The Eyewitness

by Nancy C. Weeks

  “How is he?”

  “Tired, stressed. He couldn’t talk long.” She set the plates on the table and poured Chianti into two wineglasses. “If he can stop by, it will only be for an hour or so. That’s all I got,” she said, joining Emersyn at the table.

  “Then we’ll make his favorite lasagna with the leftover sauce. If Tessa and Nathan don’t make it, we’ll freeze what we don’t eat.” She gave her mother her best smile as she swirled the pasta on her fork. “This is exactly what I needed after my day.”

  Her mother’s expression changed to concern in an instant. “I didn’t ask about the lab accident because I’m trying to treat you like an adult and give you a chance to bring it up on your terms.”

  Emersyn took the next fifteen minutes to fill her mother in on the events of the day, leaving nothing out. At this point, secrets were her enemy. Once they put the food away and filled the dishwasher, she climbed onto the kitchen table and scrubbed the red stain off the ceiling. Nathan or Alec could have reached the damn spot by raising their hands over their heads.

  Alec. Shit. She’d really blown it. Today, he was there for her, and instead of appreciating his support, she’d dumped everything on him, practically shoving him under the bus.

  But had he changed, and she was grasping at the past? The one thing Alec said that she believed was that he would keep the promise he’d made to her father. Maybe she didn’t need to jump headfirst into his pool, but that promise had to mean something.

  “Mom, I have a plan, and I need you to be okay with it.”

  Her mother continued rinsing a cloth in the sink. “I’ll try.”

  “I want to take Alec a plate.”

  “It’s almost nine. I’m sure he’s eaten by now.”

  “It’s not about the food. I need to talk to him. I know you don’t want me near him, but—”

  “I don’t expect you to avoid Alec. He will always be part of this family.”

  Emersyn let out a heavy breath. “You said the other night that I don’t know him, and you’re right. I don’t. But I need to. Can I trust Alec Pearce?”

  “Of course you can trust him,” her mom said, taking her hands in hers. She moved to the table and sat. “I never meant to imply otherwise.”

  “I’m going there to talk, but with Alec and me, there’s this madness that sometimes takes possession of our minds.”

  Her mother let out a deep laugh. “Again, I’m familiar with the emotion.”

  “If you trust Alec, why don’t you trust him with me?”

  “Do you know how your father met him?”

  “At the station.”

  “No, they met long before that.” She lowered her gaze, twisting her apron between her fingers. “This isn’t my story to tell.”

  Emersyn pulled out the flash drive. “I found this stuck in the track of Dad’s desk. I don’t know what’s on it, but if Dad put it there, he didn’t want it found. What scares the bejesus out of me is it could be another plant, something I was supposed to find. Dad trusted Alec enough to make him his partner. He also brought him to the house.” She placed the drive back into her pocket. “Tessa is at Quantico, and Nathan is dealing with whatever the hell he’s involved in. I need Alec right now, but for me to trust him, I have to understand on some level what he keeps hidden from me. And he won’t tell me.”

  “Alec is a good man, but the baggage from his past isn’t in his past. He carries it around bottled up inside him. One day, that keg will explode. We—your dad and I—don’t want you at the other end.”

  Something her mom said triggered a memory. The night at the bar, her father’s words may have been directed at her, but his glare was on Alec. And Alec had looked like he wanted to swing a punch at her father. How did she miss that until now?

  “So, Mom, that night, Dad wasn’t upset with me because I was dancing with Alec. He was pissed at Alec for . . . what? Daring to be with me?”

  “He didn’t want Alec anywhere near you.”

  “I frustrate him, and he gets on my last nerve, but I don’t think he would ever physically hurt me, Mom.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  Emersyn bit down on her bottom lip as a different type of chill settled into her bones. You’re good enough to sit at our table, but stay away from our daughters.

  Alec had an open invitation in their home and was considered part of the family. But he wasn’t. The worst part? He probably knew how they both felt. How many times had Emersyn pounded that point home?

