The Target (22 page)

Where was she headed? Dallas grabbed her bag, waited two seconds, then followed her out. Decker was turning into Grissom’s office down the hall. Too bad she had no way to eavesdrop on that conversation. Dallas passed the door to the conference room between the two executive offices. Could she hear from there? She ducked into the room, which contained a sleek metal table and matching chairs. Scooting along the left wall to the back, she pressed her ear to the surface.

Raised voices sent a rush of anticipation across her chest. Grissom was speaking. “Santera has never called in sick before, and now he says he’ll be out all week. What the hell is going on?”

“What are you saying? That you don’t trust him?” Decker was harder to hear.

“On Friday, we had a breach of security and someone stole files. Now this week, our head of R&D is suddenly absent from work for the first time in five years.” Grissom paused, then seemed to lower his voice. “We have a mole at ProtoCell. Why wouldn’t they have a spy here as well?”

“But why would Santera stay home? What is he avoiding?”

“I don’t know, but something is very wrong. I can tell.”

“I trust Santera,” Decker insisted. “And if Prickman had a mole working for us, why would he need to send in a thief during a fire alarm?”

“I don’t know. But Santera didn’t sound like himself when he called. And he said something odd.”

“What?”

Dallas strained to hear.

“I had just asked him for an update on the extended version, and he said it would take longer than we’d expected and that the ends never justify the means.”

“Maybe he’s just burned out,” Decker mumbled. “But once this last batch of data is submitted to FDA, there’s no stopping Slimbiotic.”

The conversation turned to data, so Dallas ducked back out of the conference room. The Santera discussion had reminded her not to push her luck. She’d already been discovered once. She trotted down to the atrium, bought a flavored water from the vending machine, and texted River about Grissom’s suspicion. The bureau had to keep Santera under wraps and monitor his communication better.

She chatted with a sales rep who came in but didn’t learn anything from her. Dallas headed back up to her desk, planning to spend more time digging around in Decker’s email—‌if she could get in.

Her office phone rang as she entered, surprising her. She’d only taken two calls, both from the FDA. “Cheryl Decker’s assistant.”

“This is Tara Smith, a business reporter from the
San Diego Union Tribune
. I’d like to speak to Cheryl Decker.”

Not a chance.
Decker had been clear about no calls from the media. “I’m sorry. She’s not available. Can I help you with something?”

“Can you answer some questions about a product release?”

Probably not.
“I’ll try.”

“ProtoCell just accelerated its launch of SlimPro, and it’s rumored that TecLife has its own weight-loss product about to launch. How does your competitor’s early entry into the market affect your earnings projections?”

An accelerated launch? Was that significant? “Did ProtoCell put out a press release?”

“They called and invited me to a clinical demonstration tomorrow.”

“What clinic? We’ll probably want to send someone.”

“Pacific Family. But hey, I’m the one who’s supposed to be asking questions.”

Dallas laughed. “I’m just trying to do my job too.” She jotted down the name of the reporter and the clinic. As an agent, she wouldn’t forget either, but as a secretary, it seemed appropriate. “What else can you tell me about the event?”

“Not a thing. Can you connect me to your public relations person?”

“I’ll try.”

“Thanks. Please have Cheryl Decker call me.”

Dallas made the connection for her and hung up. Then she googled the clinic’s name, noted the location, and called their number. “This is Tara Smith again from the
Union Tribune
. I wanted to confirm the time of the clinical demonstration tomorrow.”

“Mr. Brickman is scheduled for two-thirty, and the press conference is at two.”

The CEO of ProtoCell?
“Thank you.” Dallas hung up.

The head of the company was having his own device implanted and had invited the press. What a publicity stunt. A tremor of excitement rushed over her. The device war had just heated up again. She dug out her burner phone and texted the intel to River. If the competitor’s move forced the TecLife mastermind to engage in another, bolder act of sabotage, they might have an opportunity to catch them in the act.

Dallas opened the email software and keyed in Decker’s password. The files opened, and three emails landed while Dallas stared at the screen. One from the FDA, one from someone named Marta that looked personal, and one from Curtis Santera.
Shit!
Was he warning Decker about her?

