“That may be the problem.”
Megan’s expression hardened.
“The problem is that people believe violence can erase facts.”
“And you believe facts make you invincible.”
“No.
I learned three years ago they make you a target.”
Neither spoke for several seconds.
Then Gabriel said, “What was in the file?”
Megan looked toward Sofia.
“Names.
Transactions.
Interviews.
Connections between people who pretend not to know each other.”
“Copies?”
She thought of the orange flash, the desk, the encrypted drives, the pages lifting in fire.
“I don’t know what survived.”
“Who knew where you kept it?”
“Too many people knew I was working on the investigation.
Almost nobody knew what I had.”
Gabriel absorbed that without expression.
“So someone became afraid of what you were close to proving.”
“Yes.”
“And after failing to kill you, they placed someone at your hospital door.”
“Yes.”
“And approached your former husband.”
Her hands tightened around the blanket Rosa had given her.
“Yes.”
Gabriel leaned back.
“They are escalating because the fire did not solve their problem.”
Megan stared at him.
“You say that as though it should comfort me.”
“It should tell you something.”
“What?”
“They are still afraid.”
That sentence stayed with her after Rosa returned and insisted Megan take the medication the hospital should have been safely administering.
It stayed with her after Gabriel moved his chair closer to the doorway and dimmed the lights.
And it stayed with her when she finally woke several hours later and discovered he had kept his word.
He was still there.
Morning turned the windows gray.
Gabriel stood by the glass speaking quietly to one of his men.
The moment he noticed Megan was awake, the conversation ended.
She pushed herself upright.
“What happened?”
“Sofia is eating pancakes with Rosa.”
“That isn’t what I meant.”
“I know.”
“Then tell me.”
“The man outside your room disappeared before my people could reach him.”
Her stomach tightened.
“But?”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“You know there is a but?”
“There is always a but when someone starts with bad news.”
“One of the men watching the hospital service exits made a mistake.
We know what vehicle collected him.”
“Can you trace it?”
