“How long had Anna worked there?”
“Five years. She was a senior analyst, one of the best they had.”
“I’m sure. She told me basically what they do there. But who owns the Phoenix Group?”
“She said once. Some rich American recluse living in Arizona, hence the name. Although she also told me she thought it came from the mythical bird, the phoenix.”
“The one that never dies,” Katie said, and then her face reddened when she found Shaw staring at her.
“Didn’t turn out to be a very apt name, did it?” he noted.
Katie said quickly, “But there must be more to The Phoenix Group than people knew. So we really need to nail down who or what it is.”
“No, I need to do that.”
“I thought we were working this together.”
“You thought wrong.”
“I want to find out what happened to Anna too.”
Shaw just shook his head. “What else can you tell me?”
“Why should I tell you anything now?”
“Because I asked you politely.”
His eyes locked on her again and Katie felt herself quivering under their burn.
“Well, when I was about to leave I noticed she had all this research on her desk.”
“She always did. That was her job.”
“No, I mean it was about one thing, the so-called Red Menace.”
Shaw sat forward. “Did you ask her about it? Was she working on it for The Phoenix Group?”
She shook her head. “Anna said she was just curious. That it was just something she was working on in I suppose her spare time.”
“When we were in Dublin she was very interested about this R.I.C. organization. She went online trying to dig up some stuff but didn’t find much.”
“Well, it seemed like she was still very curious.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “You don’t think her employer had anything to do with any of that? I mean trying to find out who was behind the Red Menace? And maybe they did and that would explain the shooting?”
Shaw slipped a business card out of his pocket and looked at it. Edward Royce, MI5. The man Frank had wanted him to team with on the Red Menace investigation. He was based in London. Shaw didn’t believe for an instant that The Phoenix Group had been investigating the Red Menace and that was the reason for the slaughter. Yet Royce probably had the connections to get Shaw at least into the building if Shaw agreed to help him on the Red Menace situation.
“Anna would’ve told me if she were working on it for them.”
Katie licked her lips and said nervously, “Take this in the spirit in which it’s offered.”
Shaw looked up from the card. “What?”
“Could Anna have been keeping things from you, I mean about what she really did?” She added quickly as his features turned grim, “Look, you weren’t exactly truthful with her. It’s just a thought.”
“It is a thought. I’ll keep it in mind. Thanks.”
“So when do you leave?”
“Soon.”