Chapter 23
Mark Straight visited Murphy after Stone’s presentation. He explained that his boss was interested in working with her to ensure that the invention was unveiled in the best possible light, and sold for what it was worth. He stoked her anger at Stone by advising her that the presentation of his was an example of how he mistrusted his coworkers.
“Why was he the only one who knew how it worked? How many other things has he hidden? Work with us and we’ll put you in control of the sale and rollout of the invention,” he asked.
“What are you talking about? What invention?”
“Let’s not waste time, Ms. Murphy.”
“Who is your boss?”
“Evan McGowan, and he has been following the progress of the major players who are trying to make thought-reading a reality.”
“Evan McGowan? Holy crap. He’s interested?”
Straight forced a smile, pretending it was the first time he’d heard a reaction like that.
“Why are you coming to me now?”
“Because the project is nearly done and McGowan wants to help you see it through the sale.”
“He’s bluffing. He doesn’t know the status—he doesn’t even know what our team is working on,” bluffed Murphy.
“He knows. And he knows that Stone is thinking of selling your invention, without consulting with anyone on the terms or price. Mr. McGowan never makes mistakes; please understand that.”
Murphy wasn’t budging.
“See me through the sale means what? I have attorneys and financial people ready to go. I don’t need Evan McGowan’s help, thank you.”
“Ms. Murphy, who is in charge at Stone, Inc.? You? No. Long? Hardly. Unless you bring the product to Mr. McGowan you will be squeezed out of the sale. All your hard work…There’s dissension at Stone Incorporation, that, we know. It’s natural for a young company to have weaknesses in its management structure and control processes. We think those weaknesses have come to the fore, and when you combine that with the magnitude of the project, it’s easy to understand how no one on your team trusts anyone else.”
Thinking he would prove his point, he continued,
“Isn’t it true that one of the team members fed information about the project to the reporter, Julie Miller? You understand now, don’t you? You are out of your league.”
The slight twitch around her left eye told Straight that she did understand.
He thought she was going to work out an arrangement with him. She fooled him.
“Everything you’ve said is speculation, Mr. Straight, nothing but rumors that our company is well aware of. We have nothing more to discuss.”
“You’re making a big mistake Ms. Murphy. Here’s my card. Please call me when you come to your senses.”
Murphy handed him back his card.
“I won’t be needing this. You’re right, I’m not, and my team is not, in your league. We’re in a league of our own, thank goodness.”
She watched him leave. McGowan had anticipated that Murphy wasn’t going to work with them; Straight texted the four men assigned to watch her that he was on his way out.
Murphy never before had to worry about someone watching her every move, but knowing now that McGowan was interested in her, she did. She spotted an unfamiliar black car across the street when Straight drove away.
A twinge of fear gripped her. McGowan was an imposing figure whom she had just told to kiss off; she realized that he might be a sore loser and harm her if she didn’t do what he wanted. She fretted about Summa wanting to get rid of Long and Stone, and everyone else involved with the invention, so that he could control what happened to it. She didn’t know if he meant that literally. His latest thought was to help some guy he didn’t know by letting him use the invention to track down a killer. All these problems left her head spinning.