“It doesn’t matter whether the guy knew how to open it or if it would’ve blown up in his face. What matters is figuring out where this drug, or whatever, really is.” He folded the map and tucked it into the pocket of his jeans.

“I’ll have to tell Meg, Felipe, or even Brent. They’ve been with me since like forever. I trust them.”

“If you say so.”

“Look, if this map really leads to something, then I won’t be able to get to it on my own. People will have to find out about it eventually.”

“Then keep it secret from everyone except from those closest to you, and reveal what you know about it to everyone else only once you’re ready to make a move.”

That wasn’t bad advice, actually. “Yeah, okay. Close the safe.”

James pressed a button, and the screen turned off, then the wall came back into place.

“How come no one accidentally opened this?” I asked. “Surely, someone must have touched that chair before.”

James took hold of the chair and flipped it over. “I pressed this.” He pointed at a black button at the back of the seat.

“Can you lift that thing up a bit more? I want to see it better.”

He did as I asked and as I squinted at the button, I realized it was more than just that. “I think it’s another fingerprint scanner.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I think so. That’s why it opened for you, along with the safe.”

“But why put a bomb...?” He went quiet. “It was a test.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I thought my father didn’t tell me anything about this because he didn’t believe I’d ever need to know, but now I think it was a test. If I was brave enough to try the scanner, despite the risk of getting blown to bits, then I was worthy of getting whatever was inside it.”

I made a face. “Yeah, that sounds like your father.” Only someone as psychotic as Desmond would get such an idea, even if his office and half of the house blew to pieces. “Wait, do you think it was fake? The bomb alert?”

“Probably not.”

“Okay, let’s get out of here. My men will be here soon. I don’t want them to wonder where we are.”

“Good idea.”

As we headed outside, I glanced at James, wondering if I should contact his mother and ask if there was any chance Desmond wasn’t really his father, because I kind of liked our little team-up today. A little too much, probably.

Chapter 13