“Really?” she asked, shocked etched across her face. “That’s what you thought?”
“It didn’t make sense to me that her friend would go into her apartment so early the next morning and break through the police tape in order to do so.”
“When did you decide I wasn’t the leak?” She paused, her gaze narrowing. “Or maybe you haven’t decided that?”
“I knew you were not the mole as soon as we started talking. Your grief for your friend was completely genuine. It was obvious you weren’t involved in her death. Everything since then has been about keeping you safe and trying to figure out who did kill Noelle.”
Avery got up and paced restlessly around the room. “I don’t want to believe Noelle was passing classified information to someone. Do you have anything to go on besides this meeting with Jonathan?”
“Yes. Noelle had a cash deposit of $5000 put into her bank account the day before she was killed. It broke the pattern of her usual banking behavior, and there was no indication of where or who the money came from.”
“How do you know that?”
“The FBI told me that when I met with them at the police station yesterday.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me that then?”
“There was a lot going on. And I didn’t think you were in the frame of mind to hear it.”
She ran a hand through her hair. “This just gets worse and worse. Why did the FBI give you that information?”
“Because of my position in security at Nova Star. They’ve been in touch with Hamilton, too. They know that I am working on the inside while they do their thing. Obviously, Noelle’s death raised the stakes. And with the upcoming launch on Tuesday, we need answers fast.”
“Maybe Hamilton should scrub the launch.”
“I’ve suggested that more than once. He doesn’t want to do that. He doesn’t want to lose his advantage.”
“But people are dying…” She sat back down at the table. “I knew something was off with Noelle. She was rambling on about trying to be a better person. That doesn’t sound like someone who is stealing secrets.”
“It’s possible she had a change of heart about whatever she was doing and was looking for a way out. Someone killed Noelle for a reason, Avery. Based on what we know so far, that someone also thought she left something behind at her apartment. It’s possible she reneged on a deal she’d made and paid for it with her life. But we’re not going to know which side Noelle was on until we find out who killed her.”
“I just don’t know why she would do it.”
“Her mom was broke. She was supporting her, right? Money and desperation are good motivators.”
“But she could have just asked me for money, for help. I’m not rich, but I make a good living. I could have given her $5000. That doesn’t seem like enough money to lose your life over.”
“I’m sure there was more promised.”
“Do you think Jonathan could be the mole—the person passing information through Noelle to a third party? Does Hamilton believe his oldest son, his heir to his fortune, to his company, would be selling him and the company out?”
“He doesn’t want to believe that. He thinks Jonathan is being framed.”
“For Noelle’s murder?”
“Among other things.”
“What other things?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“You’ve told me this much, Wyatt. Tell me the rest.”
“Knowing more is only going to put you in more danger.”
She did not like his answer, an angry light entering her eyes. “I’m already in danger. I’m hiding out in a hotel room with you. I have a right to know what else is going on. And if you don’t tell me, I’m not taking you to dinner tonight. I’m not giving you access to Jonathan or Kyle or anyone else you want to talk to.”
Despite his dislike of her words, he actually admired the ruthless note in her voice. Apparently, sweet Avery also had a stubborn side.
He would tell her just enough to get her back on his side.
“Fine. I can say this much. A Chinese female aerospace engineer by the name of Jia Lin was killed three months ago in San Francisco. She worked for a state-funded aerospace company in Beijing that’s in competition with Nova Star. She met with Jonathan for dinner the night before she lost her life in a single-vehicle accident. In her possession were classified specs for Nova Star’s Star Gazer Rocket II.”
“What? She met with Jonathan, too?”
“Yes.”
“But that rocket won’t go into production for another year. How are there even specs?”
“Apparently, they are preliminary but still highly proprietary.”
“What did Jonathan say? I assume someone talked to him about it.”
“Both the police and the FBI spoke to him. This happened before I came on board. Hamilton told me that Jonathan took the meeting because Jia Lin is a top-level engineer, and she was looking for a job. While he doesn’t ordinarily talk to recruits, he was going to be in San Francisco for other meetings, so he agreed to see her. He denies handing her any information or having anything to do with her death.”
“I assume there was no real evidence tying Jonathan to the accident, or he would have been arrested.”
“That’s correct. But the FBI were concerned that Nova Star’s security had been breached by a Chinese national. They wanted Hamilton’s cooperation, but when it became clear the bureau was a little too interested in making Jonathan a scapegoat, Hamilton shut them down and told them his security team would take care of it. He hired me shortly thereafter because I have more experience in gathering foreign intelligence than his previous director of security, who had also decided to take an early retirement.”
“Hamilton is very loyal to family, and I can understand why he would have trouble seeing any kind of motivation on Jonathan’s part to sabotage the company he will one day inherit. Plus, Hamilton and Jonathan are very close. Frankly, if you’d told me that Kyle was the suspect, I’d have more doubt in my mind.”
“Why is that?”
