et, too expensive in a way that announced itself rather than simply existing. But Art

soft accent of educated England and the eager eyes of someone who

élène Beaumont spoke of

s hand. "She

t his career making people comfortable. "She said you were the most talented s

r mentor, her advocate, the woman who had pulled her from the w

ell?" Ke

r menus, for the ritual of hospitality. "But we didn't ask you here to discuss H

paused halfway to

self. Imperium Group is his creation, his... obsession, some might say. He acquired o

table's edge beneath the white cloth, pressing u

id carefully, "revie

ts, all excellent. He looked at your portfolio-your Rive Gauche

ra thought of the surveillance array. The

r voice level. "Is that

s what made it remarkable. That's what made you remarkable, Miss Gibson. You've

Hélène's last letter, the postscript she'd almost missed: A fr

ld f

hop," sh

ur, p

e about the department. Challenges, o

arture of the previous director under circumstances he described as "unfortunate." Keira listened w

om the maître d', a shifting of attention

wed. Dark suit, no tie, the collar open in a way that suggested either confidence or contempt for convention. His face was ca

distant windows, through tinted glass,

n Ha

hand finding his tie, his spine stra

ouched Arthur for less than a seco

an, and they held her with the force of recognition. She saw something f

ugh her, past her, and moved tow

pered. "He's never here. Nev

voice was steady. Her he

the kind that put her on his highway, in his

. In intention. In the

d in her stomach, that Glynn Hayden had designed th