Avery is still in Noah’s office, momentarily alone, when Nigel (anonymously) calls her and asks if she got his present. She tells him that because of the financial gift, she’s being investigated by the FBI. He bribes her and tells her he may want her to gather information for him, saying: “You protect Justice Wynn and tell me what I want to know, and I’ll make sure you never have to work another day in your life” (146). She refuses.

Before Avery leaves Noah’s office, Noah gives her an envelope with the keys to Justice Wynn’s townhouse, plus a paper with codes to his front door and safe. The paper also lists the mysterious initials “VGC” followed by a code. Avery goes to Justice Wynn’s townhouse. In the safe, she finds a thick binder, a velvet box, and a folder containing a lighter and a piece of paper with a complex code consisting of a series of letters and numbers. She isn’t sure what it is but assumes it’s important. She memorizes the code and burns the paper, then investigates the binder, which contains research related to Hygeia, GenWorks, Advar, and other companies. Before she can continue her investigation, she’s knocked unconscious.