For the first time that night, Ethan seemed to understand that the center of the emergency had shifted.
“This is Detective Sarah Mitchell.”
Ethan’s eyes moved to the flash drive on the table.
“What is that?”
“Madison’s.”
His face changed.
Not guilt.
Fear.
Lauren saw it.
“What do you know?”
“Nothing.”
“Wrong answer.”
“I mean nothing about whatever this is.”
“Who hired Madison Vale?”
Ethan frowned.
“What?”
“Who hired her at Cole Vector?”
“HR.”
“Who recruited her?”
Ethan looked toward Naomi.
Then back at Lauren.
“My father.”
The room became very still.
Lauren leaned against the table.
“When?”
“About nine months ago.”
“Why?”
“She worked for a consulting group Charles used on the Meridian deal.”
Naomi spoke.
“Which consulting group?”
Ethan’s jaw tightened.
“Stratton Advisory.”
Naomi turned her laptop toward Lauren.
“I pulled Madison’s employment history an hour ago.”
A page displayed on the screen.
Madison Vale had worked for Stratton Advisory.
