Running Hot

said.
    Luther frowned. “How the hell did Craigmore manage to slip past all the scrutiny that would have been given to a member of the Council?”
    “Good question,” Fallon said, sounding more than a little annoyed. “But bear in mind that he was appointed fifteen years ago.”
    “In other words, before you took over J&J?” Luther prompted.
    “My uncle was running the West Coast office at that time. He was good but he didn’t have the research capability I’ve got now. In addition, Craigmore came out of the depths of a government agency that specialized in creating false backgrounds. He had the perfect résumé, literally. And it was solid. Those who knew he’d worked as a spook figured him for a patriotic hero. Which is exactly what he was when you get right down to it, at least until he fired up Nightshade. And last but not least, he pulled off the oldest trick in the world.”
    Luther looked at Grace. “He hid in plain sight.”
    “Right. I’ve recently initiated deep background checks on all Council members. The process probably would have uncovered Craigmore or at least raised some red flags. According to Damaris, he was getting worried and planning to disappear.”
    Luther made his way across the room. He lounged against the edge of the desk and hooked his cane over the back of the chair. “Is Newlin Guthrie all right?”
    “Yes. Pretty badly shaken up, though. Turns out La Sirène nailed him with his own electroshock gun. Our people from L.A. talked to him. He feels terrible about the kidnapping. Said he knew what he was doing but just couldn’t seem to help himself.”
    “That is the truth,” Grace said. “When I found him waiting for me in the hotel room, his aura seemed weirdly frozen, which would not be normal for anyone committing an act of violence. He was under La Sirène’s spell.”
    “He wanted to turn himself in to the police but the J&J agents talked him out of it. They told him that you were fine and that no one was going to report the incident. With Vivien Ryan dead, it’s all moot, anyway.”
    “How did he get into my room?” Grace asked.
    “Through the connecting door between your suite and the neighboring room.”
    “That door was locked,” she said. “Luther and I both checked it.”
    “Guthrie owns the damn hotel. He had no trouble getting a master key.”
    “He’s a smart man,” Luther said. “How did the agents explain what had happened to him?”
    “They told him he was the victim of a unique kind of hypnotist. That depressed him even more because guys like that don’t like to think they can be hypnotized. He perked right up, though, when he was informed that J&J was interested in purchasing some of his electroshock devices.”
    “For what it’s worth, from the brief look I got at his aura, I’d say he is a high-level crypto talent,” Grace offered. “Probably never realized he’s a sensitive.”
    “Funny you should say that. One of the agents who spoke to him suggested that he get tested at the L.A. lab. Guthrie seemed enthusiastic about the idea.”
    “What happens next?” Luther asked.
    “Case closed as far as you and Grace are concerned,” Fallon said. “Send in your bill. J&J will cover your airfares home. Check the Society’s travel agency site online. Your reservations have been made.”
    “Luther meant what happens now with Nightshade?” Grace said.
    “On that front, things are moving fast.” Fallon sounded weary and determined, not excited. “Since Craigmore handled the Eubanks operation privately, the board of Nightshade doesn’t have any idea that we have four of their people under observation, and we’re waiting to see who takes the place of the fifth. They may not even realize yet that their founder and CEO is dead.”
    “There’s going to be some interesting political infighting at the top to see who takes his place,” Luther observed.
    “Especially after we start taking apart those five labs.”
    “What five labs?”
    “Forgot to tell you. Those four Nightshade execs that you ID’d?”
    “What about them?”
    “Looks like each of them is responsible for a lab that is either conducting research on the formula or producing it. They’re all small operations. Evidently Craigmore liked to keep things decentralized for security reasons.”
    “Smart.”
    “Zack and the Council authorized action an hour ago. J&J agents will go into all the labs, seize whatever computers and notes they can find and burn everything