  When she met her mother’s stare, she could barely control her anger. “I’m listening, but you are both dead wrong. I don’t know the person Alec is hiding from me, but the man he has become is no more capable of hurting me in anger than Dad or Nathan.”

  “That may be true, Emersyn. But until you’re absolutely sure, don’t push him too far. He’ll push back.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Alec spotted Em’s car through the living room window the moment she parked. It was the purr of her Focus that alerted him, so different from the deafening engine in his truck. He shut his eyes, willing her to drive away and leave him in peace.

  Flip the lights off and go to bed. Sleep was a hot commodity, and he’d had enough of Emersyn D’Azzo for one day.

  Alec hit the mute button on the Wizards game, stormed to the door, and peered through the peephole. She should’ve been tucked in for the night. Not perched like a fucking sitting duck.

  What he should have done as soon as he got home was listen to his body and go to bed. He would be dead to the world right now if he had. But Joe’s last words had hit. “Please, keep her safe.” He was trying, but damn it to hell, she wasn’t making it easy.

  Two soft knocks sounded. He leaned his shoulder against the wall and took in a couple deep breaths. Temper in check. A relaxed hand gripped the doorknob as he unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door.

  Dead silence. He should say “hi” or “come on in.” But that would make this easy on her. Fuck that.

  “Hi, Alec.”

  The aroma of Grace’s meat sauce was unmistakable. She’d brought him food, his favorite dish. Joe and Grace had always seemed to have a place at their table for him. But had anyone ever brought him food? If there was someone who had in his screwed-up past, he had no memory of it.

  Hell, what did this mean? A peace offering for this afternoon, or did she want something?

  The silence became unbearable. “What are you doing here?”

  “Well, hello, Em,” she mocked. “What a wonderful surprise. Won’t you come in?” She tilted her head and gave him a smile.

  And he was such a sucker. He took a step back and held the door wide. She brushed past him and headed for the kitchen. Lifting food containers out of the canvas bag she’d brought, she set them on the counter. “Have you eaten?”

  When he didn’t answer, she opened the cabinets one at a time until she found his plates. She removed one and faced him. “Mom made enough sauce and pasta to feed a small army.”

  “Why are you here?”

  She swallowed. Good. She was nervous.

  “You offered me breakfast, so I’m returning the favor.” She moved from around the kitchen island, holding her hands in front of her. “This afternoon wasn’t my best moment. I was reeling and took it out on you. I’m sorry, Alec.”

  “You don’t owe me anything.” He picked up his keys off the foyer table. “Thank Grace for the pasta, and I appreciate you bringing it over. I’ll follow you home.”

  Her hands fisted at her waist. “Now you’re just being rude.”

  “Isn’t that your middle name for me? Let’s go.”

  Emersyn D’Azzo never did a damn thing he expected. She dropped into the sofa, curling her legs under her. “Our problem is we just don’t know each other well. We should work on that. There’s this exercise we use to do in the dorm every year to get to know each other. You share something about yourself I don’t know, and I do the same.” She twisted in her seat and sent him another
charming smile.

  Well, shit. Now what? She’d made herself at home and was playing games. The only thing he wanted to do was teach her his definition of rude by heaving her over a shoulder and dumping her cute little butt back in her car. He swallowed the urge and moved into the kitchen to open the first container. “Do you want some?”

  “No, thanks, but go ahead.”

  He filled his plate, shook several drops of Tabasco over the top, and set the plate in the microwave.

  “You just ruined it.”

  “I like things hot—burning-the-back-of-the-throat hot.”

  The microwave dinged. Nothing else was said as he dug into the pasta that had been making his stomach rumble since she entered the foyer. He added more hot sauce. “This is the best. Just needs heat. You should try it.” He swallowed several bites before adding, “There’s your something personal about me.” Once the plate was clean, he placed it in the dishwasher and retrieved his keys. “It’s been a long day.”

