Deadly Pasts (Agent Nora Wexler Mysteries)

by CR Wiley

  “What’s going on?” he asked. Boffman gave him the as-if-you-don’t-know look.

  “We’ve been looking around on the web for any signs of activity from Danny Paulk. It turns out someone might have alerted him right before the police came to pick him up.”

  They hadn’t been careful enough disguising their conversation in the chat room. Travis tried to hide any overt reaction. If he wasn’t careful, this conversation could end with him in handcuffs.

  “And?”

  Boffman scratched the Cindy Crawford mole beside his mouth.

  “And while we were closing in on him, that someone advised Paulk to get out of town, ditch his stolen car, and plot a way back into the system,” he said. A vein in his forehead started to pop.

  “What’s your assessment?” Travis asked, trying to keep it all together. Boffman shook his head.

  “What do you mean, what’s your assessment? Do you want me to draw a map for you? We’ve worked together for a long time, and I felt I owed it to you to come to you first, which is more than you deserve. Do you or do you not admit that you were the one communicating with Paulk in that chat room?”

  Travis only had a second to decide. Was there any chance he could talk his way out of this one? No, there was too much in those messages that pointed his way. Boffman would have zero tolerance for any obfuscating.

  “Yes, it was me,” Travis said. His fate was out of his hands now.

  “And you were fully aware that you were derailing the bureau’s gravest investigation in a decade by abetting the suspect?”

  “Yes,” Travis said. Nora was going to kill him when she found out.

  “What do you have to say for yourself then?” Boffman said, snapping. Travis took a deep breath.

  “You think I was blowing this investigation, but I was actually trying to save it,” he said without an ounce of doubt. “Picking up Paulk was never going to get us anywhere, when his accomplices all have access to the stolen files. What we needed was someone to establish trust with him, learn how he broke in and where he’s storing those files, and then turn the tables on him once we’ve recovered the documents.”

  It was risky telling Boffman it was all part of the plan, but it was the only card Travis had left in his hand.

  “It didn’t seem to work. The leaks are still coming out. It’s cost Johnson and Bompart their jobs, and we can tell from the chat you’ve lost all communication with Paulk.”

  He was right on those counts. Travis grasped for a logical way through.

  “It’s not over. There’s another channel of communication,” he said. “Paulk is alone, nearly helpless. I’m his only lifeline. The more he grows to depend on me, the better we’ll be able to reel in this entire group. That’s the big win we need, taking down all of OpenSwordsed at once with coordinated raids.”

  A flicker in Boffman’s eyes showed he was sold on the idea, but doubts remained behind a distinct sense of hurt that Travis only now began to fathom.

  “But you went behind my back on this, Greer. You made me look like a fool in front of everyone, the staff, the higher ranks. I told them we had him and then he slipped away.”

  Travis could see this was about more than him.

  “They’re moving Meron up to Assistant Director to take over for Bompart, aren’t they? You should’ve gotten that position after all the years you’ve put in at probably the FBI’s least glamorous field office. Meron’s always had his eyes on the upper echelons, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get the credit for ending the leaks and bringing in the perps,” Travis said, a slight smile sneaking onto his face.

  “Is that really what you were doing all this time? You may have gained Paulk’s trust, but you’ve lost mine. We’re moving in on Berkeley to root him out, and in the meantime I’ll have my eye on you for the slightest signs of insubordination. I don’t need to tell you what’ll happen to you if you stand at odds with the bureau again.”

  Boffman let that threat linger in the air as he walked away across the platform and down to the parking lot. Travis felt like he was throwing his life away on a guilty man’s lies. Was saving Paulk and helping Nora get her job back worth having a knife to his throat?

  Travis got a surprise message that afternoon from an old high school friend who happened to be in the area. They arranged to meet at Giovanni’s, one of the best restaurants in town, and not cheap either. Walking through the door, Travis thought his friend must be doing pretty well for himself.

  “Let me show you to your table,” the maître d’ said, gesturing with a white-gloved hand. As soon as they rounded a corner, Travis halted when he saw Vanessa sitting at a table for two, wearing a navy dress with thin straps and her hair up. A candle glowed on the table, a glass of red was in her hand, and a mischievous smile simmered on her face. As much as it ate him up, he sat down just so as not to make a scene.

  “I took the liberty of ordering you a glass of wine,” she said.

  “I’d say you took a lot of liberties. You could’ve called me if you wanted to talk, or shown up at my apartment again as you have a habit of doing,” Travis said. He glanced around to see if his stern tone had caused anyone to look over. Plenty did, but it wasn’t because of the way he was speaking. In that dress Vanessa would cause a dozen fights for married couples around the room that night.

  “Where’s the romance without a little trickery? It’s not like you were going to offer to take me out to a fancy restaurant,” she said.

  Travis wondered if it’d be better to make a break for the door now. He could be in his car in under two minutes. Vanessa must’ve sensed she was losing him because she cleared her throat.

  “How about a toast? Raise your glass. Come on, do it,” she said, coaxing him along. He reluctantly held it out. “To new positions.”

  She clinked his glass as the suggestive nature of her toast struck him.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Vanessa grinned and scooted forward in her seat.

