Daring Deception

by Barbara Freethy

  "I can't tell if you're happy about that or not."

  "I wouldn't mind seeing some changes around here and at work, too. The world moves on, but this family is stuck."

  There was no mistaking the stress in his voice now. "Mom said you and Dad aren't getting along."

  "That's an understatement."

  "What's going on?"

  "Dad has been running a competition for the CEO position at Lexitech since Harmon Phelps retired in January. It was supposed to be mine, but then Dad put Kevin in the running. He's a marketer, not an executive. It's ridiculous. But Kevin started undercutting me behind my back. He has been going to Dad with cool charts and graphs and convincing him that he should get the job."

  "Did you talk to Dad about it?"

  "Of course. He said Kevin spends more time on costs while I spend more time on dreams. He wants a CEO who can make money, as if I can't do that. We're supposed to work together for the next two months, and then Dad will pick a winner. I'm the one with the Carlson last name, not Kevin. I don't even understand why he's a possibility."

  "Maybe you should work somewhere else."

  "I've thought about it. But dammit, Caitlyn, how can I let Kevin take what's mine?"

  She hadn't seen Spencer this worked up in a very long time. She understood his position, but she was also starting to worry that he was giving himself a very good motive for wanting to get Kevin out of his way. "Maybe you need to talk to Kevin. You have been friends for your entire lives."

  "Not anymore. Kevin has changed over the past year. His ambition is off the charts. He's not the guy you knew. And he seems to think he's a Carlson. He even goes golfing with Dad, acting like he's a third son."

  "You hate to play golf."

  "That's not the point." Spencer gave her an annoyed look. "I thought you'd understand."

  "I do. You've been at Carlson since you were twenty-one. You've put your time in."

  "Exactly. I've given twelve years of my life to the company and I should be CEO of Lexitech. I'm the one who suggested Dad acquire them in the first place."

  "So prove to him that you're the right choice."

  "I'm beginning to think he already made his decision."

  "Or he's just trying to make you do better by giving you a rival. He loves to do that. He used to pit you and Baxter against each other."

  "That's true. And I have thought that was the reason, but then I see Kevin walking around all smug, and it pisses me off."

  "Have you talked to Kevin since the bombing this morning?"

  "No. I probably sound like an ass complaining about him when he could have been injured today."

  "He could have died."

  "Well, he didn't. He wasn't even there. Kevin is a golden boy. Bad luck doesn't touch him."

  "I know you're angry at Kevin for trying to steal Lexitech from you, but if you talk to anyone from the FBI, do not show this bitterness."

  "Why would I talk to anyone from the FBI?" he countered, a wary gleam entering his eyes. "I wasn't involved with anything at Bolton."

  "You are a senior vice-president at Lexitech, same as Kevin. And if Lexitech was targeted…"

  "It wasn't the only company on the panel, and we were there to talk about the environmental measures we've put into place."

  "Has Lexitech received any threats recently?"

  "No. Kevin wouldn't have gone if there had been threats." He paused. "I know you probably can't tell me anything, but are there any leads?"

  "It's early. There's a lot of information to compile."

  "And you're back in the middle of it. I can't believe going to Bolton could have been fun for you, not after another bomb went off."

  "It was difficult," she admitted. "It brought back a lot of memories. There are similarities between today and ten years ago."

  "You think there's a link?"

  "Maybe. I spoke to Hank Merchant. He said something that surprised me."

  "What's that?"

  "He told me that you and Kevin were hanging out with Wyatt Pederson, Vitaly Loucks, and Gary Keniston, three of whom were prominent LNF members and suspects in the last bombing."

  "Wait. What?"

  "You heard me."

  His brows drew together. "I think you're talking about the birthday party Vitaly hosted for his girlfriend, Shanice Lindeman. I was invited because I'm friends with Shanice. Kevin, of course, was also friends with Shanice, as well as Vitaly and Hank."

  "I know Kevin has ties to the group. I just didn't realize you knew any of them."

  "I've met a couple of them through Kevin and through Shanice."

