Part 25 (2/2)
But people changed.
Circ.u.mstances changed.
And when Wagner had been investigating the man who had inherited his mother's fortune, the word he'd heard the most was ”ruthless.”
Ruthless people took out anything that stood in their way.
Including other people.
37.
Flint was staring at a large group of files scattered across the screen when something screeched in his ear. He looked away from the screen, which illuminated the plate-covered table where he and Talia had been working, and stared at the new study groups sitting near the door.
Most of the groups were human although two were Peyti only. No one seemed to have screeched. Then Maxine Van Alen appeared as a small hologram in the middle of all the plates.
Flint jumped.
Talia stared at him. ”You okay, Dad?”
”I . . .” He'd never seen anything quite like it, at least not without a holoreceiver. ”I think someone is trying to contact me.”
”d.a.m.n straight,” Van Alen said in a tiny voice that didn't quite sound like her.
”Let me move somewhere more private,” Flint said to both Talia and Van Alen.
”I'll move,” Talia said. ”I've been sitting too long.”
She stood before he could argue.
”Don't go far,” he said.
She glared at him as if he had just said the stupidest thing ever, and he probably had. As afraid as she was of being hurt, it was clear she would stay within his line of sight.
”What the heck is this holoimage?” Flint asked Van Alen.
”Hmm?” She frowned. Then she looked down at something he couldn't see. ”Oh. Must've been the glitch.”
”Glitch?” he asked.
”We had a . . .” She wavered, disappeared, then reappeared as a free-floating see-through face where Talia had been sitting.
Flint found that a lot more disturbing than the tiny image standing on the table.
”Is your link secure?” Van Alen asked.
”Probably not,” Flint said. ”I'm in a more or less public place. I can contact you back.” She shook her head. ”I don't think there's a need. I can talk to you when you get here.” ”Is there a problem?” Flint asked.
”We don't know,” Van Alen said. ”I want you to check. We had a power flicker.”
”Really?” Flint had seen power flickers during major emergencies, but never at any other time. It was simply too dangerous within the dome. ”Nothing changed here.”
”Oh dear,” Van Alen said. ”I'm beginning to wonder if it was isolated to our building. I'd like you to go through our systems and see.”
Because she trusted him? Or because he worked for free? Or because she just needed some rea.s.surance?
He dismissed that last thought. Van Alen was too self-confident to need rea.s.surance. ”Unless this is a true emergency,” Flint said, ”I'd prefer not to.”
”Given what we discussed earlier today,” Van Alen said, ”I'm worried. I'd like you to check our systems.”
”Given what we talked about,” Flint said, ”and the work Talia and I've been doing, I've come to realize that there are dozens of other possible scenarios. All as or more likely than the one we came up with this afternoon.”
He didn't like talking in code, but he felt it necessary, given the fact that the link wasn't secure. ”That is good news,” Van Alen said.
”None of it is for sure. Just leads to explore. I can come if you think it critical.”
”I don't know what to think,” Van Alen said.
”Do you have any computer or network techs on-site?” Flint asked.
”I've sent for some.”
”Let me send you a series of things they should look for. If they find even one of those things, contact me. I'll come running. Otherwise I'll be there as soon as I finish this research. How's that?”
Van Alen smiled at him. ”Good enough, I think.”
”All right, then,” he said. ”The list is forthcoming.”
He would do it silently and send it through his more secure private link. Then he would return to the research on Bowles.
Van Alen signed off. Flint waved at Talia. She was standing near the pastries display, staring at it as if it were an excellent piece of art.
It took a moment to get her attention. When he did, she smiled at him, and came back so fast it seemed like she had run.
”Problem?” she asked.
”I have no idea,” he said.
”Do we have to leave?” She sounded a little too hopeful.
”Not yet,” he said. ”Let's get back to work.”
She sighed. He silently compiled his list and sent it to Van Alen. Then he returned to the screen that was filled with the downloads from public records all over the sector.
<script>