Blaine's smile was unexpectedly ferocious. "Oh, so do I."
Which was an odd thing to say when he hadn't yet viewed the room in which she'd been murdered.
"May we see the scene?" Lloyd asked.
"This way." He led them into the bedroom and stepped to one side so he could see their reactions. Neither man gave much away, but the tiny hint of amusement touching Blaine's mouth was disturbing, to say the least.
"What do you make of the message, General Lloyd? How is Kathryn Douglass connected to Penumbra?"
"She's not." Lloyd's voice was flat. "As you are well aware, Penumbra is not an active project, but one that was shut down years ago."
"Forcibly shut down by fire," Gabriel amended.
Lloyd's gaze flickered towards him. "Yes."
"But if the project was destroyed and Kathryn Douglass had no involvement, why would the murder leave this particular message?"
"I don't know."
"Don't know, or won't tell?"
Lloyd's smile was flat. "I cannot withhold something I do not know."
Again, Gabriel believed him. "Were there any other survivors from the project that you haven't mentioned already?"
He didn't have much hope of getting a direct answer, but the question had to be asked.
"Only the periphery project support," Blaine said. "People like nurses, teachers, trainers, etcetera."
"And they have all been assigned elsewhere?"
"Many have retired or died," Blaine said, and there was something very cold in his eyes as he said it. "That project was a long time ago, and it has not been reopened or repeated."
"And yet, evidence of it keeps appearing."
"Not through military means, I assure you," Lloyd said.
He glanced at Blaine. "Though we should do a check of the surviving personnel. See if any had recent contact with Douglass."
"They haven't. I would have been informed," Blaine said.
Gabriel frowned. Again, there was something very strange in the way Blaine said that. "But if there has been contact?"
"We shall investigate and let you know the results." Lloyd held out his hand. "Thank you for your assistance, Stern."
Gabriel shook his hand and again felt that tingle of power.
But if the general was trying to read him, then it wasn't through telepathic means. He would have felt any attempt to read his thoughts.
Blaine didn't offer his hand, just gave him a curt nod before following Lloyd from the room.
Gabriel watched them leave, unable to shake the feeling that Blaine knew him. Knew him and hated him.
Which meant, somewhere in the past, their paths had crossed, even if he couldn't remember it. He needed information on the man, and he needed it fast.
He glanced around as Illie came into the room. "Do a full search on General Blaine. I need to see whatever you can find."
In the meantime, he'd contact his family and see if anyone had any memory of the man. Then he'd head to Federation headquarters and see if there were any connecting files. Once all that had been done, he'd contact Sam. She needed to know that once again the Penumbra project had raised its head.