  "How did Shanice meet Vitaly?"

  "That was through Kevin, too."

  She was realizing how much of a conduit Kevin was between the past and the present. "Hank also mentioned that you and Kevin argued that night. He thought someone was close to taking a punch. That doesn't sound like you."

  "I'm sure we were arguing, but it wasn't going to escalate to anything physical. What was Hank's point? What was he trying to get you to think?" Spencer challenged, his gaze narrowing. "I feel like I'm being set up or something."

  "I'm not sure."

  "Caitlyn, come on. Hank was obviously trying to throw shade at someone. Was it me or Kevin?"

  "Maybe both of you."

  "Why?"

  "I don't know. That's why I brought it up."

  His gaze narrowed. "Why were you talking to Hank at all? Does he know something about the bombing?"

  "He says he doesn't. I'm not sure if that's true or not." She paused. "What about the organizers of the symposium? Do you know anything about the student group that invited Lexitech to participate?"

  "No. Kevin was communicating with the group, not me. Actually, one of the reasons why Kevin agreed to participate was because the girl who asked him was really hot."

  "Seriously?"

  "Yeah. I reminded him that he's thirty-three and I'm not sure this girl is even twenty-one, but he didn't want to hear that."

  "Do you know her name?"

  "I don't. Sorry. Like I said, we haven't been friends for the last several months. I wasn't that interested. I'm sure Kevin can tell you."

  "He's not returning my calls. I even resorted to asking Dad to get involved, but Kevin didn't pick up the phone for him, either. I'm not sure why he's avoiding me."

  "That's weird. I'm sure he'll call you back now that Dad has asked. He won't want to do anything to jeopardize his chance at becoming CEO."

  "I hope he does. You should find a way to do what you want to do in business, Spencer. If it's for Dad, for Carlson Industries, great, but if it's not, that's okay, too. I know it's been ingrained in you that you should follow in the footsteps of all the great Carlson men in front of you, but that's not the only path."

  "You're lucky you were born a girl," he muttered.

  "I haven't had the same pressure. I know that. But we're talking about you. I haven't seen you this upset in a very long time. If you want this CEO job, then fight like hell for it, and put Kevin in his place. But if you're doing it just because you want to beat Kevin or you want to prove something to Dad, then maybe you should reconsider your goals."

  "That's easier to say than to do. I've never worked anywhere else."

  "It can be good."

  "Do you really like what you're doing?"

  "Very much. I have surprised myself with how good I am at it."

  "Well, I'm glad you're happy, Caitlyn. I hope what happened today doesn't drag you back into that dark pit of despair you spent far too much time in."

  "I'm not going to let it."

  "So, should I ask?"

  She saw the question in his gaze. "Quinn is not a part of this." Pausing, she added, "Did you know that Dad sent Quinn away?"

  Spencer stared back at her, then shook his head. "No, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did. He hated the guy, especially after the bomb went off. He blamed Quinn for everything. I have to admit, I blamed him, too. We all did. In fact, there were t
imes when I thought you did, too."

  "He wasn't responsible."

  "Okay. So, what does that mean?"

  She let out a sigh. "I don't know."

  "Are you going to find out?"

  "I'm not sure."

  "Sounds like a yes to me. Have you talked to him in the last ten years?"

  "I have," she said, deciding not to lie to her brother.

  "Did he explain why he disappeared?"

  "Not all of it."

  "Enough?"

  She shook her head. "Not really."

  "Then maybe you should keep your distance."

  "That's probably good advice."

  "He smiled. "You're not going to take it, are you?"

  She smiled back. "Probably not."

  Chapter Twelve

  Caitlyn was on her fourth cup of coffee as the clock ticked past two o'clock on Friday afternoon. She'd gotten into the office just after eight and had been working ever since, with a quick break at noon to grab a salad. They'd had two team meetings, one when she'd first arrived, and one an hour ago. Unfortunately, the developments on the case were few and far between.

  She stretched her arms over her head and then turned her attention back to her computer. Before she could return to reviewing security footage from Bolton and the surrounding area, her phone vibrated on her desk.

