“No.” Kat shook her head. “Like I said yesterday, we haven’t had any investors stop by for a visit in quite a while.”
“What about your team? Any of them seem off at all?”
She thought a moment but shook her head again. “Not really. I mean, everyone’s been a little on edge, but that’s understandable given the hours we’ve been putting in and the pressure we’ve been under.”
“Tell me what you mean by ‘on edge’.”
Kat shrugged. “I don’t know. Impatient, I guess. A little grumpy, maybe.”
“Anyone in particular?”
“You mean, besides me?” She chuckled nervously but averted her gaze. “We’ve all been under a lot of stress.”
She’s holding something back.“What is it you’re not telling me, Kat?”
“Nothing.” Kat shook her head, but her resolve lessened. “I-I’m sure it’s nothing.”
That didn’t sound even remotely convincing, so Matt pressed on. “It could be something. Sometimes even the smallest details can help.”
She bit her bottom lip as her dark eyes rose to his. “I hate saying anything, because I know you already suspect him, and I don’t want to persuade your judgment. But I overheard Todd having a heated discussion the morning of the fire.”
That definitely piqued Matt’s interest. “Who was he arguing with?”
“I don’t know. He was in the break room, but I could hear him through the closed door. When I walked in, I saw he was on the phone, but he immediately stopped talking and ended the call.”
“What did you hear him say?”
She opened her mouth to answer but closed it again. Her hesitation to reveal a potentially vital piece of the puzzle cut some serious length from his patience.
“Damn it, Kat. If you know something.”
“I don’t.” She shook her head vehemently. “At least, I don’t know for sure, anyway.”
“Not the time to be vague, Doc.”
He didn’t know what it was about that nickname, but every time he got pissed at her, it seemed to slip out.
You weren’t pissed when you used it last night.Ignoring the thought, Matt looked at her and waited.
“I’m not trying to be. I just don’t want to blame someone who isn’t here to defend himself. Especially when I’m not certain what I heard had anything to do with what happened.”
Frustrated now—with both himself and her—Matt emphasized each word when he asked, “What did Todd say to the person on the phone?”
His temper was probably ruining the progress they’d made this morning, but one step forward and two steps back seemed to be their new thing.
“This isn’t a fucking game, Katherine. The person Todd was arguing with could very well be the same person behind the explosion and your break-in.”
“I know.” She stood and walked over to the front door.
At first, Matt thought she was going to storm out. Instead, she kept looking out the decorative window with her arms wrapped around herself. Almost as if she needed the comfort.
Part of him understood where she was coming from. Like him, she was loyal to her team. It was an admirable trait, but one that could end up costing her everything.
Finally, he heard her sigh before turning to face him again. “Todd said, ‘Fine. I’ll do it tomorrow.’”
Matt’s eyes felt like they were going to bug out of his head. “And this was the day before the lab blew up?”
Kat nodded, her painful acknowledgement obvious. “Yes.”
