by Kate James
She couldn’t help but wonder and worry where it would all end.
With no other answers coming to her, by midafternoon, she’d drafted up a letter of resignation and sealed it in an envelope addressed to Calvin.
* * *
LOGAN WANTED TO hurl his glass against a wall. If he hadn’t been in as public a place as the patio of Buster’s Beach House Bar, he might have given in to the temptation. He didn’t think he’d ever been this miserable or this conflicted in his life. He’d fallen in love and there wasn’t a darn thing he could do about it. He hadn’t been able to protect Ariana and now he couldn’t have a relationship with her because she was a suspect.
“Hey, Cal, aren’t you glad we decided to have a drink with our cheerful boss?” Rick said with a laugh as he and Cal walked up to the table where Logan sat, slouched over his beer.
Cal took a seat opposite Logan. “And to think I chose this over the company of my beautiful wife this lovely Sunday afternoon!”
Logan was tempted to retort but realized his friends were right. He’d invited them out—hard as it was to get them away from their significant others lately—and he wasn’t much company. He took a long drink and purposefully straightened in his chair and tried for a relaxed look. “Sorry, guys,” he mumbled.
“You want to tell us what’s bothering you?” Rick asked as he sat between Logan and Cal. “And what all that was about not going out with us for dinner last night?”
Logan thumped his beer bottle on the coaster, signaled for Carly to bring two more beers and leaned on the table with his arms crossed. He stared out at the ocean. It wasn’t the sapphire-blue water he was seeing but Ariana’s face and the hurt on it when he’d seen her last outside the stadium. “I envy you guys,” he said, and glanced over in time to see the quizzical look his friends exchanged.
“Want to elaborate?” Cal asked.
Logan shrugged, then thanked Carly when she placed the two bottles of beer on the table.
“C’mon, Jagger. You invited us out for a beer, not to have us watch you mope in your drink.”
Logan’s only response was another shrug. All three of them watched a schooner sail past.
“Cal, you remember back when you and Jess were here that time, and I was having dinner inside over there?” Rick said, gesturing with his beer toward the building.
“Yeah. I do. You were just about as grouchy then as our pal Jagger is right now.”
“True, and you called me an idiot,” Rick responded.
Logan shifted his gaze to Rick but kept silent.
“And with good reason!” Cal replied with a smirk. “You were about to toss away the best thing that had ever happened to you. Not to mention a happy future.”
Rick’s face sobered. “I’d hurt Madison.” His eyes were downcast. “That whole situation with the Los Zetas cartel targeting me, it had me rattled. In an effort to keep her from getting hurt, I lied to her and ended up hurting her myself.”
“If I remember correctly, you broke up with her and in a way that made it impossible for her to question or refuse. You believed you were doing her a favor and she’d get over you in time.”
This was the first Logan had heard any of this. He had no idea where the conversation was going. Rick and Madison were as well matched as any two people could be, and they were insanely in love.
Rick’s expression was grim, and he stared into his coffee cup. “I wanted to protect her and keep her safe.” He shook his head. “I can’t begin to picture what my life would be like without her, if you hadn’t come along and straightened me out. Made me understand how foolish I was being. I nearly lost Madison because of my misguided desire to protect her from harm.”
“So you figured she was in danger because of you and decided to end it with her,” Cal summarized. “And you didn’t level with her? Give her a choice to weigh in?”
Rick shook his head.
To Logan, the idea of Rick and Madison not being together was...well, unimaginable.
“As I said. Idiot.” Cal grinned.
They both stared at Logan. “So we’re guessing your mood has to do with Ariana. If you’re trying to protect her, keep her from getting hurt, do you really think that’s what she wants? Think about what Rick went through with Madison,” Cal urged. “Considering Ariana’s profession, I’d expect she’d be even more averse to you making decisions on her behalf and trying to shield her from harm.”
“You can’t make an arbitrary decision about your future together without consulting her, well-intentioned as it might be,” Rick continued. “You said that to me, Cal, didn’t you? As much as it pains me to admit it, you were right.”
“You care about Ariana,” Cal added. “That’s clear. I’m betting she cares about you, too. Whatever is bothering you, be honest with her. Give her a say...a choice. If you think Ariana could be right for you...talk to her.”
Logan had invited his friends out because he wanted to talk to them, but so far they had been doing all the talking. “I’m in love with Ariana,” he said abruptly.
“Well, how about that!” Rick exclaimed, and he and Cal did a high five.
“Never thought it would happen to you, Jagger, but boy am I glad it did, and with such an extraordinary woman,” Cal added.
Logan took a long drink and glared at his friends.
“Okay, so what aren’t you telling us?” Rick asked, his tone serious. “I get the feeling it’s not just that you don’t want to be in love.”
“Heck, no,” Logan said. “It surprised me, but I liked the idea of being in love with Ariana.”
“Then what?” Cal prompted.
“If only my situation was as simple as Rick’s. Sorry, pal, no offense meant.” He sighed heavily. “As Rick knows, ATF and DEA have been cooperating on the investigation of a smuggling ring operating out of the San Diego airport. They know that there were insiders involved, probably in baggage handling and security.”
