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Checking the ashes in the wastebasket and satisfied there was nothing left to see, he marched from the office and ran into Benny and Joe coming down the stairs.
“We found the apartment,” Benny said softly, “but it was just like the office.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Marco muttered under his breath, not stopping and heading directly for the door.
They strode across the street, and as the boys climbed into the front of the Subaru, Marco slipped into the back seat.
“I have an unexpected appointment in the morning, so I’ll be taking Steph back to the compound tonight,” he declared. “Go there now and make sure everything’s secure.”
“Sure, boss. Is there a problem?”
“I’m not sure how to answer that question. I’ll fill you in later,” he said grimly, then pausing, he added, “Benny, do you have equipment with you to check our cars right now?”
“Sure do. I never leave home without the basics.”
“Do it, and make sure we have no trackers. I want to go back to the lodge tomorrow afternoon.”
“Sure thing,” Benny replied. “I’ll do your Rover first. It won’t take long.”
Climbing from the car, Benny moved to the back of his car and opened the tailgate.
“You found something in the office,” Joe said quietly, a statement not a question.
“I sure as hell did,” Marco replied solemnly. “When we get back I’ll fill you in, then we’ll check out the flash drive and take it from there.”
“Any idea what’s on it?”
“I wouldn’t hazard a guess. After everything that’s happened, it could be anything.”
* * *
Max Steadman, greatly relieved, stood behind venetian blinds and watched from his real apartment on the fourth floor. As soon as Marco left, he’d returned to his actual office, adjacent to the one in which Marco had found the envelope.
In spite of what the letter said, he and Marco’s father Carlo had been like brothers, and in Carlo’s last days he had asked Max to watch over his son.
“You don’t have to ask, Carlo. That’s a given,” Max had promised. “If he strays into areas he shouldn’t I’ll do everything I can to bring him back to center.”
Max let out a heavy sigh.
Marco had involved himself with evil, sinister forces, not for the huge profits to be made, but for the greater good.
Chapter 18
Sitting in the Subaru and waiting for Benny to finish his hunt for trackers on the Range Rover, disturbing questions fired through Marco’s head.
The detective’s office and apartment had been emptied, but according to Benny’s research, Steadman had been there for decades. He would have accumulated a great deal. What could have terrified the seasoned detective so much he would go to such extreme lengths, and how could he have picked up and left with years of his life without a trace—and apparently so quickly? His plaque was still on the door of his office.
Marco’s next questions were even more concerning.
The man claimed to care about Steph, but the Zeppelins killed first and asked questions later. Why had he put her in danger and given her the flash drive and photograph? Were they the reason her apartment had been ransacked?
“None of this makes any sense,” Marco muttered. “What the hell is going on?”
Make sure you’re always the puppeteer and not the puppet.
His father’s words echoed through his head.
“The Rover’s clean, boss,” Benny declared, climbing back into the car. “We can take off.”
