The conference room was on a secured floor.
Daniel had arranged it the previous evening, quietly, with the thoroughness he applied to things that needed to be done before anyone had to ask. Swept for listening devices. Access restricted to six people. A dedicated printer with no network connection. Lucas was outside the door when I arrived, coffee in hand, looking like a man who had accepted that his Wednesday was going to be whatever I needed it to be.
“She’s already in there,” he said.
“I’m not late,” I said.
“No,” Lucas agreed. “He’s early.”
Adrian was at the far end of the table with a folder open and a pen in his hand when I walked in. He looked up. I sat down. Not across from him. Next to him. On the same side of the table, for the first time since I had walked back into this bu
