Gavin froze.
“Do you own any external drives?”
“So does everyone in this building.”
Daniel nodded.
“Certainly.”
Then he glanced toward the IT manager.
“Could you check Mr. Mercer’s office?”
Gavin’s voice rose.
“You cannot search my office.”
Eleanor looked at him.
“Halston still has active due-diligence authority under the acquisition agreement you signed.”
“That doesn’t give you the right—”
His office door opened behind us.
The IT manager emerged carrying a small black flash drive.
Gavin’s face changed.
“I’ve never seen that.”
The IT manager looked uncomfortable.
“It was plugged into your desktop.”
Gavin stared.
“That isn’t mine.”
Daniel took it carefully.
“Perhaps not.”
Within twenty minutes, the serial numbers matched.
The drive used to place Halston’s confidential files on my laptop had been found connected to Gavin’s computer.
Gavin began shouting.
Someone had planted it.
Someone was setting him up.
