Dark Abyss by Kaitlyn O'Connor (top fiction books of all time txt) 📗

her mother was dead, which meant he’d known when he asked her. She didn’t suppose she could or even should read anything else into it beyond deception, though why he’d pretended he didn’t know everything about her when he’d clearly already decided to tell her about himself was a mystery.

What bothered her was the perception at the time that he was almost pleased at the news. She hadn’t known then, and she certainly didn’t know now, why she’d gotten that impression, but she realized it probably wasn’t a false one.

Either he’d been pleased because he still held a grudge against her mother for running off.

Or he was pleased because he’d finally tracked her down and gotten his revenge.

The thought made her cold. She tried to dismiss it. She wanted to, but once the thought occurred to her she couldn’t banish it.

* * * *

Simon wasn’t particularly happy when they settled down to compare notes over their interrogation and it was born in upon him that Anna was either the best liar he’d ever come across, or she was telling the truth.

It was more than the frustration in discovering they’d run into another dead end.

They had no valid reason for keeping her unless they did decide to use her to bait a trap, and that didn’t appeal to him any more than it had to begin with.

“What next?” Ian asked.

Simon shook his head, scrubbing his hands over his face tiredly. He hadn’t had more than a few hours sleep, in snatches, since the attack. He had the uneasy feeling that it was beginning to affect his judgment. “Where do we stand on the background checks?” he asked after a moment.

“We’ve put three men on the watch list,” Caleb responded.

Simon sat up straighter. “When?”

“As of this morning.”

“Have they been brought in for questioning?”

“We have them under surveillance right now,” Joshua responded. “We decided to run it by you before we picked them up. We don’t actually have anything on them we could charge them with—just suspicions.”

“What have you got?”

“Steve Roach—served time for petty theft in the same prison Trey Carter was in.

He arrived in Atlantis about six months before Trey Carter. Works at the power station—shift supervisor.

“Billy Moyer—no criminal record. He arrived in the same group as Trey Carter and petitioned for genetic reversal the day after the attack. We actually haven’t been able to locate him.

“The third is Moi Spencer. He colonized eight months before Steve Roach.”

Simon frowned. “Why does that name sound familiar?”

“He’s the newest member on the territorial council,” Ian said grimly.

“You’ve found a connection between him and the other two?” Simon asked sharply.

“We found a connection between him and Humans for Humanity. Before he came here, he was the CEO of M.C.C., Inc, a small telecommunications company that was located in California before the quake of ‘75. By ’76 they were up and running again in Denver, so we did a little digging to see how they recovered so quickly and discovered it was a subsidiary of TelCom, who turned out to be a subsidiary of Media Group, Inc., who was a subsidiary of M.T. Com …and on through two more Incs, and LLCs until we arrived at Martin Communications. The CEO of Martin Communications, Don Spencer, is a very active and visible member of Humans for Humanity. He also happens to be Moi Spencer’s uncle.”

“Shell game,” Simon muttered in disgust. “And nobody made that connection before? Didn’t he have to disclose before he ran for the council seat?”

Caleb shrugged. “He openly claimed his connection to M.C.C., used it as a point of experience. On paper, he looks squeaky—except for his divorce, which should have sent up flags but didn’t. He left his wife of fifteen years and three children when he colonized.”

Simon sat back, tipping his head back against the cushions and staring at the ceiling while he tried to fit the puzzle pieces together. It would’ve been easier, he thought wryly, if random thoughts of Anna hadn’t kept creeping in. She was a distraction he couldn’t afford, particularly when it seemed clear that she wasn’t going to lead them anywhere.

He lifted his head and sat up. “Joshua, arrange transport for Dr. Blake. I’m going to cut her loose.”

Ian cocked a dark brow at him. “Just like that?”

“Just like that,” Simon said grimly.

“I thought we were going to get descriptions from her?” Joshua objected.

“We don’t need to detain her to do that. She might not feel like being helpful, as far as that goes, all things considered. Caleb can pump her. He was busy playing good cop on the way here,” he said dryly.

“I wouldn’t mind pumping her,” Caleb muttered under his breath.

Simon caught it and glared at him. “For information,” he said tightly. “She’s still a person of interest so watch yourself!”

It was obvious when he’d tapped on the door and stuck his head in the room that Anna had been sleeping. He hesitated, but when she opened her eyes and looked at him, he entered the room.

Anna groaned. “You’ve already asked me everything a hundred times,” she complained.

Simon stopped halfway between the door and the bed. “I just came to tell you we’re cutting you loose. Joshua will arrange transport. On behalf of the Atlantis Watchmen, I’d like to apologize for any inconvenience or discomfort our investigation may have caused you,” he said stiltedly.

Anna blinked at him. “You’re letting me go?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Irritation flickered through her. It might be considered a courtesy to refer to her as ma’am, but it felt