  She stood, but instead of moving toward the door, she pulled a flash drive from her back pocket. “It’s going to get longer.”

  “What is that?”

  “A flash drive I found in the track of Dad’s desk drawer.”

  “Bullshit.” He took a step toward her. “He wouldn’t even know how to plug in the damn thing.”

  She straightened her spine and planted her feet square in front of him, ready for a fight. “I don’t lie,” she said, her finger poking each word into his chest. “It was taped to the top of his middle drawer and must have fallen into the track. You can still feel the tape residue.”

  “Why didn’t you show me the damn thing at the door instead of playing this get-to-know-me shit? Or better yet, when you found it?”

  “I was getting to it when Angela called. After that, things got messy.”

  He studied her for a moment. She’d had the flash drive for hours. The idea that it could be another plant made his dinner settle like a stack of bricks in the pit of his stomach. “One call, and I would have come to you.”

  “Coming here seemed like a good idea at the time.”

  “Why risk it, Em? Accept the fact that someone is after you.”

  “I won’t . . . can’t change how I live.” Her arms dropped to her sides. “Alec, I don’t know you, and I need to.”

  “What you know is what you get.”

  Harsh, but not even his favorite pasta could put him in the mood to give her what she was asking. He took in a deep breath and changed tactics. “Can I see the flash drive?”

  “I’m not asking for everything, your life story. Just give me something,” she said, holding the drive just out of his reach.

  Or at least that’s what she thought. He snatched it from her fingers and took a moment to turn it over. Clean, no markings. Any evidence that might have been on the casing had already been compromised by Em. If she hadn’t figured that out by now, he wasn’t going to be the one who drilled it home.

  “Give it back.” Em made a grab for it, but he tucked it into the front pocket of his jeans.

  She crossed her arms and sent him her attempt at a glare. Damn, she was cute. He had to bite his tongue not to laugh outright. “I don’t play games. You should know that by now. Now tell me why you’re really here.”

  She rushed him, her hand gripping his front pocket. It went down, too low for comfort, before he pulled her fingers away. Her hand fisted.

  “Go ahead, sweetheart. Take your best shot.”

  Why was he egging her on? If she did slam a fist into his jaw, what the hell would he do? He met her stare. Oh, shit. He’d gone too far. There was only so much crow she would swallow. As she reached for her bag on the counter, he took her arm and eased her against him.

  “Let go, moron, before you eat your balls for dessert.”

  “You would really do that, wouldn’t you?”

  “Sorry I dropped by. It won’t happen again.”

  Alec brushed a wave of hair off her forehead and loosened his hold, but she didn’t step back. His stare seemed to hold her in place. That, and his hand resting on the small of her back.

  Man, what are you doing? But damn, having her close brought back a hunger he had no right to. And, worse yet, from the rose in her cheeks and the glee in her eyes, he sensed she enjoyed what she was doing to him.

  She inched closer and placed an open hand over the spot on his chest she had poked. “God, Alec, why are you such an ass?”

  “Just made that way. I’m waiting, and I can hold you like this all night.”

  “You’re not the only one on this planet who has a hard time trusting. Just because I was raised in that great home by the best parents doesn’t mean I trust people outside those doors. As for you, I’m working up to the forgiveness thing. Trust is . . . harder. I get you’re in my face all the time because of the promise you made my dad.”

  She wasn’t wrong, but that wasn’t all of it. Alec dropped his arms and took a step away from her.

  Em kept her gaze on the center button of his dress shirt. “I need your help.” The words came out in a hoarse whisper. “I can’t deal with what’s been happening alone.”

  There it is. “You don’t have to. I’m right here.”

  “Then can we take a quick look at what’s on the drive? When we’re done, I won’t have a fit if you want to follow me home. Deal?” She held out her hand.

  That was one more question answered. He took her hand, a truce of sorts. “Deal.”