Rick nodded. “You mentioned to me yesterday when I joined you on the field at Qualcomm that you’d met with the two agents heading up the investigation that morning.”
“Yeah. I did.” Logan’s eyes burned with anger and frustration. “Ariana is now their prime suspect for the operations in San Diego.” He got some satisfaction from the immediate and heated response to his statement from both his friends.
“I believe in her innocence, but you both understand that, under the circumstances, a personal relationship is out of the question.”
“Man, that’s a tough situation to be in,” Cal observed. “You’re right that your situation is much more complex than Rick’s was.”
“All we can hope for is that the investigation wraps up quickly and you can explain it to Ariana. With her training, hopefully she’ll understand and forgive.”
Logan raised a brow and shook his head.
“Yeah, that would be asking a lot, wouldn’t it?” Cal observed.
He’d never have a chance with Ariana. No dating...no marriage...
Logan was just lifting his bottle to his lips when his hand stilled. Had he just thought that? He’d known for some time that he loved Ariana, but the thought of marrying her...? He’d never considered marrying anyone.
“Hey, you with us, Jagger?” Cal’s voice was cajoling.
Logan glanced at Cal then at Rick. He’d been so absorbed in his own musings, he’d nearly forgotten where he was and that his friends were there with him.
It was obvious he had some serious thinking to do. He saw no easy way to resolve the conflict raging inside him. Wanting...loving Ariana with his entire being, and not being able to do anything about it. Unlike Rick’s situation with Madison, he couldn’t discuss the circumstances with Ariana. There was no easy answer for him.
Logan forced a smile. “Since Rick is our designated driver toni
ght and he’s switching to coffee, Cal, you and I should have another beer.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“SO WE’RE NO further ahead?” Max asked. He, Ariana and Logan were huddled in Ariana’s office after the multiagency security committee meeting. “Dave Langdon was the only person we could come up with, even if the SDPD didn’t consider him a viable suspect, but he’s got a solid alibi for the time Ariana’s office door was rigged with the IED. The whole time we’ve been suspecting the wrong guy?”
“He was never a serious suspect,” Ariana corrected Max. “You’re grasping at straws.”
“But we had...have no one else. We thought it was Dave Langdon, because we knew he had it in for you, not to mention that he’s unstable with violent tendencies—now we know that was the reason he was let go from the SDPD. I have to admit my second choice was TSA FSD Stewart. Maybe I just wanted it to be him, because he’s so annoying, but he’s not plausible as a suspect either.”
“There’s no question Langdon is resentful and consumed with hate for Ariana,” Logan responded, giving Ariana a sympathetic look. Somehow, they had managed to put their personal issues behind them and established an equitable working relationship...at least on the surface. He still believed in her innocence 100 percent, even more so since the feds suspected that the bomb on Ariana’s door and the discovery of the bills of lading in her office weren’t connected. Sheer luck, they thought. Logan didn’t believe it for a second. “Langdon’s not our guy, but he’s certainly soaking it all in. Seeing the incidents as a demonstration that Ariana was wrong to terminate him.”
Max made a snorting sound. “That’s his opinion. We had no end of issues with him here, but it was Ariana who had the courage to address his performance head-on.” Max gave her an encouraging smile. “George either didn’t see it or was too worried about possible repercussions.”
“She’s a smart lady,” Logan agreed, eliciting a frown from Ariana. “But it’s impossible for him to be responsible for everything that’s been going on here.” Logan shook his head. “It’s not Langdon.”
“So we’re no closer to knowing who could be behind all this,” Ariana said.
“It would seem,” Logan acknowledged reluctantly. He wanted to catch the person responsible. He had a job to do, but he worried about Ariana. He couldn’t be in two places at once. If he remained in Ariana’s office with her and Max, he couldn’t hunt down the person responsible. He was reluctant to leave her, but he had to trust Max and his own SDPD colleagues when he wasn’t with her.
Besides, he appreciated that Ariana wanted as little to do with him as possible. After the way he’d behaved, he couldn’t blame her.
“I’ve got to get going. I’m trusting you to keep her safe, Max,” he said as he walked out of her office.
* * *
ARIANA AND MAX watched Logan leave. “You can go now, too” Ariana said to Max, breaking the silence. “I know you’re watching me and so is the cop outside in the hall. Trust me. I’m safe.” She gave him an encouraging smile. “I have the two of you, and Boomer swept my office and our entire space. Go do some work, before we drive each other crazy.”
She could see his hesitation, but he did as she asked.
Ariana had barely gotten into her paperwork when she heard someone enter her office.
“Could I see you for a minute, Ariana?”
She turned from her computer and glanced at Marlene, Calvin’s executive assistant, standing in her doorway. Whatever Calvin wanted now, it wasn’t likely to be good for him to send his EA to her personally, instead of a simple call or email. She thought about the resignation letter she’d written on the weekend and had stored in her top drawer. She just hadn’t had the courage to hand it in yet.