Dallas clicked the email.

The door between the offices opened, and Decker stepped in, her expression grim. “I know this is unexpected, but I have to fire you.”

Oh shit.
“Why?” Dallas kept her eyes on Decker, who looked more distressed than angry.

“Mr. Grissom and my previous assistant aren’t working out, and Holly wants to come back to my office. I have to accommodate her. She’s a long-term employee and very valuable.”

Relief washed over Dallas. At least she hadn’t been caught spying. “I can transfer to Mr. Grissom. I don’t mind.”

“But his wife does.” Decker stepped forward and whispered, “He’s not allowed to have beautiful young women as assistants. I wish we could find you another place in the company, but we just don’t have anything right now. I’m sorry.”

Well hell.
“Can you give me some time to find another job?”

“We’ll pay you for the week, but it’s best if you leave at the end of the day. I have another important project tomorrow, and I might as well get Holly started on it instead.”

The rejection riled her. She’d never been fired before. More important, she would lose access.

What else could she accomplish in a few short hours? She decided to tell Decker about the phone call from the
Tribune
. As she reported the conversation, Decker’s expression kept changing, but Dallas couldn’t read it. Decker thanked her for the information with a tight smile.

Dallas added, “I’m very disappointed to leave this job.” She focused on that day long ago when her dad ran over her dog and blinked her eyes until they misted over.

“I’m sorry.” Decker retreated, as predicted.

With only an hour left, Dallas had to move quickly. She scanned the open email from Santera:
I’m sorry to miss work this week. I wanted you to know that Phase I of the extended version is going well. Maybe your new assistant can look at the data.

Was that a warning? She’d just heard the founders expressing concern about Santera and the possibility of a spy in their midst. So the timing of the message could be damaging. Or maybe Santera was trying to get her more access. She couldn’t tell. Dallas quickly scanned through a dozen more previously opened emails. Most of the addresses looked like typical business correspondence. Nervous that Decker would come back into the office with termination instructions, Dallas decided to close it up. At the last second, she opened the Sent folder for a quick peek. Decker had messaged Marta, whose email had come in earlier. A message she hadn’t opened.

The outgoing email was brief:
Something came up and
I have a meeting after work. Can you pick up Amber and give her dinner? I’ll be home by eight.

That was interesting. Decker could be seeing a lover or a shrink, but whoever it was, the meet had supposedly just come up. Dallas would tail her boss and see where she went. She logged out of email and accessed the server. She might as well snoop for as long as she could.

At four-thirty, she closed her computer, grabbed her personal things, and headed out. She had no intention of turning in her badge yet or letting anyone escort her from the building. Downstairs, she nodded at Adrian behind the front desk, and kept moving. Outside, the sun beat down, a bright relentless weight in the sky. But it still wasn’t Phoenix heat.

She drove around the block and parked on the street in front of Saber’s, the restaurant/lounge across the street from TecLife. Decker wasn’t likely to leave until five-thirty or six, but Dallas would keep an eye on the front of the building. Decker’s car was the silver Optima in the reserved space up front, but watching the vehicle wasn’t enough. Her target might leave on foot.

Still in the car, Dallas pulled her hair up into a bun, put on oversize sunglasses, and changed into the T-shirt, shorts, and sandals she’d stashed just for this purpose. Another full set of clothes, including a jacket, was on the floor in back. Undercover work had taught her to be prepared.

A man walking by stopped to watch her pull on the new shirt, and she resisted the urge to give him a mock-shock look. She was on duty, so she ignored him and he moved on. Dallas left the AC running and called River, who picked up and asked, “What have you got? It’s been a busy day already.”

Where to start?
“They just fired me. But my cover wasn’t compromised. It’s just a personnel thing.”

“That’s a tough break. Thank goodness you got the bacteria samples last night. What else?”

“Santera emailed Decker and mentioned me. But in a weird way, so I don’t know what it means. Still, he communicated with our targets. Have you cleared him of suspicion?”

