Maggie Undercover (16 page)

How sane and reasonable she sounded even with
the wobble of guilt in her voice. But sanity didn't appeal to him
at this moment. He wanted to scream and rage. Instead he gave a
curt nod and left, closing the door with a soft click behind
him.

Everything about Maggie McCade was a lie. A
deception. She'd played him like a fish on a line. Used
ten-year-old gossip to find what she perceived as his weakness.
Why?

What had she hoped to achieve by seducing
him? A confession that he'd hacked into Reed Software? Of that he
knew he was innocent. But his behavior with her was far from
innocent. Though she'd made the first move toward him, he'd
responded. The fact that she wasn't the young girl he thought her
to be didn't absolve him of guilt for what he'd done.

Through the day his anger battled with guilt.
Anger won. By his last class he knew what he had to do. He was
through running away. It was time to take a stand – to prove his
innocence and then send Maggie McCade packing.

***

Maggie moved through her classes on
automatic. The information she'd gathered over the weekend went
round and round in her mind, an endless circle of questions without
solid answers. Her head ached. Since she'd found evidence that
Jared's computer had been used in the hacking, sleep had eluded
her. Her eyes blurred with exhaustion.

She told herself her pride in being a
thorough investigator was why she pushed herself to find the truth
rather than just accept the evidence she found. But inside she knew
she had to learn the truth before she left Council Falls.

At the party on Friday night she found what
she'd expected on the high school jock's computer - nothing.

On Saturday afternoon during her study date
with Bradley she'd grabbed an opportunity to search through the
Morrison's computers. Bradley had been more himself or more what
Maggie would expect from a nervous teenage boy, friendly and a
little over eager to please. He didn't make any more comments about
her friendship with Jared, which struck her as odd considering the
point he'd made of it before.

When Bradley went to make them a snack, she
checked out the Mr. Morrison's computer and Bradley's laptop. Both
were clean. Too clean, as it they'd been wiped recently. That in
addition to the scrapes of paper with codes and passwords littering
Mr. Morrison's desk roused her suspicions.

A brilliant programmer, and a long time
widower, the man was the stereotypical absentminded scientist. He
mumbled to himself, left notes plastered everywhere and forgot
everything that wasn't connected with his current project. Several
of the passwords she found were the ones in use when Reed Software
had been hacked.

Was Mr. Morrison involved? Unlikely. He'd
have no need to break into the system; he was one of the
programmers on the project. He had complete access. Had Bradley
found and used the passwords? Then why were there traces of the
hacking on Jared's computer and not on Bradley's? Were Bradley and
Jared working together? To what end? Bradley didn't strike her as
the adventurous or risk taker type. Other than his geeky
personality and computer expertise he didn't fit the hacker
profile. And from what she discovered neither Jared nor the
Morrisons needed the money stealing Reed's innovative new program
would garner.

Had they done it just to prove they could?
Even if they didn't reveal their identity, most hackers took
delight in crowing about how they outsmarted the security systems
they hacked into. After this break in the hacker had disappeared.
Something didn't add up.

The final bell rang interrupting her
thoughts. She gathered her things and headed out into the hall.

"Ms. McCade, please stay. I'd like a word
with you." Jared's cold voice stopped her just outside the
classroom door, but she didn't turn to face him. Students brushed
past her. Why was he angry with her? Did he suspect that she'd been
in his computer? Or was he just uncomfortable about the kiss they'd
shared?

"Ms. McCade?"

The hallway was empty save for Jared and her.
She'd gotten used to hearing him call her Maggie. His cool use of
the formal address left her feeling like she'd lost something
valuable. She turned, expecting to find him looking at her. Instead
he'd stepped into the vacant classroom. With reluctance she
followed.

His dark hair fell in an untidy wave over his
forehead. A longing to brush it back and run her fingers through
the soft black silk made her knees tremble.

"Please sit down," he said without meeting
her gaze.

