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city.
    She crossed the Bay Bridge, found Ingram’s address easily enough, and parked in a nearby lot. The building was home to Wells Fargo headquarters and more than two dozen other businesses. She went to the reception desk and asked for Ingram.
    A minute later, a blocky-looking man in his late forties stepped off the elevator. He waved and strode over to her. “Mrs. Farris?”
    Gwen nodded.
    “Robert Ingram. Let’s get you upstairs.”
    They rode the elevator alone. “I’m worried Stephen followed me here.”
    “He didn’t,” Ingram responded confidently.
    “How do you know?”
    “I had someone follow him. He attended the meeting and left a little after five, arriving back at Pace well after you left. You were never in any danger.”
    The news lifted the crushing weight Gwen had been shouldering all day. This would be over soon. She could put it behind her. She let out a sigh, which Ingram noticed.
    He smiled and said, “You have nothing to worry about.”
    The elevator let them out, and she followed him to a business suite. She guessed he’d been in law enforcement or the military previously. He moved with a military bearing and spoke with the confidence of a person who operated with thebacking of the law. The likes of Tarbell posed no threat to him. It was another reason for Gwen to breathe easily.
    Ingram’s offices were modest—two corner offices sandwiched a conference room overlooking the street below. A series of cubicles filled the remaining area. The place would have looked like a call center if it weren’t for the firm’s name etched into the glass doors entering the suite, Private Security International. It was all very understated. A plus for their clients, no doubt.
    Less than half the cubicles were occupied. Everyone politely ignored Gwen, giving her anonymity. A woman dressed in a business suit that was a handful of years younger than Ingram left one of the corner offices. She smiled at Gwen but offered no greeting. Ingram showed Gwen into the conference room. Deborah was sitting at the end of the table.
    Ingram closed the door, then went around the room and closed the blinds, giving them privacy from his colleagues. “In these situations, I like to keep everything private.”
    Deborah stood and took Gwen’s hands in hers. “We’re going to sort this out.”
    This was a surreal moment; Gwen took her seat, wishing Paul was with her.
    “Before we start, can I offer anyone anything—coffee, tea, water?” Ingram asked.
    Gwen shook her head.
    “If you don’t mind me saying, you look drained. You’re probably dehydrated. Stress does that to people. You should drink some water.”
    It irritated Gwen how Ingram saw through her, but his genuine concern tempered her mood and she agreed to his offer. As he disappeared from the office, she wondered if she’d been that transparent to everyone at the office. She hoped not, but guessed her facade had been a weak one. Ingram returned and placed a glass and an uncapped bottle of water in front of her.
    “I suppose it’s time to give you thedetails,” Deborah said.
    Gwen poured the water into the glass and sipped.
    “With violence in the workplace claims, it’s Pace Pharmaceuticals’ policy to bring in an outside consultant to investigate. Robert and his people make sure there is a rock-solid case against the accused, leaving no room for doubt or wrongful dismissal claims.”
    “No offense to Mr. Ingram,” Gwen said, “but I don’t really see the need. Stephen attacked me and threatened my life. It’s pretty open and shut. He won’t have any claim for wrongful dismissal.”
    “It doesn’t matter if he has a case or not; he can cry foul and drag us and you through the courts. The whole thing will be nasty and expensive. The lawyers will tell us to settle and we will and Stephen will get away with what he’s done with a tidy profit for his time. Do you want that?”
    No, she didn’t. She wanted Tarbell gone, expunged from her life with