Then she noticed Marlene’s red-rimmed eyes, the puffy circles under them and the crinkled envelope she was clutching in her hands. The always impeccably groomed woman was more than a little tousled this morning.
“Of course. Come in and have a seat. Can I get you a bottle of water?”
“Thanks, and no thanks to the water. I won’t take much of your time.” Marlene closed the door behind her and settled on the edge of Ariana’s chair. She lifted the hand that held the envelope, then rested it back on her lap.
When Marlene didn’t say a word, Ariana took the lead. “What’s up, Marlene?”
“I... I...” Her eyes filled, and she dropped her head into her hands with a choked sob.
Ariana rose and rushed to Marlene’s side, draping an arm around her shoulders. “What is it? Take your time, but tell me what’s wrong.”
“It...it’s... Here,” she finally said and handed the envelope to Ariana. Ariana took it, and gave Marlene a questioning look. For a horrible moment it occurred to her that the envelope might contain a letter of termination from Calvin. Yes, she’d been considering quitting, but if she had to leave, she’d prefer it to be her own decision.
Ariana dismissed the idea, although she suspected it had been on Calvin’s mind. She and Marlene might always have gotten along well, but they weren’t close enough for Marlene to be so upset if Ariana was being fired. And even Calvin wouldn’t be so insensitive as to delegate firing her to his assistant.
Unable to speak, Marlene gestured with her hand for Ariana to open the envelope. Ariana moved back behind her desk and sat in her chair. Just in case it was a termination letter, she wanted to be sitting down when she read it. She gave Marlene another apprehensive glance—the woman was still crying—before pulling the sheet of paper out of the envelope. Unfolding it, Ariana’s heart started hammering like a piston, threatening to crash through her ribs. She held the sheet out to Marlene. “Where did you get this?”
Marlene covered her face with her hands and sobbed harder.
Ariana dropped the sheet of paper on her desk, pushed out of her chair and moved in front of Marlene. She’d had enough. She grabbed Marlene’s shoulders and shook her firmly. “Marlene, where did you get it?” she repeated, her voice stronger, carrying authority now rather than shock and dismay.
“It’s related, isn’t it, to what’s been going on?”
Ariana kept herself from turning to glance at the printout of the web page with instructions on how to make a bomb. “It might be, but you have to tell me where you got it.”
Marlene swiped at the tears coursing down her cheeks. Ariana reached for a box of tissues she kept on her desk and held it out.
“I... I knew I had to show you when I saw it. It... I’ve been seeing a man now for almost ten months. It was going really well at first, but then it changed. He seemed preoccupied, not as attentive, late for our dates. Once or twice he forgot all about them.” She took a fresh tissue and blew her nose. “So...so, I thought he lost interest in me. That he was seeing someone else. He stayed over last night at my place. This morning—I know this is so wrong and I shouldn’t have done it, but I couldn’t help it. He was working on his computer first thing and when he went to shower, it hadn’t gone into hibernation, so I looked at it. I wanted to see his emails. See if there was any indication that he was seeing someone else.” She gulped air and mopped at her eyes with the soaked tissue. “So, there was this minimized file, and the file name was...was Bomb Recipe. Because of the file name, I opened it, and...” She motioned with a trembling hand toward the sheet of paper on Ariana’s desk. “That was in it. I emailed it to myself and deleted it from the sent and trash folders. When I got to work, I printed it, because I had to show you.
“Is this possible? Is it really that simple to make a bomb? And why would Wayne have it on his computer? What does it mean in terms of what’s been going on here?”
All good questions, Ariana acknowledged. And ones she didn’t have the answers for. Then one question overrode all the others. “His name is Wayne?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Ariana thought she a
lready knew the answer, but she had to ask. “What’s his last name, Marlene?”
Marlene lowered her eyes and started shredding the damp tissue in her hand. “I know we’re not supposed to date other employees, but it just happened. We went out for a drink after the company barbecue and—”
Ariana feared she knew the answer. She cut Marlene off regardless. “His name?”
“Wayne Gallagher.”
Ariana tried to keep her breathing steady. She asked Marlene some more questions. She told her she’d notify the police and they’d probably want to talk to her. After getting her confirmation that she didn’t think Wayne was aware of what she’d done, despite his IT skills, Ariana firmly cautioned Marlene not to speak to him. Ariana wanted to make sure Marlene didn’t act in a way that might cause him to become suspicious or, more importantly, put Marlene at risk with a dangerous man.
She understood that Marlene felt guilty about her possible role in the occurrences at the airport, and humiliated and heartbroken to realize that someone she loved could do what Wayne apparently had been doing. Considering Marlene’s emotional state, Ariana suggested the best course of action would be for her to take the day off and avoid seeing him or talking to him until the police were informed and had a game plan.
Ariana closed the door behind Marlene and leaned back against it. She took a moment—only a moment—to try to make sense of what it all meant.
She called Logan and asked if he was able to meet with her as soon as possible. He’d left the airport but said he’d be there as quickly as he could.
True to his word, he was sitting in her office in under an hour.