  “Travis, you’ve been with the FBI for a long time, and that’s great, but I’ve always thought you were destined for bigger things. What if I told you that Governor Passerella is looking for national security advisors and that my boss in the state senate could get you in? You know Passerella is thinking seriously about a presidential run. But even if he doesn’t win, he’ll have a cushy place in New York for you for a long time.”

  “I know what those guys do,” he said. Vanessa had her hands on the table.

  “They sit around in expensive suits chit-chatting, reading the news, sipping brandy, and looking serious at photo ops,” she said. It painted a picture that was so different from the life he had now. “Isn’t it time you got out of the line of fire? You’ve done your duty to your country putting your body at risk since Iraq. Now it’s time to let your mind work for you. I’ve always thought people underestimated your intelligence.”

  The compliment, flying in the face of everything he’d heard lately about his technical incompetence, managed to crack his armor. But he knew the advising position to the governor was only half of the job being offered. The other half was being with Vanessa, who could be demanding, distant, needy, all at a moment’s notice.

  But it would get him off the hook with Boffman and the FBI as well. If he took her offer, the snafu with Paulk and the hacking scandal would disappear. All he had to do was order dinner, sleep with her, and fall into his new life. And forget about Nora.

  “And what are you hoping to get out of this? Your foot inside the White House?”

  Vanessa feigned a smile.

  “What I want is to be with a man who shares my sense of determination that I can support and nurture as part of a loving partnership. And it doesn’t hurt if he’s crazy hot too.”

  Travis had a hunch there was more to the story. She needed this for herself, and it wasn’t just about getting a leg up to a higher office.

  “And you don’t remember how our relationship went the first time, how there wasn’t m
uch support, nurturing, or love to be found anywhere? I really don’t understand where this sudden change of heart is coming from. Is it because you don’t like the idea of me being with someone else? If you don’t tell me what this is really about, I’m walking away now,” he said.

  The smile dropped from Vanessa’s face, but she didn’t say anything. He started to get up and she reached for him.

  “Wait, OK,” she said. “Let me explain. Although I feel I’ve had a very successful career up to this point, I’m beginning to see that it’s stagnating and I think I know the reason why. It’s not my education or my work ethic. I think that because I’m not married others mentally classify me with younger people and therefore take me less seriously. I think it’s causing me some problems.”

  “What kind of problems?” Travis asked.

  She scrunched her napkin and her eyebrows furrowed in concern, showing some real vulnerability, something Travis had only seen a few times for as long as he’d known her. Part of what drove them apart was that Travis felt she’d never let her guard down, even around him.

  “My boss, the state senator, he’s seen that I’m single and he’s been making advances at me. He’s married…‌and pretty old,” she said.

  “Have you?”

  “No, I haven’t done anything, but it’s getting more and more persistent. I can already tell it’s only a matter of time before my job hangs in the balance. And if he lets me go with no recommendation, or worse, tries to punish me by saying things about me, everything that I’ve worked for will be wiped away in one fell swoop.”

  “Wow,” Travis said. She was in a serious bind, and as a man he guessed he couldn’t even imagine the full extent of it. A rueful smile emerged on Vanessa’s face.

  “But I don’t want you to think that’s the reason I’m doing this. I think I’ve changed and I can appreciate you more now. I miss the way we laughed, having you inside me, and I think we can restore our relationship without bringing back the fights and the drama. I can get your name into my boss’s ear and pass you along to the governor, but that chance won’t last long. Isn’t there anything at the FBI you’re tired of and would like to leave behind?”

  Travis could almost feel what it would be like to lose the constant headache Boffman was giving him. There were so many ways his little internal investigation could go bad, whether or not he ever heard from Paulk again. There was just one drawback.

  “OK, here’s what we’ll do.”

  CHAPTER 21

  2820 ADELINE STREET

  BERKELEY, CA

  It was late Saturday night and the rain left the lamp-lit streets damp and shiny. Nora would’ve preferred to have stayed at Caroline’s to continue looking into Professor Gupta’s research, but Travis had given her another task and she needed to stay true to her word.

  Being in Berkeley and constantly thinking back to what happened in college made it easier for Nora to remember what it had been like with Danny during the brief period when they dated. That brought her to a basement bar called The Wunderground that had a retro décor and a surprising number of quality musical acts. Danny never missed Jazzy Saturdays, and if he was in town he was sure to be here.

  “Can I see your ID please?” a bouncer asked Nora, making her laugh. She headed down a dingy cement staircase and passed through a nondescript door.

  The smooth sound of a saxophone hit her with a powerful wave of nostalgia. She’d only been with Danny through a few Saturdays, but that was more than enough for her to understand the appeal of the place.

  There was no stage to speak of. A quartet played in one corner of the room in front of a few dozen chairs and half as many tables. Nora thought she recognized the lone waitress working the room from her last visit. The bar was mostly empty. Her eyes passed over the patrons until she found one sitting alone in the back corner in the same sweatshirt she’d seen on Danny at the convenience store.

