Double Dealing (38 page)

Samantha sucked in her breath, still startled by the unexpected
edge of steel she had uncovered. “You let me get away it,” she finally pointed
out cautiously.

He grinned again, this time showing lots of teeth. “I have
been well compensated.”

“Gabriel, I think your flaming sword is showing,” Samantha
told him very seriously, aware that she did not know all there was to know
about him and even more aware that she would have her hands full holding her
own in the future. “Under certain circumstances you could make me very nervous.”

“We’re even, honey. Sometimes you scare the daylights out of
me, too.” He went to work on the last of the buckwheat cakes. “So what’s our
first step in your little plan?”

“Get a little professional expertise. I’m going to call in
that wild-eyed computer maniac of a half brother of mine. He can tell us
whether or not we can get the information we need, I think.”

“He can use your computer to do the job,” Gabriel said
thoughtfully. “Why don’t you phone him after breakfast and have him meet us at
your place in Seattle?”

“You really think my idea has possibilities?” she queried with
just a trace of hesitancy. In a partnership, one liked to have the enthusiastic
support of the other partner, Samantha realized.

“Believe me, Samantha, if there’s one thing I learned from
my father, it’s how vulnerable a politician can be, especially one with
Buchanan’s instincts and temperament. There’s no way he could have stayed clean
for the past few years. I think you’re right. All we need to do is find the
dirt.”

Samantha shivered, staring at Gabriel as if he’d made the
transition from angel to devil in one easy step. “I don’t think I would like to
have you for an enemy, Gabriel Sinclair.”

“You don’t,” he retorted. “You have me as a friend. And as a
lover.”

“And as a business partner.” She chuckled.

“One of life’s more stable relationships.”

Avenging angels, Samantha decided, were far more interesting
and a great deal more dangerous than one would have supposed.

***

Two days later at one A.M. in the morning, Samantha carried
coffee into the back parlor of her old house. The room was lit by the eerie
glow of the computer console screen, and illuminated in the soft glare were the
two men who had sent her in search of coffee.

Her brother sat hunched before the keyboard, entering commands
with the intuition and skill of a born genius. He was so deeply involved in
what he was producing on the screen that he didn’t even bother to glance up
when Samantha entered.

Gabriel, who was stretched out in the chair beside Eric, his
feet propped carelessly on the desk and his shirt opened at the throat, did
look up, and he also smiled fleetingly.

“Did you make it exactly the way I told you?” He took a mug
from her hand and sipped experimentally.

“After all the junk food you two have eaten this evening,
you’re not likely to notice the bouquet!” she retorted. “I would never have
believed I’d see the day when you’d stoop to eating frozen pizza, Gabriel. And look
at you, you’re positively disarrayed!” she added, eyes gleaming as she took in
his wrinkled shirt, tousled hair, and casual sprawl.

“The things a man will do for a woman,” Gabriel murmured
comfortably.

“Getting closer, Eric?” Samantha asked.

“I’ve found the file on the zoning stuff,” Eric mumbled absently,
his attention so glued to the screen that he didn’t notice the coffee Samantha
set down beside him.

“We don’t want the main file, we want some other, buried
file on the same subject,” Gabriel said quietly.

“Are you actually inside the Buchanan computers?” Samantha
asked in awe as she sat down next to Gabriel and stared at her brother’s
hunched form.

“That part was easy. I simply dialed up the Buchanan computers
on your telephone. You’re going to have one hell of a phone bill, though.” Eric
chuckled, never taking his eyes off the screen. “I’ve been in contact for over
three hours.”

“This is so illegal,” Samantha breathed shakily.

“It’s a blast,” Eric corrected her, entering another command
which brought up more files of information.

“The fact that other people’s computers can be searched
long-distance by folks like Eric, here, is definitely a security flaw,” Gabriel
observed calmly, sipping at his coffee. “But useful.”

“Aren’t there any safeguards?” Samantha asked uneasily.

“Sure,” Eric responded. “Lots of them. All kinds of electronic
safeguards. That’s what makes it interesting. It’s a real challenge to get
beyond them.”

“Uh huh. Let’s hope the challenge doesn’t land you in jail
someday, Eric Thorndyke!”