  At the text from Kevin, her heart jumped.

  I'm not avoiding you, Caitlyn. I was on a plane to London. Now, I'm in a taxi. I will call you when I have a chance, but I don't know anything about the blast. I just know I could have died. I had to get out of town. I'll be in touch.

  She frowned. What the hell was Kevin doing in London? Neither her father nor her brother had mentioned that Kevin was scheduled to leave the country.

  She immediately texted Spencer: Heard from Kevin. He's in London. What's going on? Was it a planned trip?

  She tapped her fingernails on the desk as she waited for a reply. It came quickly.

  No idea. Wasn't scheduled. Ask Dad. If Kevin told anyone, it's probably him.

  She didn't want to bring her father any further into the case when she'd made a point of telling him to back off. She also doubted Kevin had told her dad anything. It sounded like he'd made a panicked trip out of the country. What was he afraid of?

  None of the other targets from the symposium had run or refused to talk to the FBI. Kevin's actions implied something; she just didn't know what. It seemed unlikely he'd set the bomb, but he had been a Bolton student ten years ago, and he had lived with Hank Merchant and been friends with other members of the LNF. Maybe that's why he was scared.

  She texted Kevin back: It's imperative that I talk to you, Kevin. Please call me ASAP. She hesitated, then added: I want to make sure you're safe. I'm concerned you were a target. We need to talk.

  Kevin's reply was brief. Your family is the target. You know what that feels like. I need some time to regroup.

  I understand. But this may not be over. Spencer said you're dating one of the organizers of the symposium. Can you put me in touch with her?

  She waited several long minutes. Finally, he answered: Old news. That ended a while ago.

  What's her name? she asked.

  There was no response. She waited several more minutes, but clearly, Kevin was done talking. She was surprised by his reluctance to answer a simple question about who he'd been dating. If they weren't going out anymore, there was no need for him to protect her. Yet that's exactly what he seemed to be doing.

  She texted her brother again. Kevin won't tell me the name of the woman he was seeing at Bolton. Are you sure you don't remember her name?

  Spencer replied: I can ask his assistant.

  That would be great. Also, be careful. Make sure Lexitech's security is on point.

  Don't worry. We're beefing up security at every office as well as the gala.

  Dad should cancel that, she texted back.

  It will probably be the safest place in the city. There will be bomb-sniffing dogs, probably wearing dog tuxes if Mom has her say.

  She smiled. Now that I might actually like to see.

  Putting her phone aside, she got on the computer again. The security cameras in the immediate area of the auditorium had been taken off-line for fifteen minutes before the explosion, so the bomb had been placed in the bushes within minutes of going off. The students who had been injured and were closest to the auditorium had not reported seeing anyone go near the area, but they'd only just arrived a few minutes prior to the blast.

  She'd been looking at footage taken after the cameras went back online. For some reason, she couldn't find Quinn. He'd obviously been standing in a dead spot that hadn't been caught by any of the cameras that had been put back online. Was that just lucky?

  She wished she didn't keep having doubts about him. She needed to find a way to think about Quinn that she could stick with, instead of going back and forth between certainty and distrust.

  In her heart, she knew he hadn't set either bomb. It was just that her head kept questioning her heart, wondering if she'd been so in love with the man she just hadn't seen him for who he was. But she didn't really believe that. She had been in love, but she had also known him very well. Ten years had turned him into a stranger, but their kiss yesterday had brought him back into focus.

  Letting out a sigh, she suddenly straightened, seeing a face she had not expected to see. She stopped the video, backed it up, then enlarged the screen. Her heart sped up at the appearance of the blond man wearing jeans and flip-flops. It was Wyatt Pederson, dressed the way he used to dress in college.

  Why was Wyatt at the scene?

  As the question ran through her mind, Wyatt left, disappearing from the scene. He'd only been there a few minutes. He hadn't spoken to anyone, and he certainly hadn't been interviewed, which made sense since it was more than five hours after the blast.