“Because Kyle and Hamilton often butt heads over the direction of the company, the priorities, the focus. Kyle is less interested in sending his father and friends to Mars and more interested in how space technology can benefit people on Earth. He fought Hamilton to get the funds to develop this satellite defense system. That’s really his baby.” She paused. “Which, now that I’ve said all that, reminds me that Kyle wouldn’t sabotage the company, either, not when he’s about to get everything that he has wanted for a very long time.”
“Perhaps someone doesn’t want Kyle to get everything.”
She met his gaze. “If you’re talking about sibling rivalry, I think you’re going down the wrong road. Jonathan and Kyle are opposites in personality, but I’ve always felt there was a strong bond between them.”
“What about Whitney? She doesn’t seem to have much to do with the company. Is that by choice?”
“Definitely. She has no interest in science or the universe. She’s into clothes and art and decorating. Although, apparently, she’s now very much into bettering her spiritual mindset and becoming at peace with her soul.”
He raised a brow at her words. “You sound like you read that on a brochure.”
“I did. My father gives a class on that; it’s in his course description. Shortly after he met Whitney, she took his seminar, and she said it changed her life. She now does yoga and drinks a lot of green juice and treats my father like he’s a god. It works great. She adores him, and he needs someone to adore him.”
“Interesting. Now I’m really looking forward to tonight, although, I hope we don’t have green juice for dinner.”
“You never know. You haven’t met Whitney?”
“No, not yet. Hamilton said he used to worry about her until she met your father. At first, he was uncomfortable with the age gap, but he soon realized that Whitney was very happy, and she deserved that. I guess she wasn’t always a happ
y person.”
“I think she has struggled with depression, especially after her mother died last year. She had much more in common with her mom than she does with her father and her brothers.” She paused. “I know I should probably try harder to like her, but despite her sudden interest in peace and love, she has a high-handed, snobbish attitude that I don’t really care for.”
“And it’s weird for your dad to sleep with someone who is only a few years older than you.”
She grimaced at his words. “Please, don’t talk about that.”
“Sorry. So, can I go to dinner now?”
She nodded. “I wish you would have told me some of this earlier.”
“A lot has happened really fast, Avery.”
“Well, that’s true.” She glanced at her watch. “And the world isn’t done spinning yet. Time to meet Carter. I’m almost afraid to find out what he has to say.” She stood up, then gave him a worried look. “Wait a second.”
“What?” he asked, as he got to his feet.
“Is it possible that Carter is the one who made Noelle the middleman?”
“The thought has crossed my mind.”
“You haven’t done any research on him?”
“Very minimal. As I said, Noelle just appeared on the radar a few days ago. We need to be careful what we say to Carter, Avery. You can’t discuss what I just told you.” He hoped he hadn’t made a mistake in telling her so much right before they met with Carter.
“I understand. You can trust me, Wyatt. I won’t blow this. I want to know what happened to Noelle. And if Carter got her into trouble, if he’s the reason she’s dead, then he’s going to pay.”
“I agree. But until we know that for sure, we need to treat him like he’s a devoted, loving, and grieving boyfriend.”
“I can do that. Thanks for being honest with me, Wyatt. We’ll get further if we work together.”
He nodded, knowing he wasn’t even close to being honest with her. But he couldn’t think about that now. The stakes were bigger than one person, and he couldn’t forget that.
Chapter Twelve
Wyatt had certainly given her a lot to think about, and his revelations occupied her thoughts as they drove across town to meet with Carter.
The idea that Noelle could have been a spy was just mind-boggling. She didn’t even think Noelle had been particularly good at keeping secrets. When she heard something interesting, she had to talk about it. She lived for gossip and drama. How could she possibly have kept something so big, so important, from everyone in her life?
And if she had been involved in the leaking of proprietary material, then she’d betrayed not only Nova Star but her—her best friend, the woman who had put her own job and reputation on the line to get Noelle into the company.
Had she been completely blind when it came to Noelle?
She’d always known Noelle could be flaky, that she was often late, that she didn’t always work that hard, and that she’d choose fun over responsibility just about any day of the week. But breaking the law, conspiring with a foreign government—that seemed too ridiculous to be true.
On the other hand, Noelle had been acting strangely. She had needed money to support her mom, and there had been cash in her account that hadn’t come from her paycheck. The facts were adding up in a very bad way, and she desperately wanted to prove the facts wrong. She wanted there to be another reason for everything, a reason that would show that Noelle was a good person and not a criminal, not a traitor.
“You okay?” Wyatt asked, giving her a concerned look.
“I don’t think I’m going to be okay for a long time. I’m just thinking about everything you told me, trying to figure out if any of it makes sense. It doesn’t. The Noelle I knew wouldn’t, couldn’t, have done what you’re suggesting.”
“Well, maybe she didn’t.”
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better. You don’t believe it.”
“I actually haven’t made a decision about Noelle. And you shouldn’t, either. We need more information. Hopefully Carter can give us something else to go on.”
“Hopefully,” she echoed, but she wasn’t feeling overly optimistic.
