“No. That’s what we’re trying to figure out, though I’m afraid it might be one of your employees. We might have to shut down the dig for a short time while we—”
Vautour cut him off. “Absolutely not. In fact, you need to stop these interrogations right now and get to work.”
Ford cocked his head even though Vautour couldn’t see. “Sir, you don’t understand what we’re dealing with. We can’t continue without finding out who the thief is.”
“You can and you will. I’m not paying you to take days off questioningmyemployees... or frolicking in the jungle with your sexy little assistant.”
A lump caught in Ford’s throat. How did he know aboutthat? He couldn’t have Vautour thinking all he was doing there was fucking around. Sure, there wassomeof that going on, but both Ford and Corrie took their jobs seriously. Besides, what they did in their private time really wasn’t anyone’s business. Not even Vautour’s.
“Sir, I don’t know what you’ve heard, but—”
“You can stop right there. I don’t need your excuses or your lies. That’s what you were going to do, after all, isn’t that right? Tell me I have it all wrong? That you weren’t found sneaking off in the middle of the night groping that woman under the cover of the jungle?”
Guiles.
Ford should have known, what with Guiles’s watchful eye and tattletale mouth. Vautour’s spy. Guess Lance wasn’t able to convince him to keep quiet after all.
“You’re lucky I don’t fire you on the spot. But maybe we’ll leave that up to Yale and whether they want to fire you for fraternizing with a student intern. If you don’t start producing, then I might have to let them know.”
Wait. Vautour thought Ford was messing around with Sunny? And—hold on a minute—was he blackmailing Ford?
“Sir... are you threatening me?”
“Call it whatever you’d like. I’m paying you to do a job, Dr. Matthews, and I expect that it’s going to get done. I want that goddamn knife and I want it now. Not a month from now. Not a year. The longer you’re out there, the more suspicion it raises. If that means I have to apply a little more pressure on you, then so be it.”
The hell with that. Ford wasn’t going to play this game. “Then I quit.”
He’d find some other way to earn the money to pay for hismother’s treatments. Extra courses. Teaching gigs at other schools. Hell, he’d even take up the library’s offer to do a ten-week speaking series that paid only seventy-five dollars a pop if it meant maintaining his integrity. Vautour could take his threats and shove them right up his pompous asshole.
So why was Vautour laughing?
“I don’t think so,” Vautour said, his voice unwavering. “This is not only your reputation we’re dealing with here, Dr. Matthews. If you quit, then I’ll make sure each and every person on your team never sets foot on an archaeological dig again. And that tasty treat you’ve got? Well, I hear she’s quite the looker. I can’t wait to see the photos my man got of the two of you by the waterfall this afternoon. I’m sure others will be interested in them, too.”
Fire surged through Ford’s veins as his grip tightened around the phone. It was one thing to threaten him. Ruin his reputation, fine. There wasn’t much left of it after he’d pissed off Dr. Crawley, anyway. But it was another thing entirely to threaten his team.
And Vautour would be damned if he thought he could soil Corrie’s reputation and violate her privacy by capturing nude photographs of her.
“Listen, motherfucker—” Ford growled.
But Vautour cut him off again. “No! You listen, you insignificant pillock!” The spittle practically seeped through the phone. “I don’t give a shit about your self-righteous ideals. The minute you accepted my offer, you stepped into a whole new ball game, Dr. Matthews, and this one doesn’t have rules. Now, you’re going to get me thatfuckingknife. But don’t test me or Iwilldestroy you and everyone and everything you care about. You have one week.”
Click.
What the hell just happened? Ford stood motionless, stunned by Vautour’s reaction. Vautour hadn’t ever given Ford warm fuzzies but up until that moment, he’d also never given off criminal vibes. He never should have taken this job.
Never in his life had Ford felt so powerless. He stared at the phone. It felt heavy and dangerous. As if he was holding the weight of everyone’s lives in his hands. A burden for him to carry. Alone.
A sinking nausea settled over him. There would be no getting out of this unscathed. No scenario could guarantee a positive outcome. Because no matter how Ford proceeded—standing up for his morals or standing up for the others—he’d be destroyed regardless.
If he was truly being honest with himself, he could admit that he’d compromised his morals the minute he took the job. Took the job right out from under Corrie.
Was this who he was? Was he any better than Vautour?
He glanced around the camp—at Ethan, at Sunny, at Agnes, at the other interns and workers—and guilt washed over him. Guilt that all of them were there because of him. Unknowingly putting their livelihoods in his hands.
He could never let them take the fall for his mistakes.
Then Corrie walked into his line of sight. An ache swelled in his heart. Not an ache over the fear that he was going to lose her after this. That much he was certain of. An aching at the thought of her getting hurt. He couldn’t let that happen. Wouldn’t let that happen.
