Daemon

spook.’
    He collected his badge and grabbed her by the hand as he pulled her over to a red vinyl booth in the corner of the deserted bar. He was a man of action. Pseudo-romantic scenes from a dozen cable soft-porn films entered her mind. She tried to concentrate on the real situation.
    ‘Oto, another drink for the lady.’
    Oto nodded and got busy.
    The FBI agent slid into the booth, pulling her in alongside him. She couldn’t help but see the bulge of a pistol holster in the small of his back as he slid across the bench seat. He smiled and extended his hand. ‘Call me Barry.’
    She shook his hand warily. ‘All right,
Barry
, what’s this all about?’
    ‘I want answers.’
    ‘Such as?’
    ‘What’s a lifestyles reporter recently let go from a SanFrancisco affiliate doing asking questions about Tremark Holdings, IBC, in far-flung Nauru?’
    ‘What’s a big corn-fed frat boy like you doing so far from a Hooters?’
    ‘I asked first.’
    She acted coy. ‘Okay. I’m trying to launch a career as an investigative journalist. I’m tired of being the stewardess of the evening news.’
    ‘Not an answer.’
    ‘You mean, why am I so interested in the names of the officers of Tremark Holdings?’
    ‘Yeah. That’s exactly what I mean. You know, of course, that asking questions around here is a good way to wind up missing.’
    ‘Then why are you asking so many questions?’
    He pointed a finger at her and let out a slow laugh. ‘I think I like you, Anji. Are you going to help me?’
    ‘Help you how?’
    ‘What does Tremark Holdings have to do with the Daemon?’
    ‘What makes you think it has anything to do with the Daemon?’
    ‘Because Matthew Sobol moved money into Tremark Holdings on the day he died.’
    A wave of shock sent goose bumps over Anderson’s skin. God, this was fun. She couldn’t have faked that surprise. ‘Really? That answers a lot of questions.’
    ‘How did you get wind of Tremark Holdings?’
    ‘Let’s just say I have my sources.’
    ‘Are they the same sources bankrolling your trip? The same sources helping you encrypt your satphone conversations?’
    ‘Oh, please,
Barry
.’ She emphasized his name with contempt. ‘Don’t be childish. Espionage isn’t the only reason for privacy. I’m working on possibly the biggest story of the year. Sobol had bankers, and some of those bankers are fond of a certain blond reporter – who at present is unemployed.’
    ‘What did you learn on the Isle of Man?’
    ‘That a Manx/Celtic fusion restaurant is a bad idea.’
    He gave her a look. ‘Anji.’
    ‘Okay. I learned that Sobol moved money into three different accounts there – all held by various international business corporations. But I also learned the money was moved out seconds after it arrived.’
    He looked surprised. ‘How the hell did you get them to tell you that?’
    She wasn’t about to tell him that the Daemon told her. No, the new Anderson was a resourceful investigative journalist. She smiled. ‘If you’re an overweight, balding Welsh banker, and I start coming on to you in a tavern, what would you do?’
    He considered this. ‘I’d do anything to keep you talking to me.’
    ‘Of course, I don’t do just anything, Barry. I’m not that kind of woman.’
    ‘What else?’
    ‘I’m not telling you anything you don’t know already – or at least won’t learn soon.’
    ‘Did you find out anything else?’
    She toyed with him, smiling and ticking up her eyebrows as Oto arrived with her drink. ‘Thanks, Oto.’
    ‘No problem, Ms Vindmar.’ He retreated to the bar again.
    Barry looked at her incredulously. ‘Where’d you come up with
Ms Vindmar
?’
    ‘It’s better than
Barry
.’ She hammed it up, acting like a dope. ‘Hey, I’m Barry – not an FBI agent.’
    ‘All right, stop. What if my name’s actually Barry? Did you ever think of that?’
    She burst out laughing.
    He looked intently at her. ‘Did you learn anything else?’
    She sipped her Lemon Drop and then rolled the twist sensuously over her lips. God, this espionage stuff was fun! Especially when you held all the cards, and handsome tough guys hadto wait on your every word. ‘Yes, I did, Barry. Have you noticed the short positions on the CyberStorm stock?’
    She may as well have cracked a two-by-four over his head. He apparently hadn’t expected a sexy, fluff-piece reporter to actually come up with something. ‘Tell me more.’
    ‘You’ll find there was an extraordinary rise in