She plopped herself into a seat and attempted
to project a nonchalance she didn't feel.

Though his attitude toward his students in
class had always been one of cool reserve, the temperature in his
tone now made the air around her cold enough to hang meat. She
shivered in apprehension then stiffened her spine. She'd faced
armed street thugs and desperate criminals without flinching; she
wasn't going to let some bookish schoolteacher make her quake.

Only Jared Blake was no bookish
schoolteacher, he was a vibrant, virile, attractive male
animal.

"Mr. Blake, if this is about what happened on
Thanksgiving, don't worry about it. It wasn't important. I'm not
used to drinking wine." She kept her tone light and even, but
couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes.

"Nothing happened, Ms. McCade. You'd do well
to remember that." A vague threat hung in his words.

So he wanted to deny their kiss ever
happened. She could understand that. He'd crossed a line of conduct
he'd set for himself. Maybe the anger she felt emanating from him
was directed inward rather than at her. She'd let him believe she
was willing to go along – for now.

Guilt crept over her, but she couldn't summon
any regret for the kiss. To her sorrow there would never be another
mind-drugging, soul-melting kiss between them. He'd lapsed, but now
he'd pulled himself back in line. Even when she solved this case,
caught the hacker and parlayed her success into opening her own
security firm, something precious would be missing in her life.

"This is about your grade in this class.
You're failing."

Her head shot up. Failing? That wasn't
possible. Over the last few weeks she'd allowed her grades to creep
up until she knew she was carrying a solid C. What was he up to?
She glared at the top of his bent head willing him to look at her.
"I don't understand. I thought I was doing better."

"Better, yes, but not good enough. If you're
going to pass this quarter you need a near perfect grade on the
final next week. If you're interested, I'd be willing to give you
some more private tutoring. Otherwise I'll have to have you
transferred to a remedial math class."

He raised his head and speared her with his
gaze. Their eyes met and held. Without words they fought a battle
of wills. Then with a small tilt of his lips he let his gaze shift
downward over her. Though she'd given up tank tops for long-sleeved
tops, the thin material didn't stop his slow perusal of her body
from sending a shaft of liquid heat through her veins. Beneath her
purple sweater her breasts grew heavy, her nipples hard. Goosebumps
rose on her arms.

"Well, Ms. McCade? Are you willing to try a
little harder?"

His soft voice, heavy with threat and
innuendo made her wonder. Was he implying something beyond a simple
tutoring in Algebra? Or was she reading her own guilt and desires
into his tone? She searched his cool, impassive features but could
find no hint of his true thoughts. He met her gaze without guilt or
hesitation. Despite her suspicions, she found herself wanting to
believe him innocent.

When in doubt. Tough it out. Daniel's advice
echoed in her mind. Whatever Jared might be planning she needed to
know. Whatever happened she could handle it. She leaned forward and
put an offer in her voice. "I need to pass this class. Please,
Jared. I'll do whatever it takes."

His lips tightened. For a second she thought
she saw regret in his eyes then his eyes narrowed and he said,
"Come by my house Friday evening. 9:00 o'clock."

Disappointment and guilt stabbed her. Whether
or not he was guilty of hacking he was about to commit a far
greater offense. But he'd laid down a challenge she couldn't refuse
and didn't want to resist. "I'll be there." Before she could blurt
out more, beg him to explain his actions, she grabbed her bag and
bolted from the room.

After Maggie almost ran from the room, Jared
leaned his head in his hands and ran them through his hair. What
was he doing? Though it would change nothing, he wanted – needed to
prove his innocence to her as well as teach her a lesson. The
question was why? Without trust a relationship between them was
impossible and she'd shown herself incapable of trusting him.

Despite what he knew about Madeline Margaret
McCade's charade – if that was her real name – he couldn't help
wanting her.

The memory of their kiss lingered in his
mind. Tasting of cranberry sauce and wine her tongue had stroked
against his stirring his body to painful awareness of his long
celibate state. Just thinking about it made him grow hard.