Carter hadn’t even been helpful when it came to talking about funeral arrangements; she doubted he was going to tell them anything that would help them find Noelle’s killer. But she was eager to hear what he had to say. He’d been the person closest to Noelle. If anyone could shed light on her life outside of work the past few months, it would be him.
Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up in front of a series of townhouses in Hermosa Beach, a city just a few miles south of Venice Beach where Noelle had lived. When Carter opened the door to let them in, he didn’t look any better than he had the day before. In fact, he looked worse. He wore black track pants and a gray T-shirt and had two-day’s growth of beard on his jaw. His face was pale, and his eyes were a little too bright, as if he’d had a lot of caffeine.
“Hi, Carter.” She felt like she should give him a hug, but he wasn’t the kind of person who looked like he wanted that kind of connection. “Thanks for meeting with us. You remember Wyatt.”
Carter nodded, as he waved them into his home. “I can’t believe Noelle’s mother just left town the way she did. How could she just abandon her daughter, after everything Noelle did to try to help her get back on her feet?”
“It shocked me, too,” she said, following Carter into the living room.
His townhome felt new, with sleek hardwood floors in the entry and a plush rug under the couch and chairs in the living room. The kitchen boasted cherry cabinets and black appliances and the adjacent dining room offered a glass table and a view of the palm trees lining the nearby beach. There was also a balcony with a grouping of cozy chairs and a barbecue. That felt more like Noelle.
She looked around for more signs of her friend and found a few: the bright yellow coffee mug on the counter, the now wilting flowers in a vase by the couch, the fashion magazines on the coffee table. Noelle might not have put her stamp on the masculine brown leather couch and matching recliner, the golf photos on the walls, or the law books in the bookcase, but she’d definitely left pieces of herself in Carter’s home. Those pieces seemed jarring, though, as if they didn’t really belong, as if Noelle had not really belonged here.
Carter was certainly different from the long-haired, hard-drinking, musicians Noelle had often dated. Frowning, Avery couldn’t help wondering what she was missing, why Noelle and Carter’s relationship just felt so…off.
She wandered over to the vase filled with flowers, emotion putting a knot in her throat as her gaze came to rest on the sunflower.
“This was her favorite flower,” she said, fingering the petals. “Noelle liked to lift her face to the sun, feel the heat on her skin. She felt like the sunflower did the same thing. It opened itself up to the light.”
Silence followed her words. When she looked up, both men were staring at her with varying expressions of alarm and concern. She dropped her hand. “Could I have some coffee?”
“Uh, sure,” Carter said, relieved by the unemotional question. “I actually just made another pot. Wyatt?”
“I’m good,” Wyatt said. “Can I use your bathroom?”
“Yeah, down the hall on the left,” Carter replied, as he moved into the kitchen.
As Wyatt left the room, she suddenly realized the bathroom was just an excuse. He wanted to take a look around Carter’s apartment. And she could help by providing a distraction.
She moved into the kitchen and slid onto a stool in front of the island. Carter set a mug of coffee in front of her.
“You want anything in it?” he asked. “Although, I think I’m out of cream.”
“Black is good. How are you doing today, Carter?”
He leaned against the opposite counter, crossing his arms. “Not so great. I’m sorry I ran out on you yesterday. When I was in the mortuary, I couldn’t breathe.”
“It was difficu
lt for me, too.”
He gave her a sad smile. “But you did it anyway. Noelle always told me that you were the strong one. You were her anchor. Like the weight on the end of a balloon string. You stopped her from flying away.”
His words hit her hard, because she could hear Noelle’s voice saying those same exact things. Her eyes watered, but she blinked back tears. There was no more time for crying. “I used to think that we stopped being friends because I held her back, because she wanted to soar, and she couldn’t do that with me.”
“She told me she was a wild child. Frankly, I didn’t know why she went out with me in the first place. I knew I wasn’t her usual type, but she was so attractive, so bright and appealing. When she was in the room, I couldn’t look away. Somehow, I found the courage to ask her out. And she said yes. I have to say I was stunned. I didn’t think we’d make it past the first date, but we did. We had more in common than we thought.”
“What did you have in common?” she couldn’t help asking, then saw him flinch. “I’m just trying to understand. I’m sorry if that was insensitive.”
“No, I get it. Most people wouldn’t see us together. But when we were alone, we were in sync. Noelle loved her job. She said it was the first time she’d ever felt like she was really contributing to the greater good. And I felt the same way. We talked about work all the time. She supported my ambitions. In fact, she gave me the courage to ask for a promotion, more responsibility, greater access to the key players in the company. Without her, I probably wouldn’t have gone for it.”
“That’s great. Did you get it?”
“I’m supposed to find out tomorrow. I don’t know what’s going to happen now. The FBI stopped by this morning. They had a lot of questions for me. They think I had something to do with her death, but I didn’t. I loved Noelle. She loved me.”
“Did the FBI tell you that her apartment was burned down yesterday?”
He nodded. “I couldn’t believe it.”
“Did they also tell you that someone was looking for something in Noelle’s apartment before that happened?”
Dangerous To Love Page 48
