The Sixth Man (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 5)
Page 125
The men sat at the same small table. A little fan buzzed and oscillated on a side table. It was the only airflow in the place, other than the men’s breathing. Bunting could feel the heat rising from the pizza ovens six floors below.
“Murdock!” began Bunting.
“What about him?”
“He’s dead, but I know you already knew that.”
Harkes said nothing. He just sat there, large hands resting on his flat stomach.
“He’s dead, Harkes,” Bunting said again.
“I heard you the first time, Mr. Bunting.”
“When we talked last night and you said you’d discovered that Murdock had stumbled onto the E-Program’s existence, I didn’t say to kill him.”
Harkes leaned forward just a bit. “You’re assuming certain actions on my part.”
“Did you kill him?”
“I’m here to protect you, Mr. Bunting.”
“But he’s a damned FBI agent. You had him murdered.”
“Your words, not mine.”
“Christ, are you really going to play semantics now?”
“I have a few other things to take care of. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Yeah, you can stop killing people. You have just made a complicated situation nearly impossible.”
“I wouldn’t characterize it that way.”
“Well, I would.”
“Maxwell knows now. And King.”
“About Edgar Roy being the Analyst?”
“Yes,” said Harkes.
“How could they?”
“Outside source.”
“Who?”
“Kelly Paul.”
Bunting stared at him.
“Kelly Paul,” Harkes said again. “I know that you know her.”
“How is she involved?”
“She’s Edgar Roy’s half sister.” Harkes studied him. “But then you knew that.”
“Is that where King and Maxwell went when we lost track of them?”