Finally, she began losing steam. As she wound down, Jack eased back into the larger duct and positioned himself facing the way he’d come. He turned on his headlamp and narrowed the beam to check his watch. Barely past nine-thirty. He’d be back on the street before eleven—hopefully with the answers to some of his questions.

All he had to do was wait until the meeting was over, then see where the other side chose to hash over Alicia’s proposal.

Jack didn’t have to wait long or go far. Sean presented Alicia’s asking price of ten million dollars, Haffner expressed shock—genuine, Jack was sure—then tried to bargain her down. But Alicia held firm and finally Haffner said, Thenk-yew-veddy-much, and the room emptied out.

Jack gave them a few minutes, and was about to crawl back toward Haffner’s office when he heard the conference door open.

“You can have the room as long as you want,” Haffner said. “I’ll be in my office should you need me.”

Jack wedged himself into the duct in time to see the door close, leaving Thomas and the Middle East guy together. Neither sat down.

“Ten million,” Thomas said, shaking his head in what might have been admiration. “Christ, she’s got balls.” He glanced at his companion. “Well, Kemel, what’s it going to be? Are your people going to go for it?”

“I do not see that we have a choice,” the guy called Kemel said. His accent was definitely Middle East, but his English had a faintly British accent. He spoke rapidly, clipping his words.

“You’ve got to be kidding! You heard Haffner. He’s sure he can get the will set aside. Ten million for that place? That’s crazy.”

Jack too was shocked. He’d hauled that asking price out of the air, never dreaming they’d even consider it.

“My people want this matter settled. It has dragged on too long. And after all, what is ten million against what we will gain by keeping it out of the wrong hands? A pittance.”

The wrong hands? Jack thought, mentally rubbing his own hands together. He was hot, sweaty, and cramped, but suddenly that no longer mattered. Now we’re getting to the good stuff. Keep going.

“A pittance to you, maybe. But a hell of a lot of money for something that might not be there.”

“If it is not, it is of no loss to you. It is not your money.”

“Yeah, but then Alicia will be a millionaire and I’ll have zilch. Less than zilch. I quit my job to help you with this.”

“You are being well compensated. And don’t forget that you will have the house—after all, we are buying it in your name.”