She Shouldnt, But She Will (12 page)

July heaved a huge sigh. “I’m here if you want to talk, but just know this, I’m worried about you. You used to be so grounded. I thought you'd dip your foot in the 'getting out more' pool but you’re jumping off the deep end.”

“I know, and like I said, I’m never seeing the guy again. I told him and I’ve told you. No need to worry about me anymore. I’ve had my romp on the wild side, and now I’m back to being plain, boring Thia.”

Standing, July said, “I don’t think you’re boring, and no one in their right mind would call you plain. I just want you to be happy and fulfilled. You’re young yet. You should be out having fun. But responsibly, you know?”

“I know, and I appreciate your concern. I’ll be fine.” She frowned at her computer monitor. “But not if we can’t find what’s happening in this company. I’d better download the weekend file report so you can see if any of the accounts need adjusting, and I need to get ready for the sales presentation on Wednesday afternoon.”

After Thia retrieved the file for July, they started their respective tasks.

Shortly after lunch her phone rang. “Thia Williams.”

“Hello Ms. Williams, this is Mr. Jackson from Hawk Investigations. We have determined a pattern of file access that points to one individual. The next step is to determine if there’s anything in his personal life that might help confirm the suspicion.”

“Who is it?”

“John Bates. I’ve checked the building security logs against the pattern we’re seeing from the reports you’re sending. He’s the only person who has official access to the sysroot account and has also been in the building each time the offending program was started.

“But-but, John is one of my most trusted employees. He’s been with us from the beginning. You’re sure he’s the one?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“What are our options that wouldn’t expose the investigation?”

“I’ll look into his finances first, and then phone records. After that there are other measures we can take, but really, the less you know the better. You can trust us.”

Thia worried her bottom lip. “I do trust you, Michael, it’s just hard to process”

“I understand your hesitation. You’ve known this man for a long time and you’ve placed confidence in him. Believe me, I’ve seen this same situation often. In these cases, it’s usually the person least suspected. I feel certain a bit of poking into Bates’ personal life will confirm my suspicions. All I need from you is a written statement you want me to continue. You can fax it to me.”

“How long will it take to check his financial records?”

“We could have something this week if we don’t run into anything unusual.”

“Oh. Okay. Let’s see where your investigation takes us. I’ll write something up and get it faxed to your office right away.”

He gave her the number, said he’d get back with her at the end of the week, and hung up.

* * * *

Derek Hawkins, the owner of Hawk Investigations had been out of the office for most of the past two weeks. Now he sat at his large mahogany desk and scanned his e-mail inbox for any high priority messages. When his eyes landed on a possible link between the C&H and Falkner cases, he stopped to read the message.

Edwin Falkner was a murder victim who’d led the government to a large drug smuggling organization in the Bay area. As a former DEA agent, Derek knew how to perform undercover and what to look for, but was no longer constrained by agency restrictions. In that regard alone he had a huge advantage over his former colleagues.

The Falkner case had required his being out of the office all week, and he was playing catch-up on his firm’s ongoing cases. He struggled for a moment to remember the C&H case, and then recalled it was the accounting firm Jackson was working. What could they have in common? A double click opened the e-mail message.

I researched the telephone records from several persons of interest in the C&H case. The computer indicated that several calls from our primary target matched one in the Falkner case. How should I proceed?

Derek picked up the phone. “Mr. Jackson, will you come in, please?”

“Yes, be right there,” Jackson said crisply.

In under two minutes, Michael Jackson sat in a leather visitor’s chair in front of Derek Hawkins’ large desk.

“Tell me about the connection between the C&H case and Falkner.” It was a testimony to Jackson’s competence and reliability that Derek didn’t question there
was
a connection. He didn’t know the details of the C&H case, nor did he need to.

Jackson gave as close to a smile as he ever did, in acknowledgement. “For the past several months, cash has been juggled between accounts at C&H. Not large amounts and nothing outside the company, but enough so the shuffling would be noticed sooner or later and cause trouble—perhaps dissolution—of the firm. The most likely suspect has no motive, so I determined an outside source must be instigating his actions.

