And then an alarming thought struck her. “Are you there now?”

“Yes. I stopped by. I thought if you were here we might discuss your progress.”

Her heart fluttered in panic. She’d never dreamed Dr. Monnet would be there on Memorial Day. Should she run over? No. She couldn’t go. Not until she contacted Doug and was sure he was all right.

“I… I have other plans.”

“Oh. I see. Excuse me but did you…?” His voice seemed to falter. “Did you say, ‘Doug,’ when you picked up?”

Yes… Doug. A pang of longing seized her. Where are you?

And now, after giving Dr. Monnet a lengthy cock-and-bull story Saturday about how they were just acquaintances, how was she going to explain this?

“Yes. He, um, asked me out to dinner last night and never showed up. And now his phone is out of service. I’m worried.”

“Because he’s an old friend.”

Nadia wasn’t sure if that was a statement or a question. Either way, Dr. Monnet’s voice was rich with concern.

“Yes,” she said. “I’m going over there to check on him personally.”

“Do you really think that’s wise?”

An odd question. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll meet you there.”

“No. That’s not at all necessary. Besides, he’s all the way over in DUMBO.”

“DUMBO?”

“Yes. It’s in Brooklyn—Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.”

“That doesn’t matter. Douglas Gleason is a valued employee. I insist. Give me his address.”

Nadia didn’t know what else to do. She gave him the address and he said he would meet her there.

This strange turn baffled Nadia, but at least Dr. Monnet would be leaving the lab. He hadn’t mentioned the Berzerk in the imager, which meant he hadn’t looked. Sometime today she had to get back there and clean up.

But Doug came first…Her worry for him blotted out all other concerns.

2

Luc stood outside the brick-faced apartment building on Water Street, one of many along the block. He looked up at the blue underbelly of the Manhattan Bridge; he could hear the traffic rumbling across. An odd place to live, but he supposed one had to live somewhere. Perhaps the view of the city at night made it worthwhile.

He’d already been up to Gleason’s apartment. He’d knocked and tried the door, but it was locked. Too bad. He was hardly eager to see Gleason’s corpse, but if he’d been able to get in, he at least could have found the body himself, sparing Nadia the trauma.

Luc had told Prather he wanted Gleason handled differently this time. Macintosh had simply disappeared—bought a round-trip ticket to Chicago and never came back. He’d had no close friends, and when his family came looking, no one had any useful information, least of all his puzzled and concerned employers.

Gleason, on the other hand, was anything but a loner. And having a second GEM employee simply vanish—especially one with friends on the sales force, connections to dozens of doctors and their staffs, and a longtime relationship with Nadia—would make too many waves. It might even raise an official eyebrow, prompting an investigation into the whereabouts of both men. The last thing Luc wanted.