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“But he’ll know I switched—”
“It’s an exact duplicate, complete with screen saver and apps.”
“But if he tries to use it?”
“He won’t use it while I’m meeting with him. And once I’m gone, just keep him busy. I won’t be long. Then I’ll sneak back up and switch them back.”
“My God, do you know how many things could go wrong with that plan? And I would be in so much trouble.”
“It’s the only way to get to the truth, Michelle. If there were another way, I’d do it.”
“Look, Travis, I don’t really know you that well. And I’ve known Brad much longer. I know he can be a prick, but—”
“The Locust Group.”
“What?”
“The Locust Group. It owns your building. It owns the Lombard Theater. And it owns the brownstone where your buddy Christian Chilton lives.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Sara told Jennifer Stamos to check out the Lombard Theater. She was worried. She was scared. Then she ended up murdered. I checked the property records and found it was owned by the Locust Group. Just like your walk-up. I’m pretty sure Cowl is the Locust Group.”
“It’s not a crime to own property.”
“It is a crime to kill people, Michelle.”
“But you have no proof that Brad—”
“Give me the phone and I’ll try to find that proof. The fact is there’s an entire floor here that’s off-limits. I thought it was the firm’s high-frequency trading platform, but it’s not. It’s something else. And I need to find out what it is. I’m betting Cowl’s phone, which he uses like my security card, will get me in there.”
“But why are you doing this? Because of Sara Ewes?”
“Partly.”
“Were you more than just professional colleagues? And don’t lie to me.”
“We were more. We . . . I thought she could be the one, in fact. For me.”
“Did you sleep together?”
“Once. And then she broke it off. Now I think I know the reason.”
“Which is?”
“She was in love with someone else. A woman.”
Montgomery drew a long breath. “What’s the other reason you’re doing this, besides Sara?”
“You just have to trust me on that, Michelle. I took a big risk telling you all this. You could easily run to Cowl and tell him everything. But I trust you not to. Will you do the same for me? Will you trust me?”
An excruciatingly long moment passed, and Devine held his breath for all of it. Then she slowly held the phone out. He took it and handed her the fake one.
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
She didn’t look at him.
The security app was already pulled up on the phone screen. Cowl had no doubt done that before handing the phone off to Montgomery. Devine used it to get them on the elevator.