“I found regular cash deposits into a hidden account in a bank in Napa, and, as I mentioned in my e-mail, phone calls suggest the connection to Falkner. Each of the incidents at C&H took place almost immediately after one of the calls, and the money deposited after the problems became known.”

“Put a tail on John Bates and charge it to the Falkner account so we don’t have to clear it through the C&H principles. I want you to join us in the Falkner case update this afternoon. Read the file so you’ll be up to speed.”

“Yes, sir.”

* * * *

Derek looked around the table at the Falkner case team members. There was no need to review the details of the case. These were his top people and he knew they had familiarized themselves with even the smallest scrap of information available.

“Two important things have happened. First, Jackson has found a connection between our case and one he’s working. By coincidence, his suspect has been making calls to your guy, Linda, so you two will be working together on this aspect. Make sure you both share notes, okay?” He waited for confirmation from Linda Brooks, the only female on the team. “Second, I’ve received an invitation to a party at the Oglethorpe’s. It’s a way into the mansion.”

“Wow, congratulations,” said a male member of the team. “Fast work, considering how paranoid those folks are about who they associate with.”

“They have good reason,” said the man sitting next to him. “This is a large ring. Lots of people will be doing lots of time when we close the net.”

“Right,” Derek added, “but we have a good bit of work ahead of us before we close the net.”

“So, once inside, what can you do during a party?” This came from Linda.

“That’s where you're going to help. The party is a masquerade ball, so there will be anonymity to a great extent. We’ll be able to wander around and no one will know who we are. Well, except the Oglethorpes themselves—they chose all the costumes. Evidently they want their guests to remain incognito to each other but they want to know who we are. But as far as anyone else is concerned this weekend, we’re merely a pirate and his lady, attending the party.” Derek made an affected bow.

Far from amused, Linda’s face took on a horrified expression. “I thought you received my e-mail this morning. I have to be in
New York
for the next week. The Sattler trial has been moved up and the DA has scheduled meetings for the whole weekend to prep for my testimony. Is there anyone else?”

Shit!
Derek kept his consternation to himself. Linda couldn’t miss the trial preparation, but he couldn’t pass up this first chance to get inside that house. Thia’s face came to mind. “There might be someone else. If necessary, I’ll go alone, but we’ll see.”

He looked around the table. “What else has been going on with Falkner?” People gave their reports. Derek scribbled notes putting facts together in his mind as he wrote.

When he finally adjourned the meeting, he headed back to his office, trying to decide on the best way to approach Thia after the way they’d left things.

* * * *

Thia set her dinner plate in the sink the next night, when a knock sounded at the door. She looked through the peep hole and froze. The man she’d thought about on and off for two weeks, but who had featured in her dreams every night, stood on the other side.

“Derek, I told you I couldn’t see you any more,” she said through the closed door

“I have something to discuss with you. May I come in?”

Her heart raced as she turned the knob. Blocking his entrance she asked, “What do you have to talk to me about?” Her gaze dropped. “What’s in the box?”

“You have to let me in before I tell you.” He smiled that killer smile, the one to which women were defenseless.

There should be a vaccine.
She swung open the door.

Derek didn’t stop just inside. He marched into the living room as though he owned the place. “I’ll be direct, Thia. I need someone to go with me to a masquerade. The woman I thought would go, can’t. Will you accompany me?”

She laughed incredulously and shut the door. “The woman you invited first can’t go so you thought of me? You need to work on your pickup line.”

He smiled again. Another part of her insides melted. “I have to admit, that didn’t come out exactly right. I did think of you at first but then you said you didn’t want to see me again. I need a date for this, so I asked a friend. That’s the lady who bowed out.” He sat on the sofa then gestured to the place beside him. “Sit, and I’ll see if I can do better.”

Thia threw out her arms. “Sure. Why not?”

