen for the big contract rather than Gulf Allied Chemicals.”

Eyes wide and breath racing, his eyes darted from one interrogator to the other. “Look. Gulf Allied was going to be cited. Mr. Booker even knew it. He was so mad at the board and the CEO because they weren’t doing anything. Maybe I put the most damaging reports at the top of the stack, so what? The EPA inspector would have found them eventually. And families talk about work sometimes.”

Athena pinned him with a flat expression. “Your aunt paid your tuition. Did she suggest you apply for a job at Gulf Allied?”

He swallowed, realization dawning on his face. “She said she wanted her nephew to get the best education, and she might have mentioned there was an opening at Gulf Allied. I wanted to work at her company, but they weren’t hiring after I graduated. She said that if I got on at Gulf Allied, I’d gain valuable experience and could move over to Lone Star later when something became available. But I wasn’t spying.”

Athena leaned back and narrowed her eyes on Walsh.

“I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong,” he insisted, his hands trembling on the table.

“Legally, you’re walking a very thin line,” Bach said. “We can investigate you to find out if any company information changed hands, if maybe you did make copies to pass to Ms. Buchanan, or if you took any action to undermine Gulf Allied.”

“I didn’t, I swear!” Walsh threw up his hands as tears formed in the corners of his eyes. “I’ve got a fiancée. I can’t get fired or go to jail.”

“There are other branches of the FBI that deal with corporate espionage, which is a grievous crime,” Athena said. “But Detective Bach and I are focusing our investigation on the bomb, fire, and four deaths. What information did you pass to your aunt about Nolan’s inspection?”

“Only what days he was scheduled to be there,” he spilled hurriedly. “And she said something like, what a shame it would be if he found serious violations and Gulf Allied was cited again. No mention of a bomb or fire. Aunt Claire would never break the law, much less be a part of any plot where someone got killed. She’s not that kind of person.”

His gaze kept tracking between Athena and Bach. “She’s nice. She didn’t say, ‘I’ll pay for your education if you do favors for me.’ She just did it because my parents couldn’t afford it and she loves me. You’re acting like she planned this all along, using me to get the dirt on her company’s competition. That’s not true!” He shouted the last part and blinked away tears.

“Mr. Walsh,” Athena addressed him in a milder tone. “Did you overhear any conversations in the office between employees in which Nolan or the inspection were the topic?”

He composed himself and nodded. “Plenty. It’s all anyone was talking about.”

“What did they say?” asked Bach.

“Everyone was nervous about it. They talked in whispers, things like, ‘What if we get shut down? How will I make my house payment?’ and ‘Do you think Whitmore will pay them off again?’ Stuff like that. Before you ask, no, I didn’t hear any threats against the inspector. Besides, if he hadn’t been in there trying to dig up financial discrepancies, he would have been safe from the explosion and fire.”

Athena exchanged a glance with Bach. They knew that wasn’t true but hadn’t told the press Nolan was murdered before the bomb went off. They were holding back the reveal for a few more days.

“I’m sorry he died,” Walsh added softly. “And Pedro and Patricia. David was always nice to me. He was a really good guy. His poor family. Nolan might be who the FBI cares about, but three other people died in that fire. I think someone ought to care about their deaths too."

Athena looked straight into his eyes. “I do. Whoever set the bomb, causing the fire, is responsible for all their deaths, and I will hold that person accountable—even if it turns out to be you.”

The interview ended with Bach warning Walsh not to leave the county as he wasn’t out of the woods yet, and they returned to check on the team in the bullpen.

“It wasn’t him,” Athena said. “And I don’t think he clued into the fact Buchanan was using him as one of Kerrington’s ‘little birdies’ until just now.” She turned toward her agents. “Campbell, I want a tap on Keaton Walsh’s phone. Where’s Agent Shoops?”

Campbell glanced up. “In the visitors’ lounge with Mr. Ellis, waiting for you.”