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property—in a wild, wooded area, no less—of an institution dedicated to eradicating wraiths?”
    â€œI was drawn by the building’s beautiful architecture and fascinating history,” she answered as the wheels turned in her head. Where to start?
    â€œI’m trying to save your life here.”
    Layla gave Thorne another smile. “I can take care of myself, thank you.”
    â€œAll evidence to the con—”
    Ah! “What was The Segue Institute’s original mission?” she interrupted. She didn’t expect him to fess up to the calamity of the wraith disease and give her the data to show the world, but maybe she could make a little headway, a small dent in his smug reserve.
    Thorne blinked his confusion. “I’m sorry?”
    â€œWhen you paid a whopping ninety-six million to found Segue nearly eight years ago, what did you plan to do with the place? Do you have a mission statement from that period?”
    He frowned. “What are you getting at?”
    â€œThe time line established by the World Health Organization places the first cases of the wraith disease at seven, not eight , years ago.” Layla watched Thorne’s face subtly harden. Hit a nerve there. She pinched. “Segue’s formation predates the WHO’s wraith disease time line. So what were the good scientists at Segue up to during the year before the outbreak?”
    Thorne shook his head. “The WHO’s time line is off by several years. The wraiths were already firmly entrenched by the time I started Segue. Segue’s primary mission has always been to research wraiths.”
    Layla cleared her voice delicately. This part was fun. “But you just said that you are working in cooperation with the U.S. and international governments. Why wouldn’t you give the WHO the most accurate information? Presumably others are doing their own research, and identifying ground zero for the wraith outbreak would be critical to those efforts. Why would you, in fact, hamper them?”
    Thorne’s lips parted but no sound came out.
    Gotcha. And so easy. Damn, she was good.
    â€œWhat you don’t know is a lot,” Thorne said, standing. “I hope you don’t publish that nonsense and feed public hysteria. People are scared enough.” To the closed door he called, “Kev!”
    As if she didn’t know the mood of the people, with monsters on their doorsteps, their children at risk. Her story was for them. “I’m here to learn.”
    â€œI have neither the time nor the patience to educate you,” he returned.
    The guard was back. Interview over. She could sit there like a dumb rock or meet Thorne at eye level.
    â€œThis way, ma’am,” Kev said.
    Thorne’s eyes were cold gray. Last chance. “When you experiment on wraiths, do you consider them to be human test subjects or something else? What protocols do you follow? I’d like to see the wraiths you have here in captivity.”
    â€œIf you want to see a wraith, Ms. Mathews, you will surely meet one, up close and personal. One last time: I advise you to stop looking.”
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    Which was how Layla found herself on a small Segue plane headed back to New York. They must have known she’d been hunkered down in the woods for a while. Someone from Segue had had the time to go to the inn in Middleton, pack her bag, and have it by her seat when she boarded. With her camera.
    How thoughtful.
    Layla pressed the power button and queued the saved images. Of which there were none.
    Not so thoughtful. She turned the camera off and stuffed it in her backpack.
    Seated across from her was a young woman in a mood more foul than her own. The woman was in her midtwenties and was very pretty in spite of dull black hair with too long blunt bangs over hazel eyes. Her gaze was heavy and angry.
    The woman responded to no verbal overtures— How are you connected to Segue? Do you know the