So Prather had been instructed to make Gleason’s death look like a botched robbery. Very tragic and very final. And to cover all bases, Luc had requested a little vandalism as well—specifically, the theft of Gleason’s company laptop and the destruction of his home computer if he had one.

That was why he’d insisted on meeting Nadia here—to help minimize the trauma of her finding an old friend dead. Even so, she wasn’t going to be much use as a researcher for the next few days.

And every single day counted, damn it!

Luc paced the sidewalk. He wanted to see Nadia face-to-face. He’d experienced a moment of panic this morning when he’d checked the office and learned that she hadn’t signed in. Was it because of the holiday or fatigue, or something else? He needed to look into her eyes. He’d know in an instant if she suspected him of being connected to Berzerk.

A cab pulled into the curb and Nadia alighted. Her face was drawn, pale. She looked worried.

“Good morning,” Luc said.

She nodded. “I hope it is,” she said. “You really didn’t have to—”

“Let’s not discuss that anymore,” he told her. “I am here. What floor is Douglas on?”

“Top floor—the tenth.”

At that moment she looked squarely at him and he saw no sign of fear or distrust, only concern—not for or about him but for her missing friend.

Deep concern. Warning prickles raced along his scalp and gathered at the back of his neck. Too deep perhaps for someone she’d described as “just a friend of the family”?

“How will we get into his apartment?”

“I have a key,” she said, moving ahead of him.

As Luc followed her to the elevator, a lump in his gut told him that there had to be more to this relationship than Nadia had let on.

At Gleason’s door he hid his unease and waited as Nadia knocked and called. Finally, when she inserted her key in the lock, he acted.

“Allow me,” he said, gripping the doorknob as the bolt snapped back. “Just in case.”

“In case of what?” she said, blanching.

“Something may not be right here.”

He pushed the door open and went in first, Nadia right behind him. A few steps took him down the short entry hall until he could see the overturned furniture in the living room. He turned quickly and gripped her upper arms to keep her from coming any farther.

“Wait. Don’t go in there. Something’s happened.”

“What?” Her eyes went wide and wild as she tore loose and fought past him. “What do you mean?”

Luc followed and almost plowed into her as she skidded to a stop on the living room threshold. The couch lay tipped over onto its back, a coffee table was flush against the opposite wall, and a floor lamp lay on the floor.

“Ohmigod!” she cried, hands to her mouth. “Ohmigod!”

Her shoulder bag tumbled to the floor as she darted off in another direction, moving deeper into the apartment, Luc at her heels. No stopping her. As she turned left into what looked like a bedroom, Luc wheeled right and found a room that looked like an office. As he heard doors slamming in the other room and then in the hallway, he noted briefly with satisfaction that the desktop computer’s mini tower had been ripped apart, its contents strewn about the room. The hard drive lay bent and cracked open, damaged beyond repair.