waitress for her timing as she arrived with a pot of coffee.
Hannah’s hand was unsteady as she poured cream into her coffee, remembering that he took his black. Funny how little details could stick in your mind over the years.
Rex spooned sugar into his cup, still silent.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
He leaned forward, forearms on the table. His words were low, for her ears only. “Keep your voice down. Don’t whisper. Mumbling is better. The sound doesn’t carry as well. Got it?”
She nodded.
He looked deep into her eyes, searching. “I shouldn’t be telling you this. I don’t want to involve you.”
“Rex, I’m in this whether you like it or not.”
“I don’t. And what I’m going to tell you has to remain between us. Hannah, I have to trust you. Lives could depend on it.”
“You’re a fine one to be talking about trust, Logan.”
She saw the slight narrowing of his eyes, the shadow that flitted through them. But he let her jibe pass. He wasn’t going to be drawn there. “You’re a reporter.”
“I can keep a secret, Rex. Believe me. I haven’t gone to the cops.” Yet.
He took a sip of his coffee, watching her over the rim.
“Well, what did you find in Amy’s apartment?”
“Two library books and a document.”
“Oh, that definitely means she met with foul play.”
He wasn’t amused. “It’s the subject matter. Amy Barnes was reading up-to-date information on biological warfare.”
“What?”
“It wasn’t just biological weapons she was interested in. She was reading up on genetically engineered BW technology.”
“Okay. I’m having real trouble joining the dots here. Help me out.”
“We have reason to believe that Amy came across something here in White River that landed her in trouble. Something to do with biological weapons.”
“We?”
“Bio Can.”
“What’s a pharmaceutical company got to do with this?”
“Let’s just say Bio Can has a highly specialized division focused on developing antidotes and vaccines for bugs with a potential to be weaponized.”
Her head was spinning. “But I thought your field was more indigenous medicine.” At least that’s what you told me in Africa.
“It is. I work in both divisions.” He stopped talking as the server arrived with their food. Rex tucked into his egg and bacon platter, savoring a mouthful before continuing.
Hannah stared at her fruit. Biological weapons? What in the hell had Amy been up to? “Maybe she was just researching something, Rex, for a story.”
He chewed, nodded. “Maybe. But there was a piece of paper in one of the books. On it is the name and number of a CIA agent, one who specializes in biowarfare intelligence.”
“Oh my God.”
He sipped his coffee. “How’s the fruit?”
The question seemed suddenly so inane. Hannah looked at the plate in front of her, picked up a fork and jabbed at a strawberry. “Fine.” She felt ill.
“And I checked Amy’s computer last night. The hard drive has been cleaned out.”
Hannah stiffened. “That’s it. The break-in. That’s what they took. Electronic data. No wonder the cops didn’t find anything.”
“Well, whoever took the data didn’t find the library books.”
“But who?”
“That’s what I’m here to find out. I’m hoping you’ll help.”
“I don’t get it, Rex. Why White River? What’s the connection?”
“We don’t know. But the forensic toxicology conference is a common denominator here. We suspect something may be going down.”
“Like what?”
“A deal. An information exchange, maybe. We haven’t got much time.”
“But what does a conference like that have to do with biological warfare, anyway?”
Rex pushed his plate aside. “There is a component on the conference agenda that covers lethal viruses and new research in the field of forensic detection. It’s that kind of stuff that draws top scientists from around the world. Ideas are exchanged. Connections made. Deals made.
Hannah’s hand was unsteady as she poured cream into her coffee, remembering that he took his black. Funny how little details could stick in your mind over the years.
Rex spooned sugar into his cup, still silent.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
He leaned forward, forearms on the table. His words were low, for her ears only. “Keep your voice down. Don’t whisper. Mumbling is better. The sound doesn’t carry as well. Got it?”
She nodded.
He looked deep into her eyes, searching. “I shouldn’t be telling you this. I don’t want to involve you.”
“Rex, I’m in this whether you like it or not.”
“I don’t. And what I’m going to tell you has to remain between us. Hannah, I have to trust you. Lives could depend on it.”
“You’re a fine one to be talking about trust, Logan.”
She saw the slight narrowing of his eyes, the shadow that flitted through them. But he let her jibe pass. He wasn’t going to be drawn there. “You’re a reporter.”
“I can keep a secret, Rex. Believe me. I haven’t gone to the cops.” Yet.
He took a sip of his coffee, watching her over the rim.
“Well, what did you find in Amy’s apartment?”
“Two library books and a document.”
“Oh, that definitely means she met with foul play.”
He wasn’t amused. “It’s the subject matter. Amy Barnes was reading up-to-date information on biological warfare.”
“What?”
“It wasn’t just biological weapons she was interested in. She was reading up on genetically engineered BW technology.”
“Okay. I’m having real trouble joining the dots here. Help me out.”
“We have reason to believe that Amy came across something here in White River that landed her in trouble. Something to do with biological weapons.”
“We?”
“Bio Can.”
“What’s a pharmaceutical company got to do with this?”
“Let’s just say Bio Can has a highly specialized division focused on developing antidotes and vaccines for bugs with a potential to be weaponized.”
Her head was spinning. “But I thought your field was more indigenous medicine.” At least that’s what you told me in Africa.
“It is. I work in both divisions.” He stopped talking as the server arrived with their food. Rex tucked into his egg and bacon platter, savoring a mouthful before continuing.
Hannah stared at her fruit. Biological weapons? What in the hell had Amy been up to? “Maybe she was just researching something, Rex, for a story.”
He chewed, nodded. “Maybe. But there was a piece of paper in one of the books. On it is the name and number of a CIA agent, one who specializes in biowarfare intelligence.”
“Oh my God.”
He sipped his coffee. “How’s the fruit?”
The question seemed suddenly so inane. Hannah looked at the plate in front of her, picked up a fork and jabbed at a strawberry. “Fine.” She felt ill.
“And I checked Amy’s computer last night. The hard drive has been cleaned out.”
Hannah stiffened. “That’s it. The break-in. That’s what they took. Electronic data. No wonder the cops didn’t find anything.”
“Well, whoever took the data didn’t find the library books.”
“But who?”
“That’s what I’m here to find out. I’m hoping you’ll help.”
“I don’t get it, Rex. Why White River? What’s the connection?”
“We don’t know. But the forensic toxicology conference is a common denominator here. We suspect something may be going down.”
“Like what?”
“A deal. An information exchange, maybe. We haven’t got much time.”
“But what does a conference like that have to do with biological warfare, anyway?”
Rex pushed his plate aside. “There is a component on the conference agenda that covers lethal viruses and new research in the field of forensic detection. It’s that kind of stuff that draws top scientists from around the world. Ideas are exchanged. Connections made. Deals made.
Similar Books
