Page 56 of Flash Freeze

“And the phones,” Agent Howard added.

“And, like it or not, you’ve got me back.”

Athena twisted to spot Detective Bach pouring himself a cup of coffee from the station in the corner. She gave him an approving nod. “Excellent. Now, let’s discover the identity of the Nexus person. I want to reinterview both Whitmore and Kerrington. I know they’ll bring their lawyers, but they could still let information slip.”

“Let me put some pressure on them,” Bach offered, “see if we can get them to come to us this time.”

“All right,” Athena agreed.

“I wiggled a little more out of the damaged disks,” Paulson reported, “but found nothing new. I thought I’d broaden the search into employees’ financial records to see if anything stands out. If Booker had a shell company to hide the under-the-table profits in, whoever Nexus is must be putting their share somewhere.”

“Good,” Athena replied. “Shoops, dig deeper into the employees’ histories, families, and other connections. If Whitmore’s security guy engaged in an affair with an eco-activist, maybe someone who worked in the plant did too. Howard, I want you to focus on a new angle. See if somebody unaffiliated with Gulf Allied Chemicals or Lone Star had a beef with Inspector Nolan. These illegal product sales might be totally unrelated to the homicide. Look at his wife, co-workers, individuals, and companies that sent him hate mail or filed complaints. Who was he scheduled to inspect next?”

She pivoted toward Ice and Hernandez, then recalled she should show interest in their lives. I’m their supervisor, not a stone-cold dictator.

“Agent Hernandez, did you get everything squared away at home from the tree? Do you require any assistance?”

The brawny man smiled. “Thanks to the saints and angels looking out for me, everything will be fine.”

Athena frowned. A tree significantly damaged his car. How was that evidence of God’s agents looking out for him?

“It could have been so much worse,” he added, “if it had hit the house instead. My little girl’s bedroom was right there, but the wind blew the tree onto the driveway instead. That’s a blessing, boss.”

Her frown dissipated, and she nodded. “You’re correct. It’s also a blessing to see those silver linings, Hernandez. Everyone, take notice. Now, if you two will focus on service company vendors who made regular stops at the Gulf Allied plant. Who was contracted for their laundry service, vending machines, copier repair, hazardous waste removal, and pest control? Check out truck drivers from outside suppliers—anyone with a legitimate reason to enter the facility. Any one of them could be Nexus.”

“We’re on it,” Ice said, and moved to his desk.

“I’ll be in my office.” Athena carried her coffee cup in and checked her emails before calling the lab for an update. “Were you able to establish the presence of blood on the wrenches my agents brought in?”

“No blood,” the tech confirmed. “We were able to reconstruct the explosive device but pulled no fingerprints from the pieces. HPD is trying to track down where the components could have been purchased, but none were unique. If you find the remote detonation device, we might be able to match it.”

“Thank you. Keep me updated.”

She looked over to find Bach lounging in her doorway, a triumphant look on his stubbled face. “I persuaded them both to come here.”

“Oh?” Athena arched a brow. “Did you employ your inexhaustible charm on them?”

“I convinced each CEO that the negative publicity their companies were about to receive after our press conference this afternoon, when we tell the public how uncooperative they’ve been in a case where both are prime suspects, wasn’t worth it. If they wanted their reputations to remain intact, they would be here this morning.”

Impressive, she thought, presenting a blank expression. She blinked. “Do we have a press conference this afternoon?”

Bach shrugged. “We might. Right now, they’re only talking about the weather, but sooner or later, that’ll get old. And if we learn anything probative, we could certainly call a press conference to announce it.”

It took all the discipline Athena could muster not to mirror his grin. “You best not employ such sneaky tactics when dealing with my Agent Shoops.”

“Never,” he swore. “I think she’s cute, and we both know she’s smart. Never fear, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bouvier—I am a consummate gentleman.”

“You’re a flirt.”

“Can’t a guy be both?” Bach cocked his head at her, his smile remaining firm.

“Let’s get ready to knock these CEOs down to size, shall we?”

CEO Amanda Kerrington arrived first, accompanied by her attorney, Claire Buchanan, and her personal bodyguard, Ray Adebayo. After opening pleasantries and informing them the interview was being recorded, Athena cut to the chase.

“Ms. Buchanan, I debated bringing Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Harmon to this interview to discuss corporate espionage with you as it relates to your nephew, Keaton Walsh. But I’m more interested in the attack on Gulf Allied Chemicals and EPA Inspector Jeff Nolan’s murder.”

The refined professional lifted her chin, tossing her red hair, and crossed her arms. “Having a relative working for a competitor isn’t a crime. It happens all the time, and you have zero evidence of wrongdoing, or he and I would be under arrest.”