Then I lift my eyes and jump imperceptibly as I see that Logan’s been watching me, a smirk on his face. I close the notepad quickly and clear my throat.
“So, find the rat, and kill it,” I order.
“That’s what we’ve been trying to do,” he says, “but not very successfully, so far.”
Vale runs a hand through his hair. “Are we sure thereisa rat? What proof do we have?”
“No proof, not really. Just a gut feeling.”
He sniggers. “Right. I didn’t realize we were running Devil on gut feelings.”
“Well, more than a gut feeling,” says Logan defensively. “This whole situation just stinks. Where’s the nanochip? How did the pet manage to get to it at just the right time, the moment the cameras were turned off, right after Angel left it, and a minute before our men arrived? It was too perfectly timed.”
“She’s innocent,” I snarl, before I can help myself.
“Sure, sure,” he says loyally, as Vale turns a searching gaze toward me. “I’m not saying she meant to do it,” he continues. “Iamsaying, though, that someone had access to all the information about the handover, down to the precise timing. It’s just too much of a coincidence otherwise. And she couldn’t have worked alone, anyway—”
“She didn’t work alone,” says Everest, “because she didn’t work at all. She’s not involved. Or, as you say, if she is, it’s in spite of herself. I can easily imagine someone else noticing that she’s a prolific shoplifter, and deciding she’d be the perfect fall guy. Orgirl. Whatever.”
I feel a surge of gratitude toward him. Not only because his quick defense of her has covered mine, which I know risks coming off as weakness, but also because he’s just suggested the first plausible explanation to what happened.
“Exactly,” says Logan, his eyes still on me, and I nod slightly. My gratitude to Logan is even greater, because I know he doesn’t quite believe her innocence. But he’s backing me up, as always. “And that’s why,” he adds, “we know there’s a rat. Someone who’s had access to the surveillance, and has spotted her.”
“Or she’s just a particularly bad shoplifter, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to spot her,” grumbles Vale.
“Okay. But someone knew about the nanochip being handed over at that exact time. Someone knew about her. Someone knows enough to be tipping off the Feds, because they are getting too close for comfort.”
I nod. “So, let’s kill the rat.”
“Yup. Let’s kill the rat.”
-
Everest corners me in the hallway, but he doesn’t need to look so nervous. After his show of support, I’ve already decided to relent… somewhat.
“Go ahead,” I mutter. “You can go see her.”
“Thanks,” he beams. Then his face falls. “Seeher? I can’t take her out?”
I turn a glare at him that makes him crumple in disappointment.
“I didn’t even know I wasn’t allowed to see her,” he protests.
“Now you are. For one hour on Mondays.”
“So you just downgraded things,” he says.
“Take it or leave it. I don’t know why you care so much anyway. You’re gay.”
“Asexual,” he corrects me. “And I don’t care that much about her. I care that she’s our captive.”
“My captive.”
“Yeah, yeah. I just want to make things a little easier for her. It’s the least we can do. She must be bored out of her mind.”
I smirk. “She’s not half as bored as you seem to think.”
“And you’re not half as discreet as you think,” he snaps. “You haven’t seen her in days.”