  “And whatever we find on it, we deal with it like partners, right?”

  “Just for the flash drive, Em. That’s all I can give you.” He took her hand and headed toward the staircase. His townhouse had three rooms upstairs. If he had a pride and joy, it would be his bedroom. The king-size bed was heaven, giving him room to move, and the smooth, clean sheets, were a far cry from where he had come from.

  At the top of the stairs, Em stopped cold, her jaw dropping. She eyed the painting he had hung between the two bedrooms.

  “My office is at the end of the hall.” He pointed to the open door. “Em, are you coming?”

  “These must really impress the hell out of the Barbie dolls you pick up at Grayson’s.”

  “And you accuse me of being rude.”

  Color rose in her cheeks. “Sorry, that was uncalled for. The painting is beautiful. That’s what I meant to say.”

  “For the record, I’ve never brought anyone here. You’re my first visitor. I paint for me. But if you want that one, it’s yours.”

  She bit her lower lip. “I would rather you paint one just for me.”

  Damn. Did she have to say that out loud?

  He eased toward her and brought his lips close to her ear but didn’t touch her. Her sweet floral scent—peaches and something he didn’t recognize—seeped into his nostrils, making him tense. “How do you know they weren’t all painted with you in mind?”

  She swallowed but met his stare. “I get what that painting is all about. If you ever find me in your bed, you’re going to need more paint and a much bigger canvas.”

  A deep chuckle rose from his throat. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  With effort, he stepped away from her and entered his office. After keying in the password on his computer, he inserted the flash drive into the USB port. The screen loaded, and disappointment roiled inside him. The characters in the file names were gibberish.

  “What’s wrong with the files?”

  “They’re corrupted.” He pulled out the drive and took a closer look. “There’s a thin crack in the casing.”

  “May I see the files again?”

  Alec inserted the drive.

  “Try to open this one,” she asked, pointing to a heading that was recognizable.

  Alec clicked on it. The image was a photo, but it appeared as if someone had cut it into a thousand digital pieces.

  “So, this is another damn dead end.” Em’s voice echoed his disappointment.

  “I can try to remove the memory
chip from the circuit board and extract the raw data stored inside.”

  “Have you ever done that before?”

  “I worked in my dorm’s computer lab in college. Messed-up flash drives were common.”

  “Then go for it.”

  “Em, we could lose everything.”

  “It’s useless as is. I never considered myself a paranoid person, but I’m leery of letting anyone else know this exists.”

  Alec removed a soldering iron, an old USB cable, wire cutters, and a small flathead screwdriver from his desk. He carefully removed the flash drive’s outer casing. “This is good. The circuit board and solder pads are intact.”

  “And that means?”

  He cut one end of the spare USB cable. “I’ll strip the white plastic covering and expose the four wires inside. I can then solder the wires of the USB connector to the copper lines in the circuit board.”

  Emersyn moved in close, holding her breath as he gently slipped the white coating off, leaving the wire grouping intact. “Each wire is a different color. How do you know which pong to hook them to?”

  “Breathe. I got this. The colors from left to right are black, green, white, and red. I solder them in that order. Once that’s done, we should have a working drive.”

  She placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re becoming kind of awesome, Pearce.”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I need a steady hand.” She dropped her hand and stepped back. He let out a throaty laugh. “Not far enough.”

  “Fine,” she huffed and dropped into the lounge chair in the corner by the window. “Happy?”

  “Still too close, but I can work with it.”

  He glanced her way and, for the first time, noticed the weariness behind her eyes. “Close your eyes for a few minutes, Em.”

  She rested her head against the back of the chair but kept alert. Silence took over the room. After soldering the last wire, he faced her. “I think we have something.”

  She bounced up and leaned over his shoulder as he inserted the other end of the USB cable into the computer. She grabbed his hand. “Wait,” she demanded. She closed all the blinds and curtains in the room.