24

CONNOR DECIDED THAT HE COULD DO A LITTLE INVESTIGATING OF HIS OWN without too much risk. Now that the complaint was on file and Max had, in his subtle way, alerted Deep Seven to the fact that they were under investigation, there wasn’t much to lose by interviewing former employees. The worst they could do was say they didn’t want to talk to him.

He pulled out the list of Deep Seven ex-employees that Allie had given him. A low-level marketing vice president, an accountant, an IT guy, and a security guard. He tried the accountant first.

After two rings, a cheerful woman’s voice answered. “Hello?”

“Hi, is this Janet Lee?”

“Yes, who is this?”

“My name is Connor Norman. I’m an attorney with the law firm of Doyle & Brown, and I’m investigating a matter related to a former employer of yours. It doesn’t involve you at all, but you may be a witness. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

Unlike most witnesses he cold-called, she didn’t suddenly become more reserved after learning she was talking to a lawyer. “Oh, sure. A friend of mine works at Doyle & Brown. Susan Mendoza.”

Connor knew her friend—a perky, social forty-something who never missed a firm party. “In our billing department. Right. I’ll tell her you said hi.”

“Thanks. So, what can I do for you?”

“I’d like to ask you a few questions about Deep Seven.”

Silence. Then, “I can’t really talk about that.”

Connor pulled out a legal pad, plucked a pen out of a pewter mug on his desk and got ready to take notes. “Okay. Can you tell me why not?”

“I signed a nondisclosure agreement.”

An NDA? Interesting. “Did they say why they wanted you to sign it?”

“I’m sorry, but this conversation is making me uncomfortable. I have to go. Goodbye.”

Click.

Connor put the receiver down slowly. Then he dropped the pen on his pad and stared at it. Well, that had been different. He’d had lots of witnesses refuse to talk to him, but he’d never had one go from hot to cold that fast. One second they’re chatting about a mutual acquaintance, the next she clams up like a door slamming. And the second after that, she hangs up on him.

He tried the marketing veep next, but that conversation was even shorter. As soon as Connor identified himself as a lawyer, the man politely ended the conversation. He also had signed an NDA and didn’t want to talk about it. A little on the paranoid side, but Connor wouldn’t have thought anything of it if not for the oddness of the first call.

His third call went to the IT guy, but the line was disconnected. Connor jotted down a note on his to-do list: “Do search on Samuel Stimson & find good number.”

The ex-security guard was next. Unlike the first two, he didn’t immediately end the conversation as soon as Connor revealed who he was and why he was calling. But Connor’s conversation with him was hardly a normal witness interview: “So you’re investigating Deep Seven, huh?”

“That’s right. Do you have time for a few questions?”

“Let me ask you one first. Does this have anything to do with that raid at Deep Seven yesterday?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re not with the government, right?”

“No, I’m with a private law firm.”

“You might want to let the government do the investigating.”

“Really? Why is that?”

“It might be healthier.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.”

Connor swallowed hard. “Well, thanks for the tip, but I’d still like to talk to you. My first question for you is—”

“Weren’t you listening to me? Look, buddy, I just answered every question you need to ask.”

Click.