“Buchanan’s people will never know they’ve been invaded,”
Eric assured her. “I’m not leaving any tracks behind. I’m not trying to play
with the records they’ve got filed in the computer, I’m only searching them.”

“Don’t worry about Eric,” Gabriel advised. “Besides, he owes
you this.”

“He doesn’t owe me!” Samantha protested angrily.

“You’re the one who got Kirby off his back.”

“He’s right, Sam.” Eric took a second to gulp down his
coffee. “I owe you this. Not just for helping me out when I came here to hide
from Kirby but for a lot of other help you’ve given me down through the years. You’re
my sister. My real sister,” he concluded simply.

Gabriel leaned forward to examine something on the screen. “And
besides, he loves his work, don’t you, Eric?” he drawled wryly.

“Yup.”

“I think,” Gabriel said absently as he peered more closely
at the line of computer print, “that when this is all over we’ll have to talk
about setting you up in the computer security advising business. Something
tells me that if we don’t channel this flair of yours for computers into a
legitimate area, you’re going to come to a bad end sooner or later.”

That brought Eric’s head up from the screen, and he stared
at Gabriel in astonishment. “What? You’re going to help finance me? Help get me
started in a business of my own?”

“That’s how I make my living, remember?” Gabriel said
calmly. “For a percentage of the profit, of course.”

Eric’s face reflected his astounded enthusiasm and pleasure.
“Christ, Gabe, that’s fantastic. You really mean it?”

“I mean it.” Gabriel was still staring at something on the
screen, frowning intently. “As I told your sister, I recognize competency when
I see it. Of course you’ll have to be willing to take a little advice along the
way as far as the management end of things goes.”

“You bet. Don’t worry about me listening to your advice!”

“Good.” Gabriel nodded once. “Knowing your sister that point
does concern me a little because I was a bit worried that her bullheaded
tendencies might run in the family.”

“You know the two of you are thrilled to pieces tonight
because I’ve given you an excuse to do something so illegal it’s disgraceful.
If I were an upright businesswoman, you wouldn’t have had the chance to play
computer detectives.” She peered over her brother’s shoulder. “Hey, wait a
second, Eric…. “

Gabriel leaned forward, his eyes on the same document record.
“Eric, I think we’re on to something here. Back it up and let’s see that record
on the zoning commission meeting just before this one.”

Samantha and the two men traipsed back and forth through the
files of the Buchanan Group. It was incredible, she reflected, the huge
quantity of information it took to run a large business these days. She had had
many occasions to use the Buchanan computers when she was working for Drew, and
it hadn’t been hard to point Eric in the right direction for the sort of information
needed. But she no longer had the codes and passwords for getting into the
regular files, much less these very-private-looking files.

Eric had found his way past all the barriers, however, with
an ease that both delighted and shocked her.

“Here?” Eric asked.

Gabriel nodded. “Isn’t it amazing how often during the past
several years various members of various zoning commissions across the country
have changed their minds about Buchanan properties? How many times tonight do
you think we’ve seen commission members change ‘no’ votes to ‘yes’ votes in
favor of the Buchanan Group? A few too many.”

“Drew always was very good at making his case for development
projects to zoning commissions and other people in city governments,” Samantha
observed dryly.

“A little too good. Buchanan, I think, has discovered an
easier route than convincing people with environmental impact statements and
economic arguments. Your ex-boss has been making payoffs for years, Samantha. He’s
been buying the votes he needed when he couldn’t get them any other way; I’ll
stake
my food processor on it.”

“Then I was right. The question now is whether or not he was
dumb enough to leave some records of those payoffs, hmmm?”

“People like Drew Buchanan keep records on everything,” Eric
volunteered confidently. “You should know that.”

“Even information that could hurt the firm?” Samantha shook
her head.

“That kind of information is kept in great detail,” Gabriel
said dryly. “But not usually together with the legitimate stuff.”

They found what they were looking for at three forty-five in
the morning. As soon as Eric retrieved it, the phone connection linking the two
computers across several thousand miles was cut off by the simple process of unhooking
the phone from the computer modem and restoring the receiver to its cradle.

