Andrew frowned, shaking his head. “No. It’s too dangerous.”

“Think about it,” I urged. “If I offer to sign a confession in exchange for a payoff, they’ll jump at the chance.”

“She’s right, Andrew,” Koko said. “Julian is greedy. He wants a quick fix before the annual gala.”

“The gala is in two days,” Andrew said, looking down at me.

“Exactly,” I said. “We do it there. In front of everyone, but behind closed doors first.”

Andrew stared at me for a long moment, the city lights reflecting in his dark eyes.

“If we do this, we have to be extremely careful,” he said.

“I will be,” I promised.

“We’ll need a wire,” Koko said, her eyes shining with determination. “A miniature microphone that transmits directly to the main ballroom audio system.”

“Can you set that up?” Andrew asked her.

“Give me twenty-four hours and a high-end transmitter,” Koko said.

***

The next morning, the laboratory was exceptionally quiet.

The news of the server wipe had been kept quiet, but the tension in the building was thick.

I sat in my small office, staring at a blank document on my computer.