"But I wasn't involved in the tower being built," Dominic argued. "And neither was Samantha."
"She didn't prosecute the case," Kara put in. "She made plea deals."
"That had nothing to do with me. I didn't even know her then."
"But you are involved, Mr. Ashford. Your company invested in Redstone Technologies," she said. "You provided the funding that got them started."
"That was years before the fire. I'm not sure either of them would even know about my investment. And why would they wait so long? It's been what? Eight, nine years?"
"Seven," she said. "I'm not sure what the trigger was. That's why we wanted to talk to you. Have you had any conversations in the last several months with either of them that would lead you to believe they were worked up about something, upset, angry with you or anyone else?"
"David doesn't get angry. He's one of the calmest people I know. And Harry is the opposite. He's always blustering about something, but if you're asking me if anyone mentioned that fire or their lost loved ones, no, never."
"James Cooper was also named in the lawsuit against the city," Max said. "And he's dead now, while Samantha is still clinging to life, but barely."
"You don't have to remind me," Dominic said tersely. "But you're asking me to believe that two people I consider to be friends might want to kill me. That's difficult to believe."
"They may have already tried six months ago, when your team was attacked in Dushanbe," Max said.
"That's not related. That was about Tajikistan and my infrastructure project."
"Maybe," Max said. "But we can't discount anything. You need to increase your security, and you need to back out of the conference on Tuesday."
"I can't do that. I'm the keynote speaker."
"For a summit where a lot of the people involved in the Meridien Tower development will be present," she interjected. "Imagine what a bomb could do there."
"The building will be swept thoroughly. The security will be intense. No one will get into the venue," Dominic said. "And if you are so sure you know who's responsible for the attacks, Agent Reid, why haven't they been arrested?"
"We don't have evidence," she admitted.
"Exactly. You just have theories," Dominic snapped. "I don't make decisions based on theories or on fear. If you want to warn someone, talk to Mason Redstone, and whoever else is on the hit list."
"We are talking to everyone," she assured him. "But you are the biggest public figure. We need to make sure you understand the risks. We also wanted to speak to you because you know David and Harry. Have they ever spoken to you about the fire? About the loss of their loved ones?"
"No. I wasn't in the country at the time of the fire. I was in London. I sent condolences, of course. But we never discussed the losses beyond that." His lips tightened. "David has always been a big supporter of mine. He's investing in my project in Tajikistan. Why would he do that if he blames me for the death of his wife and child?"
"What about Mr. Faulkner?" she asked. "When did you last talk to him?"
"A few weeks ago. He's attending the conference on Tuesday; they both are."
"Which means they'll have access that someone from the outside would not," Max suggested.
"They would also be there," Dominic said. "You think they're going to blow themselves up?"
She actually wasn't positive that wasn't part of the plan. "Hopefully, we'll have answers before Tuesday," she said. "But until then, you need to be on your guard."
"As you can see, I'm always on my guard," Dominic said, waving toward his security guy. "Look, I appreciate the heads-up. But I have to go. The people I'm meeting with can't be kept waiting."
"Who are you meeting with?" Max asked curiously.
"I can't tell you that," Dominic replied in a voice that didn't waver. "Do you want me to reach out to David or Harry?"
"That's a possibility," Kara replied. "But not yet. Right now, we would prefer that you keep this conversation private. That includes not discussing any of this with Caroline or anyone else on your team."
"Fine. I need to return to the lodge. I'll be in the city tomorrow if you need to speak to me again."
As Dominic left the gazebo and hurried down the path with his bodyguard, she said, "He's a stubborn man."