“Not officially. I didn’t think he was the saboteur. But then we saw that email go out and didn’t know what to make of it.”

Dallas let it go. “We may get a break tonight. I found out that ProtoCell just accelerated its product launch and is doing a big media demonstration with their CEO. I’m not sure what it means to our investigation, but right after I told Decker about it, she set up a meeting with someone after work. I’ll tail her and see who she contacts.”

“You’ll get photos, of course.” River let out a rare sound of nervousness. “I get the sense that this rivalry has reached a boiling point. Something big could go down.”

“I had the same feeling today. Do we need to bring in more people to watch all the players?”

“I’ll call King and see what resources he can drum up.”

“Anything new on Grissom?”

“I followed him to a meeting with a hooker last night, but otherwise no.”

Dallas laughed. “He’s a horny beast. That’s part of why they let me go. Grissom’s wife won’t let him work with pretty young assistants.”

“Poor woman.”

“Any word on the bacteria samples?”

“Not yet. Analysis takes time.”

“I’d better go. I’m watching the building for Decker to leave.”

“Be careful.”

“Always.” Dallas hung up and headed inside the lounge where it was cooler and she could sip a beer.

Decker didn’t come out of TecLife until six-thirty. At the sight of her, Dallas bolted out of her seat, so restless she’d resorted to drawing on napkins for the last half hour just to keep from exploding. She started for the door, passing a group of TecLife employees, and forced herself to slow down. Hanging back and looking casual was the secret to a successful tail. Outside, she watched Decker get into her Optima and leave the now-empty parking lot.

Dallas bolted to her rental car, fifty yards away. Keeping her eye on the silver sedan, she cut into traffic and sped toward the intersection. The sedan turned right, and with two cars between them, Dallas followed. After a ten-minute drive, Decker pulled into a corner strip mall. Dallas sensed they were near the bay. She cruised past the mall, glancing back to see where the sedan had parked. Near a small Latin diner. She circled the block, parked on the outer edge of the lot, and trotted toward the cafe, which had outdoor seating. She suspected Decker and whoever she was meeting would be inside.

She passed the Optima and stopped in her tracks. Decker had taken a seat at an outside bar counter. Dallas headed for the seating in front of the ice-cream parlor across the open space. She chose a table behind a potted palm, where she could keep Decker in sight without being spotted.

After a few minutes, a woman approached and sat on the stool next to Decker. At least the person seemed to walk like a woman. Thirty or so, with a slim build on a five-eight frame. She wore a baseball cap with no hair showing, sunglasses, and a baggy shirt. Her skin tone suggested an Indian or Middle Eastern background, but Dallas was too far away to know for sure. After a moment, the woman reached over and tapped Decker’s arm, then said something Dallas couldn’t hear. She tried to read the woman’s lips. She’d taken the training, but hadn’t used it enough to be skilled. She thought she made out the word
job
.

The woman gestured at the newspaper on the counter, and Decker handed it to her. Dallas’ nerves pinged and she went into high alert. This looked like a clandestine meet with someone who didn’t want to be recognized or remembered. And Decker had likely just passed her something. A payment? Should she move in for an arrest? No, it was too soon. What if it had just been a newspaper? And the two were complete strangers? The meeting might not be happening yet. A friend or lover could show up any minute and give Decker a hug. Dallas grabbed her BioTech phone and set the camera to zoom. Could she capture their faces from here?

Probably not. She moved closer, keeping her own face averted, and snapped two shots. The bureau would use facial recognition software and, if the operative was in the database, they would identify her.
If
the photos were good enough. She needed to get closer.
Damn.
She wished she had a high-powered camera. But she was an undercover agent, not a spook. She had to travel light and realistic to the assignment.

A young man carrying a skateboard approached. He looked clean and drug free. Was he trustworthy? If she handed him her cell phone and a twenty and asked him to discreetly take their picture, would he take off with the money and her phone? A small loss that was worth the risk.

“Excuse me?” She stood and stepped in front of him. “Will you do me a favor? It’s very important.”