“Where’d you get it?”

“I stole it, of course. While everyone was beating the bushes for assassins and trying to save your partner’s life, I decided to do some shopping in Benicio’s closet. I have a nice pair of diamond cuff links in the car too.”

Griffin scowled, as if not quite certain Karl was joking. When we got onto the elevator, he covered the panel as he entered the code, just in case.

HOPE OVERTIME

HOPE

OVERTIME

When we reached William’s office, the door was open and there was no sign of an occupant. Griffin went in first, circled the room, then came out and said, “He’s not here.”

I stepped inside. Papers were scattered across an otherwise pristine desk, a briefcase sat on a chair and a suit jacket hung behind the door. Karl picked up the jacket. Griffin’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m thinking of taking this too,” Karl said. “You don’t mind, do you?”

He gave the jacket a shake. At a jingle, he reached into a pocket and fished out a set of keys.

“So he hasn’t gone far,” I said. “Where’s the nearest bathroom?”

Griffin walked to a closed door that I’d presumed was a closet, and opened it to reveal a dark and empty bathroom.

“Water cooler? Vending machine? Photocopier?”

He pointed to the cooler and an all-in-one printer. “There are no vending machines on this floor. If he wants something, he calls.”

He crossed the room and picked up the phone, and I thought he was just being sarcastic—demonstrating—but he pushed a button and murmured something.

“Maybe he stepped out to stretch his legs,” I said to Karl. “Can you tell?”

“Only that he’s been in here recently. I could try tracking him, but he’s been in and out of here so often that unless he went someplace he doesn’t normally go, it would be difficult to find a fresh trail.”

“Do you smell anything else?”

“Blood? No.”

I closed my eyes, but all I could pick up was a general sense of unease and distrust emanating from Griffin.

“He left this floor at nine-thirty,” Griffin said, startling me.

“What?”

“The elevator access records show he went down to the fourth floor at nine-thirty, but never came back up.”

“What’s on the fourth floor?”

“Lots of things.”

He was out the door before I could get another word in.

“Karl?” I said. “Can you tell whether anyone else was in here with William?”

“I can try.”

He walked to the doorway and dropped to his haunches. Griffin strode back as if just realizing we weren’t behind him.

“Are you com—?”

Seeing Karl, he stopped and let out a snort of disgust. Karl ignored it, inhaled, then stood and brushed off his trousers.

“There seems to be a recent second trail, but that was probably whoever dropped off dinner.”

“Are you coming now?” Griffin snapped.