Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 93984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Silence lengthened and then they finally heard the clomp of her heels as she approached the door to leave the room. Justin nodded, and Gabriel pulled open the door. Gretchen Lornamen came to a sharp halt, her phone clutched tightly in her fist. She blinked in surprise and took an unsteady step back as if to let them pass.
A handsome woman, she looked to be in her late fifties with dark hair threaded with gray. She had the no-nonsense feel of a ruthless businesswoman, but there was something more in her pale-green eyes that had Justin hesitating.
“Excuse me,” she said with a brittle smile. “I was just taking a quick phone call.”
“That’s quite all right, Ms. Lornamen,” Justin replied easily, smiling at her in hopes of putting her more at ease, though he was sure it was unlikely. “We were hoping to have a moment of your time to discuss a small matter.”
He took another step into the room that looked as if it was an office. A sturdy oak desk faced the center of the room while windows lined two walls. There were several bookshelves filled with leather-bound hardbacks. His feet moved from hardwood to the thick Persian rug.
Behind him, Gabriel softly closed the door. He glanced to find the assassin standing in front of it. He was sure that it wasn’t so much to keep Gretchen trapped as it was to listen for anyone approaching the room. Not that she would pick up on that.
“What do you wish to discuss?” she said. Justin knew the warmth that she infused in those words was as fake as the smile she graced them with, because her eyes would not leave Gabriel.
“Iaso Health.”
Gretchen’s eyes snapped to Justin and flashed with rage for only a second before she got her emotions under control. “I’m no longer associated with Iaso. I can’t help you. Try contacting their investor relations or even their new chairman, Dane Hamilton, if you wish to know more.”
“Well, my concern with Iaso is in regard to the deaths of Dr. Kevin Weiss and Dr. Kristen Jones.”
Gretchen grew pale and retreated. She rested her hand on the edge of the desk for support. “Yes, Kevin’s and Kristen’s deaths were unfortunate and very untimely. They both did some amazing work for Iaso over the years. We were all saddened by the news.”
Justin believed her. He wasn’t sure if she knew the two researchers personally, but she did take their deaths very personally. It made sense that she would be the one to take out the contract in an effort to get justice for them.
But judging by the flash in her eyes and the tremble in her voice, Gretchen would be very grateful if Dane Hamilton was the killer’s next target.
“It seems a strange coincidence that both doctors died so suddenly, and they were both on the research team for Iaso’s new drug, Siltryptrose.”
“How do you know that?” Gretchen demanded sharply. She pushed away from the desk and took a couple of steps closer to Justin. The hand holding her cell phone shook slightly. “No one but the executive team at Iaso and the FDA is aware of who is on the research team for that project. Are you reporters?”
“No.”
“Police?”
“Definitely not,” Gabriel said with a small smirk.
“Then I’m calling the police. You shouldn’t know what you do about the research team. If there’s a security breach, then it must be dealt with immediately.” She lifted her phone, using her fingerprint to unlock it, but she didn’t get any further.
“You can call them, but that could make things very awkward, since we might be the men you hired to find Kevin and Kristen’s killer.”
Gretchen’s cell fell from her limp hand and gave a muffled thump when it hit the ornate rug. Her face had turned ghostly white, and she retreated until she bumped against the desk.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stammered, her voice losing all of its earlier authority.
Justin sighed and closed the distance between them. “I would really prefer to skip this part since our time is limited.” Carefully, he took Gretchen’s arm and directed her to a leather chair in front of the desk while he sat in the one next to her. “We know that you took out the contract. You want the killer and the person who hired the hit eliminated. You also want the proof that Siltryptrose is deadly.”
“But…but you’re not supposed to know who put out the contract. I was told that my identity would be kept anonymous,” she argued.
“Yes, well…there are ways of accomplishing that, but I’m guessing you didn’t know what you were doing when you hired an assassin. Let’s hope that it teaches you to either not use this person again or never put out another contract like this.”
“Hopefully the latter,” Gabriel added, and Gretchen nodded in dazed agreement.