  Danny took a glass from the waitress and downed it before she could take a single step. When she tugged on the seat next to him, his head jerked so hard she thought he might’ve injured himself.

  “Does it look like I’m with the cops?” she said softly. Danny kept his wary eyes on her. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a week. Might’ve lost some weight too, not that he had much to spare.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked as she sat down. They clapped when a song ended.

  “In case you couldn’t tell, we’re in practically the same position. The hacking scandal cost me my career. Now I’m unemployed and drifting, all because of something I didn’t do,” she said.

  Danny rolled his eyes.

  “You have no idea what kind of position I’ve been in. I’ve been forced to shack up with a guy I knew from college but wasn’t even that close to. He knows I’m in some kind of trouble and is starting to worry about his own neck. It’s only a matter of time until he throws me out or turns me in.”

  “Where are you living?” Nora asked. “You can tell me.”

  Danny scoffed. “I don’t think so, Nora. I know you too well for that. Even if we were together you’d throw me to the wolves, not because it might help you get your job back but because your sense of justice would require it.”

  Nora squeezed her fist under the table and wondered why he had to be so difficult about it. If Travis had a way he might be able to identify the real culprits, she didn’t understand why he wasn’t leaping at it with arms outstretched.

  “But I know you didn’t do it. You’ve got a mischievous side, especially online, but I know you’re not destructive like this. Travis is sure you’re innocent too.”

  Danny shook his head and called for another drink.

  “You’re buying, by the way. And don’t talk to me about Travis. If he believed I was innocent he could’ve been honest with me and let me know who I was talking to. I know the games these guys play. They get you talking, claw as much information as they can out of you, and wave goodbye when they put you behind bars,” he said.

  “That’s not what he’s doing. He wants to help you!”

  “You must be joking,” he said in a cold way that Nora found disturbing. “He doesn’t want to help me. The first time he looked at me I could tell he resented that we’d been together. That , or maybe he thought being into computers made me a dork and put me beneath him. Either way, that guy couldn’t care less about what happens to me.”

  Nora knew she was pressing the wrong buttons with Danny. He had a more cynical nature than she did, and telling him all about how people were trying to help him wasn’t likely to work. She needed something better to convince him, even if it hurt her to say it.

  “OK, you’re probably right that what happens to you isn’t of much concern to him, but he does want to help me. I don’t know why he didn’t come right out and say who he was, or if he resented you, but I can say that he wants to sleep with me and getting my job back will have me there for him to do it a lot.

  “So either you can trust that his sex drive is a reliable enough reason for him to find out who really breached the FBI data center, or you can continue to hide out with that person you know until somebody finds you and locks you up forever.”

  Nora crossed her arms and sat back in her seat. The waitress brought Danny’s drink, and again he slugged it before it ever touched the table. His tired eyes fixed on Nora. He was desperate for a way out.

  “Would it be possible for me to come stay with you?” he asked. Nora bit her lip.

  “I’ll have to talk to Caroline about it. I think a better thing to focus on is identifying the real hacker so that you could move freely,” she said. Danny had a blank stare on his face.

  “That would involve talking to Travis, and at the moment I don’t have a way to do that. He dropped out of our chat room earlier today,” he said.

  The answer irked Nora, but she wasn’t about to give up now that Danny was back on board.

  “Let me fix that. I’ll give him a call,” she said, pulling out her phone and jamming i
t to her ear so she could hear over the music. It rung a few times and then went dead, no voicemail or anything.

  “Not there?” Danny asked. Suddenly her phone rang again. Unknown number. She answered it and heard Travis’s voice.

  “I’m sorry about that. They’re tracking me and I’ve got to use a different phone,” he said.

  “What? Why?” she asked, trying not to say anything specific and get Danny’s suspicions up.

  “I just need to be careful about how I talk. Anyway, what’s going on?” Travis asked. The vague answer reminded her how tired she was of feeling like he was being evasive, but now wasn’t the time to fight over it.

  “I’m here with Danny, and he’s back in and ready to sort out who’s really behind this,” she said. It was difficult to hear with the music so loud, but it seemed like there was some rustling in the background on his end. “Are you in the middle of something?”

  “No, no, it’s fine,” he said hastily. “That’s great. Do you have something to write with? There’s a code Danny needs to use specifically at 12:05 pm east coast time on Tuesday.”

  Nora fished into her bag for a pen and grabbed a napkin from a dispenser on the table.

  “I’m ready for it. Hit me. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. All right, got it,” she said, taking a long look at the twelve letters and numbers on the napkin. She wrote the date and time down as well. The format of the code brought something alarming to her mind. “Wait, what is this code exactly?”

  “It’s just something Danny needs to be able to find out who really did this. Make sure it’s at 12:05 Tuesday,” he said. Nora’s face soured.

  “This is exactly the kind of thing I was accused of handing over, an access code to the FBI’s internal systems. You’re going to have Danny break into the data center to find out who did it the first time. That’s your big plan? There must be a dozen other ways to find out who stole that data, none of which would get you thrown out!” she said, raising a hand in frustration.

  Danny snatched the napkin and read the code. His look of approval infuriated Nora even more. They were both on board with going forward with this epic mistake.