“Well,” Laurel said, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly, “it comes from a Greek legend. A general named Polycrates hid his treasure before being defeated in battle. To find it, his enemies were told to ‘leave no stone unturned.’ It’s just a metaphor for thoroughness.”
Nester nodded, his eyes flicking from his laptop to her. “Fitting. We’re definitely not leaving anything unexamined.”
“In the meantime,” Laurel said, “keep all the blinds shut in the office. No one comes or goes unless absolutely necessary. When I leave, I leave alone.”
“Bullshit,” Huck snapped.
Laurel turned to him, her mind already running through potential arguments. Huck’s determination wasn’t something she could easily counter, and if she were being honest, she didn’t particularly want to.
“I’m with Huck,” Agent Norrs said, his tone firm. “Nobody’s letting you go anywhere alone. Not until we have a better idea of who’s behind this. I’ve already heard from DC, and I have no doubt our boss will be calling you soon.”
Laurel already had a note to return the call of the deputy director.
Huck’s gaze stayed locked on her, unflinching. “I’ll know if a sniper has a gun trained on us. I’ll feel it.”
She didn’t understand how that was possible. The idea of sensing something so precise without evidence seemed improbable, but Huck’s instincts were far sharper than most. And considering his background, she couldn’t dismiss his confidence as arrogance. Huck had been a sniper himself. If instincts like the ones he claimed to have were real, he would be the one to recognize them. He didn’t overstate his abilities. If anything, he underestimated them.
“So that leaves the Dr. Liu and now Tyler Griggs investigations for me to work,” Laurel said, forcing herself back on track. Whatever had been found in their brains wasn’t just an anomaly. It was a pattern. One that might include the other two deaths from Oakridge. Maybe. “Walter, this afternoon, let’s go through Tyler’s most recent podcasts and see if there’s anything that ties Dr. Liu and him together.”
“Sounds good, boss,” Walter replied, his shoulders relaxing a fraction. “I’d also like to bring Sandra in for questioning again. See if his girlfriend has anything else to add.”
“As would I,” Laurel agreed, her gaze shifting toward the whiteboard cluttered with hastily written notes and diagrams. The patterns weren’t forming, and the disarray gnawed at her. “Maybe she remembers something she didn’t realize was important.”
Nester looked up. “She has some interesting arrests for protesting. Hates the government. Became violent several times.”
“Please call her in for an interview this afternoon,” Laurel said.
Nester nodded. “You’ve got it.”
Huck glanced at his watch, the movement quick and efficient. “I have two Zoom meetings in a few minutes. We’ve had a bear sighting up in Northridge, and I need to go set up a trap afterward. Also need to check out the yew infiltration.”
“The what?” Nester asked, his eyebrows drawing together.
“The yew,” Huck clarified. “The Pacific yew tree. It’s not endangered, but it is protected. Somebody’s been razing them like crazy. Cutting them down or damaging them beyond repair.”
Laurel frowned. “Why would they do that?”
“Not sure,” Huck admitted, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “But I’ll ask them when I find them.”
“People are idiots,” Nester muttered, his fingers tapping at his laptop like he was about to look up something about the trees.
Huck rose to his feet. “I’ll be back in time to escort you home, Laurel.”
“That’s fine.” Laurel stood. “Thank you, everyone.”
Agent Norrs gave a tight nod. “I’m heading out, too. There’s got to be CCTV of the sniper somewhere in town.” He grabbed his coat with a sharp motion and strode out, his steps echoing down the hallway.
Walter cleared his throat, glancing toward Laurel. “I guess you’ll conduct all your work here in this nice, safe conference room, huh?” His attempt at humor didn’t quite land, but she appreciated the effort.
“I guess so,” Laurel replied. She had to start thinking clearly.
Kate strode down the hallway and poked her head in the door. “Um, Rachel Raprenzi called and said that she’s interviewing Abigail and her attorney tomorrow night onThe Killing Hour. She wants to know if you’d like to join them.”
Laurel tried to breathe evenly through her nose to calm her central nervous system. “Tell her that the FBI has no comment.”
Kate faltered. “Rachel said to make sure I told you that she’s contacting you as Abigail’s sister and not as an FBI agent.”
The measured breathing wasn’t working. “Then tell her to fuck off,” Laurel said.
