believe you," Harry
said. "But if you want, you can send her back."
"Do you have news?" Max asked.
“I got a call from Springer this
morning. They found the truck.”
“What’s the word?” He tapped Madeleine
to let her know there was news.
“No print matches yet, but it was stolen
hours before the accident from a tech firm in Palo Alto called...Digiteknic.”
“Digiteknic.” There was that kick of
adrenaline that came with feeling like the answers were coming together.
“Yes. It was some sort of moving van for
transporting equipment,” Harry said.
“I know Digiteknic,” Max said.
“What do you know about it?”
“Well, I used to do business with it. It
is a supplier of fiber optic and high tech materials. But, we developed some
stricter guidelines for suppliers particularly in the area of environmental
conservation and Digiteknic didn’t meet the standard, so we didn’t renew the
contract.”
“Any backlash about that?”
“The President, Martin Shaffer
complained that the guidelines made it difficult for small and medium sized
companies to compete. I offered to help them through the Delecoeur Enterprise
Foundation. Basically it’s a grant that they don’t have to repay to make
earth-friendly changes.”
“Did they take you up on it?”
“Not so far.”
Madeleine whispered, “What about the
heckler? He was mad and a corporate type.”
Max nodded towards her. “He has a son…
Gavin.”
“What?” Harry asked.
“I was thinking about Madeleine’s
heckler. She said he was young, but a corporate type. Maybe it was Martin’s
son. He is being groomed to take over the business. Hold on just a second.”
Max grabbed his laptop from the side
table. He pulled up the Digiteknic Corporate website and motioned for
Madeleine. “Is that the heckler?”
“Yes!” Madeleine caught herself and
lowered her voice. After all she was supposed to be dead. “Yes, that’s him,”
she whispered.
“Have Springer’s men talk to Gavin
Shaffer.”
“Will do,” Harry said.
“Also, you might want to look into Chas
Newcomb.”
Madeleine’s eyes widened in surprise.
"I thought you said he was
clean," Harry said.
"I thought he was, but he used to
work for Digiteknic,” Max explained.
“Small world,” Madeleine whispered.
Max hung up with Lt. White. Progress was
being made, but the contents of the manuscript still hovered at the edges of
his mind. He forced himself to push it out of his head. He would confront Julia
about it, but right now it was most important to find out who had tried to kill
Madeleine, twice.
“I’m going to take a shower,” he told
Madeleine.
“Okay. Want me to make breakfast?”
“No. I want you to stay here. I’ll make
some coffee and breakfast when I’m done and bring it to you.”
“You’re confining me to this room?”
“Yes … the rest of the house is open and
anyone spying would see you,” he added when she started to argue. “I’ll close
everything up when I go down.”
“Couldn’t you make coffee first?”
“I could, but how much do you want to
bet Julia is going to show up any time soon?”
Madeleine pouted. “You want breakfast
ala Julia?”
“No,” he said pulling her against him.
“I don’t want to be in my robe, with nothing underneath, when she gets here.”
“Good point.”
“I thought you’d think so.” He kissed
her and then headed to shower.
~~~
Madeleine was glad that if she had to be
stuck in one room, it was her bedroom. It was large, but warm and cozy even
with the curtains closed. She had a library and office space in the corner when
she felt inspired, and a daybed by the bay window when she needed to be
inspired. And she had a lot of floor space. She decided to take advantage of
that by doing some exercise. She slipped on a pair of shorts and a tank top,
then pulled a rubber mat out from a drawer under the bed and rolled it out on
the floor. She loved yoga and Pilates. This morning she opted for
said. "But if you want, you can send her back."
"Do you have news?" Max asked.
“I got a call from Springer this
morning. They found the truck.”
“What’s the word?” He tapped Madeleine
to let her know there was news.
“No print matches yet, but it was stolen
hours before the accident from a tech firm in Palo Alto called...Digiteknic.”
“Digiteknic.” There was that kick of
adrenaline that came with feeling like the answers were coming together.
“Yes. It was some sort of moving van for
transporting equipment,” Harry said.
“I know Digiteknic,” Max said.
“What do you know about it?”
“Well, I used to do business with it. It
is a supplier of fiber optic and high tech materials. But, we developed some
stricter guidelines for suppliers particularly in the area of environmental
conservation and Digiteknic didn’t meet the standard, so we didn’t renew the
contract.”
“Any backlash about that?”
“The President, Martin Shaffer
complained that the guidelines made it difficult for small and medium sized
companies to compete. I offered to help them through the Delecoeur Enterprise
Foundation. Basically it’s a grant that they don’t have to repay to make
earth-friendly changes.”
“Did they take you up on it?”
“Not so far.”
Madeleine whispered, “What about the
heckler? He was mad and a corporate type.”
Max nodded towards her. “He has a son…
Gavin.”
“What?” Harry asked.
“I was thinking about Madeleine’s
heckler. She said he was young, but a corporate type. Maybe it was Martin’s
son. He is being groomed to take over the business. Hold on just a second.”
Max grabbed his laptop from the side
table. He pulled up the Digiteknic Corporate website and motioned for
Madeleine. “Is that the heckler?”
“Yes!” Madeleine caught herself and
lowered her voice. After all she was supposed to be dead. “Yes, that’s him,”
she whispered.
“Have Springer’s men talk to Gavin
Shaffer.”
“Will do,” Harry said.
“Also, you might want to look into Chas
Newcomb.”
Madeleine’s eyes widened in surprise.
"I thought you said he was
clean," Harry said.
"I thought he was, but he used to
work for Digiteknic,” Max explained.
“Small world,” Madeleine whispered.
Max hung up with Lt. White. Progress was
being made, but the contents of the manuscript still hovered at the edges of
his mind. He forced himself to push it out of his head. He would confront Julia
about it, but right now it was most important to find out who had tried to kill
Madeleine, twice.
“I’m going to take a shower,” he told
Madeleine.
“Okay. Want me to make breakfast?”
“No. I want you to stay here. I’ll make
some coffee and breakfast when I’m done and bring it to you.”
“You’re confining me to this room?”
“Yes … the rest of the house is open and
anyone spying would see you,” he added when she started to argue. “I’ll close
everything up when I go down.”
“Couldn’t you make coffee first?”
“I could, but how much do you want to
bet Julia is going to show up any time soon?”
Madeleine pouted. “You want breakfast
ala Julia?”
“No,” he said pulling her against him.
“I don’t want to be in my robe, with nothing underneath, when she gets here.”
“Good point.”
“I thought you’d think so.” He kissed
her and then headed to shower.
~~~
Madeleine was glad that if she had to be
stuck in one room, it was her bedroom. It was large, but warm and cozy even
with the curtains closed. She had a library and office space in the corner when
she felt inspired, and a daybed by the bay window when she needed to be
inspired. And she had a lot of floor space. She decided to take advantage of
that by doing some exercise. She slipped on a pair of shorts and a tank top,
then pulled a rubber mat out from a drawer under the bed and rolled it out on
the floor. She loved yoga and Pilates. This morning she opted for
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