# THOMPSON-HAYES: BLOOD MONEY
## Chapter Eight — The Emergency
Patricia called at 6:47 p.m.
Mia had just finished marking the last essay and was making dinner — actual dinner, pasta from scratch, because cooking was the thing she did when she needed her hands busy and her mind clear. The kitchen smelled like garlic and olive oil. Nathan was at the table with his laptop, the statement open in front of him, rereading it for the fourth time.
She answered on speaker.
"The IT contractor," Patricia said. "The one with remote access to my call log. The staffing firm that placed him is three shells deep, but the origin company has a registered agent in Houston." A pause. "The registered agent is a partner at Reed & Associates."
Nathan looked up from the laptop.
"He's been inside your firm,"
