Chapter 34

Spencer stepped off the elevator,unable to repress his grin. Things were nearly back on track, and the plan could proceed the way it was meant to. Very soon Dr. Josh Malone was going to find out his part in the years of painstaking planning.

Let's see him wriggle out of this one.

He entered the office and noted Kathy wasn't at her desk, which was surprising. She was always punctual and usually at work before he was. As assistants went, she was exceedingly good at her job, and not for the first time, he considered allowing her to remain in her position.

Except he couldn't do that, and he knew it. If she ever got it into her head to blindside him, Kathy could completely derail everything he'd worked years to build. Not that she'd even consider betraying him, but the way things stood, she was a liability, a loose end.

Spencer hated loose ends.

It would be a real shame to lose her, but it had to be done. He would do his best to ensure she didn't suffer. That was the least he could do for her years of service.

He went into his private office and a second later realized something was amiss. There was no familiar aroma of freshly brewed coffee. The usual stack of papers to be signed wasn't on his desk.

Come to think of it, there was no indication Kathy had been there at all.

He picked up the receiver and tapped the buttons to connect him to Security.

"Yes, Mr. Spencer?"

"Have you gotten a call off for Kathy Robertson this morning?"

"What? No, sir. She came in at five."

Then where the hell is she?

Spencer surveyed his desk. Everything was as it should be?—

Except for the fact that his keyboard wasn't straight.

He knew he could be really anal about stuff like that, but he also knew it was something he couldn't change. Some habits were far too deeply ingrained.

What was she doing in here?

More importantly, where is she now?

He turned on his computer and checked to see when the last entry was.

Shit.

His blood ran cold. I can see what she saw—but what about stuff she might have copied? Then sanity returned. She'd never have gotten past the password.

"Sir?"

"Check the cameras. I want to know if she's still in the building."

There was silence for a moment, and then the guard cleared his throat. "No, sir. She exited the building at five-thirty."

A jolt went through him.

"Was she carrying anything?" Like a few folders of stuff Spencer didn't want to see the light of day.

"I think she was carrying a purse, sir. Or maybe a messenger bag. I'm not sure. She was only here a little bit. I could check the video footage if it's important."

Messenger bag?

He went into the outer office and glanced at Kathy's desk.

No laptop.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

That fucking bitch.

This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not when everything was in place.

If his fears weren't groundless and she was doing what he thought she was doing, then he would have to adjust his plans.

Adjust? Hell, he'd accelerate them, before Kathy could screw him over completely. Suddenly he was glad he hadn't decided to spare her, and as for her death being pain-free?

Yeah, right. Kathy Robertson had just guaranteed herself a bucket load of it.