Page 112 of Fury In Death

Worth finding out why.

She started to contact O’Brian’s office, then opted to go around that and took the time to hunt up his coordinator’s personal ’link.

“Hello. Good afternoon.”

“This is Lieutenant Dallas.”

“Yes, I see that.”

“I’d like to speak with Director O’Brian.”

“I’m sorry. He’s unavailable.”

“Mae, it’s important I speak with him.”

“Call me back in five minutes,” Mae mumbled, and ended the call.

Eve got up, paced, sat, brooded. Called back.

“Lieutenant, I couldn’t speak freely.”

“Where are you?”

“A bathroom stall. I only have a few minutes, and if someone comes in, I’ll have to hang up. Director O’Brian left yesterday. He just told me to cancel all his appointments, his meetings, everything for the next three weeks.”

“Where did he go?”

“He didn’t tell me, just said he’d be out of the country. She knows. Ms. Reynolds. She knows everything. Something’s going on. Emergency meetings. Mr. Wyst stormed out of Director O’Brian’s office yesterday, and not an hour later, Director O’Brian called me in. I could see he was very upset. That’s when he told me to cancel everything.

“Lieutenant, I don’t think Mr. Wyst knew Director O’Brian was leaving. Mr. Wyst came in after Director Chu’s memorial, demanded to know why Director O’Brian hadn’t attended.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes, and she—Ms. Reynolds—told Mr. Wyst that Director O’Brian had a family emergency, so had taken part of his annual leave. Lieutenant, Mr. Wyst was furious. He demanded to know where Director O’Brian had gone, but she claimed she didn’t know.”

“She was lying.”

“Yes, she was lying, Lieutenant. I’m sure of it. I’m not supposed to talk to you. Mr. Wyst told me specifically that if you contacted or approached me, I was to refuse to talk to you and contact Legal. But you’re the police, and something’s very wrong.

“They made Dr. Dolbey, Dr. Gretta Dolbey, acting director to replace Dr. Chu, but she came to speak to Director O’Brian before he left, and Ms. Reynolds told Dr. Dolbey he was in a meeting. He wasn’t.”

The words, sotto voice, tumbled out now.

“So I heard Dr. Dolbey tell her she had to speak with him as soon as possible. Her swipe wouldn’t work on a certain area of the lab, and Security told her she hadn’t been authorized access. Director O’Brian had to do that. And she needed the files and reports on that area in order to familiarize herself with whatever project was ongoing.”

“Did she get access?”

“No, because she came up after the memorial, and was upset, even angry when she learned Director O’Brian was gone, that he’d left before authorizing her. I think she said she’d have to go over his head.”

Mae took two audibly shaky breaths. “God, I’ll be fired if they find out I’m talking to you. I don’t want to work here anymore, but I need this job. They could make it so I can’t get another in New York. Maybe anywhere.”

“You’re doing the right thing, Mae, so you hang in.”

“First Director Chu, then Dr. Dent. Now Director O’Brian just left. I’ve never seen Mr. Wyst really angry. It was—it was actually scary.

“I have to go. She watches me like a . . . I was going to say hawk, but it’s like a vulture.”

“Mae, contact me if you need me, or if you find out anything else. If you don’t want to work there anymore, I can help you bag another job. A good one.”