  Had he gone to Bolton out of morbid curiosity?

  Maybe, like Quinn, he'd just felt an inexplicable need to go to the scene.

  She sat back in her seat, something else niggling at the back of her brain. Lauren and Hank had both mentioned Wyatt yesterday, and Lauren had suggested that Wyatt had been at the scene of the first explosion, which conflicted with the alibi provided by his father, Senator Pederson. Was that a slip on Lauren's part? Or had she wanted to cast doubt onto Wyatt?

  Someone was lying. Who? The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if it wasn't the senator. The case file had always bothered her with its lack of depth, especially in regard to the Pederson brothers. But Agent John Bauer, who had run the investigation, had told her that they followed every fact. While they hadn't conducted more than five or six in-depth interviews with LNF members, they believed that they'd identified the persons of interest. Donovan and Quinn had been at the top of the list with Hank, Vitaly, Vinnie, Gary, and Lauren also interrogated for a possible connection to the blast.

  She tapped her fingers restlessly on the desk. Had Senator Pederson put pressure on Bauer to steer the investigation away from his sons, or…

  Her thoughts turned to her father. She really hoped it wasn't her dad who'd swayed the investigation, who'd been so determined to make Quinn pay for what had happened to her that he'd pressured Bauer to build his case off Quinn. However, she couldn't completely discount that possibility.

  "Find something?" Emi asked.

  She started as Emi appeared at her desk. "What?"

  "You looked lost in thought. Did you find something?"

  "Yes." She moved the footage back to Wyatt. "That's Wyatt Pederson, one of Senator Pederson's sons. He went to Bolton with me. He was part of the LNF."

  Emi looked at the time stamp. "He came to the scene hours after the blast."

  "And left very quickly."

  A light entered Emi's eyes. "This is good, Caitlyn. I looked through the same footage, but I didn't recognize him. Nor did I find him particularly suspect. There were dozens of people who walked onto the scene and then left.
" Emi smiled. "You might be earning your keep after all. But…"

  She saw an odd look in Emi's eyes. "What?"

  "Rob will be wary of you going after a senator's son without any real proof."

  "He was on the scene."

  "Hours afterward. I'm not telling you not to talk to Wyatt, just tread carefully. As you know, Rob has ambitious aspirations."

  "I'm aware. It was one reason why I left Miami. I'm actually surprised you wanted to work for him again."

  "I needed to be here in San Francisco. My father was having health issues, and my mom needed help. I took this job so I could do that."

  "How is your dad doing now?"

  "Much better. In fact, his cancer is in remission, and they're planning a trip to San Diego next month. They're actually thinking of moving down south."

  "Maybe you can make another move then." Emi was too good of an agent to be constrained by Rob's political handcuffs.

  "I might consider that. Think you could put in a word for me with your boss? I'd love to work on a task force."

  "I could do that. Flynn is always looking for good agents."

  "Does Lucas Raines still work there?"

  "He does. You know Lucas?"

  "Our paths crossed a few years ago." Emi gave her a smile. "The man is hot."

  She smiled back. "He is that."

  "Is he married?"

  "Nope."

  "Interesting." Emi paused as a sudden hush took over the room.

  She jumped to her feet as Rob walked in, followed by two senior agents. Something had happened.

  Rob stepped in front of a monitor and put up an image of a building being evacuated. "This is happening now at Alancor. A board meeting was in progress when toxic fumes were released through the ventilation system. Three members of the board are on their way to the hospital."

  Caitlyn caught her breath. Alancor had been scheduled to be at the symposium. That couldn't be a coincidence.

  "We believe this incident may be related to the bombing at Bolton College," Rob continued. "We've notified the other symposium participants, Lexitech and the Freeman Group, to increase security and to notify us of any unusual activity. Agents Conroy and Mueller will head over to Alancor. Hazmat is already on site. Agents Johnson and Kacinzsi will go to the hospital to talk to the victims. Everyone else—do what you're doing. We need to figure out what's coming next and where. We're not just looking at bombs now."