“Just like that,” Samantha said wonderingly. “Just like my
brother can gain access to any major computer in the nation.”

“Well, it does take a bit of talent and intuition,” Eric pointed
out with grave modesty. He looked as exhausted as he had the night he tried to
fake up the Thorndyke spread-sheet. They were all exhausted.

“It takes,” Gabriel said, rising stiffly from his chair and
stretching broadly, “sheer genius. You, Eric Thorndyke, can go far if you find
a legitimate outlet for your talents and if you’ll listen to my advice.”

Eric summoned up a tired grin. “Don’t worry. I’ll listen. I
can’t wait to tell my brother Vic that I’m starting my own business. He still
thinks computer experts are only glorified electronic clerks.”

Samantha staggered a bit as Gabriel dropped his arm heavily
around her shoulders and pulled her toward the door. “Bed, everyone. This kind
of business takes a lot out of you. Christ, I’m tired.”

“So am I.” Samantha yawned.

“You s-should be.” Gabriel laughed. “This was all your idea,
remember? In your own way, you’re as much of a genius as your brother is.”

Samantha smiled smugly, inordinately pleased with the
compliment. Coming from Gabriel, it meant something. They made their way
upstairs, undressed, and climbed into bed. Samantha curled into Gabriel’s hard,
reassuring strength with sleepy pleasure. She was almost asleep when Gabriel
murmured in her ear.

“When this is all over… “

“
Ummm
?”

“I think it’s time I met your mother. See if s-s-she’s interested
in meeting her future son-in-law.”

“Mom’s not real big on
son
-in-laws,”
Samantha warned, too tired to argue.

“S-she’s going to love me. Didn’t you tell me yourself the
first day we met when I poured tea for you?”

Samantha could feel him smiling complacently, his chin
resting on the top of her head. She had just tacitly agreed to marry him, and
they both knew it.

“I’ll phone her this week.”

Because she was going to marry Gabriel Sinclair. Samantha
made the decision with her usual sudden conviction, and then she went to sleep.

“I’ll make my reservations for Miami after breakfast.” Gabriel
calmly helped himself to another of his perfectly cooked poached eggs while
Samantha dropped her fork with a small crash.

“Your reservation? What about mine?” Her eyes turned
suddenly fierce.

“I think it would be best if I handled this last face-to-face
meeting alone, Samantha. It isn’t going to be pleasant,” Gabriel declared very
seriously. He didn’t appear too fazed by the simmering warning in Samantha’s gaze.

“I’ll be damned if you’re going to handle the grand finale
without me! This was my scheme, remember? You are not getting on that plane to
Miami alone. We’re partners!”

Frowning, Gabriel appealed to Eric, who was happily wolfing
down poached eggs on toast. “For Christ’s sake, Eric, talk to her. Tell her
s-s-she’s being an idiot.”

“You’ve been doing a pretty good job of it yourself, and it
never seems to have much impact,” Eric observed.

“I don’t know what you expect me to do. Besides, I can’t use
logic on her because she’s got a perfectly logical reason for going.”

“What logical reason?” Gabriel gritted.

“She’s going to protect you.” Eric shrugged.

“I don’t need protection!”

“Tell her that.”

“Cut it out, both of you,” Samantha ordered briskly, polishing
off the last of her toast and egg. “I’m going with Gabriel because this was my
idea originally and because Gabriel and I are business partners. That’s all there
is to it. Now, if you will excuse me, I’m going to get dressed.”

Gabriel watched broodingly as she strode regally toward the
door of the kitchen. Just before she reached it, he growled, “You didn’t
particularly enjoy it the last time Buchanan and I met,” he reminded her
flatly.

She smiled unconcernedly at him over her shoulder. “I shall
trust you to find some way to keep the mentality out of the locker room this
time.” Her yellow terry robe whipped about her ankles as she made her exit.

Eric followed Gabriel’s narrowed stare toward the empty
doorway. “Sorry, Gabe, but when she’s made up her mind like that, there’s not
much that can stop her.”

“Damned
amazon
.” Gabriel sighed,
folding his napkin very precisely and putting it back on the table.