After she sat and turned toward him, he asked, “First, I understand what you said at the end of our trip, about losing control. But frankly, I thought we got along very well.”

“We did get along well. Too well, and that’s what scared me. Plus, I’m sure, that man you met with in Monterey wasn’t just talking about a redecorating job. You misled me, and I’m wary of those who can’t be honest.”

He seemed to consider. “I like that. It says a great deal about you. What I’m about to tell you has to stay between us. You can’t tell anybody.”

“No problem. I have to maintain client confidentiality, sometimes even from my most trusted people.”

“Good.” Derek studied her again. “I’m working undercover with the DEA on a case. Actually that’s why we went to Monterey.”

A tiny smile curved her lips. “You’re working undercover with the DEA.” She leaned forward and crooked her finger, indicating he should come closer, too. “Guess what,” she whispered. “I’m actually the queen of England posing as a poor girl in San Francisco.”

Derek snorted a laugh. “Now, Thia. I’ve seen your body and I’m sure the queen doesn’t look nearly as beautiful as you. But—” he pulled a cell phone from his pocket “—I can call someone to verify that I really am working on a case. It involves drug smuggling, and the people in the house. I was talking to the man about decorating.” Thia raised her brows. “It’s true,” Derek said. “I promise. No more lies, no more stories.”

“That’s why we met that man?”

“Yes. That was a contact I’ve developed through my painting. He’s gotten me to the next step in our investigation, which happens to be getting into the house. And the first step of
that
is to attend a masquerade held there. I’d planned for one of my operatives to come with me, but something’s come up. I found myself hoping you’d gotten past not wanting to see me again because I’d like for you to come with me. Now I see you’d not only be beautiful and good company, you’d handle yourself well.”

“What does that mean? What kind of party is this? Dangerous?”

He looked shocked. “
No!
Of course not. I’d never take you into a situation where I thought things could get dicey. You aren’t trained and I’d never put you at risk. Besides possibly getting you hurt, it could blow my cover.”

Thia looked at Derek for a few seconds. Her life had been exciting since she’d met him, but what he was talking about now was very different from the excitement they’d had before. “I don’t know. I’ve never done anything like this. What would I have to do while we’re there?”

“Be your lovely self, stay close to me and if you're unsure of what to say just let me do the talking. Otherwise, follow my lead. I’m not expecting any trouble, I promise.”

“What about—” she looked down to hide the heat suddenly flooding her cheeks, “—you know, sex?”

He tilted her head up with his finger under her chin. “I don’t expect that, either. Of course, if you and I wanted to do more, it would make the evening more enjoyable, but it isn’t a requirement. For me, this is work. I just wanted you along because I like you.”

Thia smiled. She liked the way he talked, but she shouldn’t go. This was more—much more—than an outing to lend a little excitement to her life. This was getting involved with his work, with a federal investigation. One wrong word on her part could cause real harm.

“I don’t think so, Derek. This sounds like a lot of responsibility.”

“The most important thing for you to do is protect our cover. They think I’m a guy who paints pictures and lives off a trust fund—just like you believed until a few minutes ago.” He stroked his thumb across her cheek. “You can handle it.”

“I’ll just try to be quiet.” It wasn’t until she spoke that she knew she’d decided to go with him.
Damn!
And hadn’t she promised herself and July she wasn’t going to see Derek again—ever?

“And the only other thing—” he hesitated and looked a bit nervous for the first time since he’d arrived, “—is you have to be a pirate.” He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “It wasn’t my choice. When I received the tickets, the costumes were assigned. I was even told where to order them. I hope you and my colleague are the same size because the costume I ordered for her is in the box.”

“A pirate? Well, how bad can it be?” Thia picked up the box and retreated to her bedroom calling, “I’ll be out shortly.”

She laid the box on the bed and opened it. Inside were two more boxes. Opening the larger one she found a black hooded cloak made of very fine wool. The other contained more of the costume and a note.

Please wear only what is in these boxes, with one exception. Black boots that extend to the knees will be supplied by the guest.