Since his divorce there had been women, but
none had reached into him the way Maggie did. Everything about her
drew him to her. Her wholesome, unselfconscious beauty. Her mature,
easy way with Alex. Her curiosity and wide-eyed excitement about
things most people took for granted – raking leave, carving
pumpkins, trick or treating – the sweet, intoxicating innocence of
her kiss.

As their lips touched he'd forgot the
barriers between them. And when he'd pulled away, neither the
thought that she was just a girl nor his guilt for his actions had
eased the ache in his groin.

Knowing she wasn't an eighteen-year-old girl
or a real student didn't change the fact that he'd returned her
kiss before he knew the truth. How old was she? If her actions
showed her deceitful nature, what did his say about him?

And if he went through with what he planned
for Friday night his return to a career as a teacher might end
before it began. The best thing to do would be to expose her
charade and toss her out of school and his life. But then there'd
always be some doubt about whether or not he was involved with the
hacking of Reed Software.

The Reeds were a powerful force in Council
Falls. Though he doubted they'd spread rumors or act against him
without evidence, could he live with the hint of suspicion always
hanging over him? And if he exposed Maggie, they might never learn
who was behind the hacking, leaving Reed Software vulnerable.

No. He had to clear his name, for his own
peace of mind. He had to find the real hacker. But whatever he path
he chose he would lose something of value.

Jared used the rest of the week to conduct
his own investigation. When he went through the computer in his
office and found the sloppily erased traces of hacking he was sure
Maggie had also seen, some of his anger faded. What he knew that
she didn't was that he rarely used the computer in his office. He'd
set it up for Alex to play games, do school work and go online. All
his personal files were on his laptop. He checked it. It was
clean.

Because he didn't keep anything vital on his
office computer he hadn't been concerned with security. Last spring
he'd held several computer club meetings in his home. On more than
one occasion he'd left students alone in his office. One of them
could have gotten hold of his password and routed the hacking
through his system. The questions he had to answer were who? And
why?

He could forgive Maggie for suspecting him of
hacking. Being suspicious was part of her job as an investigator.
But a part of him wanted her unconditional trust. He needed to
prove his innocence.

What he couldn't forgive was letting him
believe he was attracted to and had kissed a young girl, his
student, making him doubt himself. Ignoring his own guilt for the
moment, he fanned the flames of his indignation.

~~~~~

CHAPTER TWELVE

Friday evening Maggie maneuvered her little
car through the snow that had been falling hard since morning.
Because of the accumulation school had been dismissed at noon, so
she hadn't seen Jared since first period.

Over the last four days she'd thought more
than once about telling him she wouldn't be able to make their
tutoring session, but each time she'd tried to say the words she'd
stopped. Truth was, no matter the outcome, she wanted to see him.
In a strange way she looked forward to the coming confrontation and
the end to her charade.

In class and in the theater as they worked on
the sets for Sleeping Beauty Jared was polite and friendly as if
nothing of import had happened between them. She didn't understand
and had a hard time copying his calm attitude. Even with all her
experience in undercover work she found her nerves strung
tight.

On Tuesday Jeanne had called from L.A. Her
sons were both down with the flu and because her husband was away
on business she was stuck and wouldn't be back for at least another
week. Then on Wednesday Daniel called and said he couldn't get back
until Saturday.

As usual he'd forgotten Friday was her
birthday – her thirtieth birthday. Not that she needed him. Turning
thirty wasn't anything special. She could handle it and the
investigation alone.

She was used to working alone. Being alone.
Besides what had happened between her and Jared was personal and
didn't impact on the investigation – or so she told herself. Though
all the evidence wasn't in, deep inside she was sure of his
innocence. Jared was too skilled a programmer to leave such obvious
evidence behind. Someone else had to have planted it there.

So sure that tonight before he had a chance
to do anything he might regret she was going to tell him the truth.
She owed him that much.