The next morning, all the men working at the corporation stood lined up in a single line. One by one, the investigation team drew blood directly from each person’s vein for testing.
“It’s only a matter of time, sir.” The Medical Examiner told the detective as I entered the room. “Only a matter of time.”
“What’s with the samples, Roberto?” I asked, taking a seat. I slipped a syringe of Niccolo’s blood from my pocket, hiding it in my hand as I injected it into my vein just before they took my sample. Just as the syringe was about to empty, I pretended to flinch at the needle and jolted from my seat. It gave me just the right excuse to leave the room.
I stayed outside until the last man left the room. Ben and the detective were locked in an argument about the investigation.
“That’s the last of it.” Ben said. “It’s clear, your man is not here.”
“We must’ve missed something.” The detective replied. “I say we test again.”
“Test? No. I won’t allow another test. At this point, your presence is creating more problems than it’s solving.” He stared directly at the detective's eyes. “This launch is unlike any other, and it’s crucial that we leave on schedule.”
“It seems this mission means a great deal to you, Mr. President. Maybe the killing wasn’t as senseless as it appears.”
“Take another look at my profile,” Ben replied. “You won’t find a single violent bone in my body.”
“I’ll be in touch, Mr. President.” The detective held his gaze for a moment before walking past him.