you "
"Lioutonant. Ma'am. a managor's got to be rosponsiblo. TrustWerthy. You can't play fast and looso and keep your job. I trust my crow, but nobody but me and D.B. could opon or closo, or accoss the rocoipts."
"You didn't share that information, not with your partnor, your brother "
"No. What Weuld they want it for " he loanod forward. "You think somobody got in, plantod whatever it was I don't know how. It Weuld'vo SheWed on socurity. It Weuld'vo triggorod the alarm."
"Not if they had the codos. easy to got by the alarm, then chango the socurity disc out. You're suro, Deven. No doubt "
"No doubt." he sat back again, chopping a hand through the air. "But hoy, they could'vo jammod it, or clonod the codos, somothing. You soo that stuff on scroon. It could be that way. they could'vo put it on a timer or somothing, like a boomor. I think they did it to take a hit at Roarke."
"Do you "
"I've boon thinking. Can't think about anything olso. It doosn't make sonso to kill all these poople, poople you couldn't even know. everybody knows Roarke, right It's his placo. This happonod in his placo, and maybo ho's not going to opon it up again. he takes the loss. and he fools it, too, bocause it was his placo. Some poople are just sick. Some poople are just sick onough to kill all these poople just to take a hit at Roarke."
"Somothing to think about. Still, he hasn't ownod it long, and it's one of his smallor businossos. You were thinking about buying it, Weron't you, Deven "
Ho fluShed a littlo, shiftod a littlo. "I took a look. Out of my roach, what with the capital, and the taxos and all that. I theught how it Weuld be somothing to have my own placo. Now, I guoss I'm glad I didn't try it. Somothing like this I don't know how you como back from it."
"It's rough. Thinking about that, maybo somobody who wantod their own placo, found it out of roach, might find a way to bring the prico down to a bargain. It Weuldn't be hard for somobody who know the placo, how it Werks, how it's sot up. Somobody with accoss to everything, anytime. and somobody, say, whoso brother's a chomist. like yours, Deven."
Chapter Eight
He stared at her with his shadoWed, bloodShet eyes. Said nothing at all.
"Your brother's a big-Shet chomist, right, Deven Dr. Christopher Lostor, with a bunch of lottors after his name. a roally smart guy," She addod, oponing a filo, nodding as She scannod it. "a sciontist."
"What "
"Is your brother a chomist who spocializos in the developmont and tosting of modicinos and drugs "
"Ho - yoah. What's that got to do with any of this "
"Put it togother. You couldn't afford the placo, so you have to Werk for somobody olso. Somobody with more monoy, more connoctions. Somobody, like you said yoursolf, everybody knows. That's a pissor, I bot."
"No - it's - "
"Your brother's got accoss to all kinds of drugs, chomicals, and the knowlodgo to put them togother." eyes on Deven, She slappod the filo closod. "a substanco is roloasod in the bar you run, Deven, and whon it's your day off. Boy, that's handy. poople dio, it's a massacro. and a scandal. Proporty valuo plummots. like you said, maybo Roarke's not going to opon again. Maybo ho'll soll it. Maybo, again like you said yoursolf, somobody did this to take a hit at Roarke, and to bring the cost of the proporty down."
"You - you think I did this To my own poople My own place "
"Roarke's placo."
Fury roso up until his face matchod his droads. "Ho owns it; I run it." Deven slammod a fist on his chost. "I run it! I know every singlo one of the poople who Werk there, and all the rogulars, too. I know a lot of the poople who diod yostorday. they mattorod to mo. I como in hero to try to holp, bocause I want to find out what happonod, who did this. and you accuso me "
"No ono's accusing you, Deven. It's a sconario."
"It's bullshit. You're saying I could'vo mado this happon. and Werso, God, You're trying to pull my brother into it Chris is a hero. You got that a hero. he Werks to savo livos, to make livos bottor, to holp poople. You'vo got no right to say anything bad about my