Dark Tide

by Susan Sleeman

  Derrick entered jonw. “Password?”

  “I don’t think he had one.”

  Derrick hit Enter, but access was denied. “He had one.”

  “That could mean he felt a need to hide something and we’re on the right track.” Excitement gleamed from Dani’s eyes. “His login is pretty basic, so I’m guessing he’d use something simple for a password. Start with 1234.”

  Derrick plugged it in. “Access denied.”

  “How about a birth date?”

  “He’d likely use Sophia’s.” Gina rattled off the date.

  Derrick entered the numbers and access was granted. “We’re in.”

  Dani crossed her arms and stared into her screen. “Now do you understand why I lecture all of you about not using simple passwords that anyone can guess?”

  “I understand why we shouldn’t use obvious passwords, but the lecturing? I’ll never understand that.” He winked at Gina.

  “Like I mentioned before, Gina,” Dani said.

  “You get no respect.” Gina smiled, and he was thankful for his sister’s ability to keep things light.

  “Let’s start with his browser history,” Dani said.

  Derrick clicked on the internet icon on Jon’s desktop. He selected the option to see the entire history.

  “It’s empty.” He turned to Gina. “Did you clear his history?”

  “No,” Gina said. “And at great risk to myself, I’m going to admit in front of Dani that I’m not fond of computers, and I’m not sure I know how to do it.”

  “Not fond of computers!” Dani cried out. “It’s a good thing I’m not there, or I might’ve had to hurt you.”

  “Don’t worry.” Derrick grinned at Gina. “You’re already under my protection. What’s one more person to save you from?”

  She smiled back, but it was halfhearted, and he felt like a dope for reminding her of her attacker.

  “Since the history was cleared,” Dani went on, “let’s move to his email.”

  Derrick opened the program and scanned the account. “Wiped clean. Nothing sent or received.”

  “Interesting.” Dani tapped her finger on her chin. “Thank goodness he used an email provider with online access, or I would never have found the message from Quentin.”

  “So if you can access it online, what’s the point of deleting the files on the computer?” Gina asked.

  “It’s possible he never downloaded his email, just read it online.”

  “Or there could be something on the computer worth hiding and our suspects broke in to delete it,” Derrick said.

  “Right. So if you pull the hard drive and overnight it to me, hopefully I can reconstruct the data.”

  “Or you could get on a plane and look at it here.” Derrick directed a serious look at Dani so she could tell he wasn’t joking.

  She frowned. “You might be right, but I’d rather not leave my current cases. Gina’s not our only client. So unless you really need me...”

  “Two goons tried to end our lives at the airport, and we don’t know how they found us. I’d appreciate having another pair of eyes in case they manage to find us again.” He cast his best pleading look at his webcam.

  Dani groaned. “Pouting will not work.”

  “I’m not pouting,” he said innocently.

  “Is he pouting, Gina?”

  Gina studied him. “Yeah, and I don’t know about you, but it always worked on me.”

  “Guilty.” Dani chuckled. “I’ll book the earliest flight I can and let you know when I arrive.”

  “Thanks, sis.”

  “Yes, thank you,” Gina added. “I appreciate the sacrifice you’re making.”

  “Don’t worry.” Dani offered an exaggerated wink. “Derrick will owe me a big favor, and I plan to collect on it.”

  Smiling, Derrick shut down the computer in preparation for removing the drive. He knelt on the floor to unplug the cords and caught sight again of the blood from Gina’s attacker on the floor. His smile evaporated. A killer was still after Gina, and he was suddenly very glad that another capable person would soon be added to Gina’s protection team.

  * * *

  As Gina approached Quentin’s door under Derrick’s watchful eye, she couldn’t hide her disappointment in striking out with the building manager. He’d promised that he hadn’t given a key to anyone, and he wasn’t missing one, so that was a dead end. Maybe Quentin would provide a lead.

  She knocked on Val and Quentin’s door and heard their children running through the foyer, screaming with excitement.

  “Prepare yourself,” Gina said to Derrick. “They have two preschoolers who can be a handful.”

  “I guess it’ll give me an idea of how Bug is going to change. Not that I’ll get a chance to see it.”

  At his wistful tone, she shot a look at him. It almost sounded like he wanted more out of life than a single guy could have. But if that was the case, why wasn’t he married by now?

  The door suddenly opened, and Derrick’s hand went to his weapon. When Gina spotted Val looking frazzled, she felt guilty that she often let one small baby tire her as much Val’s energetic kids.

  “Gina!” Val stepped in front of the children then dragged Gina into a hug. “I thought you’d left town.”

  “I did, but I’m back.” Gina melted into her friend’s hug while emotions simmering below the surface threatened to bring tears again. She pushed out of Val’s embrace.

  “Can we watch TV, Mom?” her son asked, sounding bored.

  “Yes,” Val answered without taking her eyes from Gina as both children scampered away. Val’s gaze went to Derrick. “And who might you be?”

  “Derrick Justice.” He held out his hand.

  Val shook hands but her focus swung to Gina. “The Derrick Justice? As in the one—”

  “I went to college with,” Gina finished for her friend and gave her a warning look. “He’s a private investigator now, and he’s helping me find the man who attacked me. We’re hoping to talk to Quentin.”

  “Oh, girl, look at me.” Val fluffed her hair. “Do you think I’d look this wiped out if he was here to help? He got called away yesterday and won’t be back until late tonight.” She shook her head. “It’s bad enough that he’s out to sea most of the year, but to call him out on his leave? Unfair.”

  “So he’s on duty?” Derrick asked.

  “Where else would he be?” Val asked casually then eyed Gina. “Unless you know something you’re not telling me.”

  “Relax, sweetie.” Gina rested a hand on Val’s arm. “We didn’t even know he was gone, so we don’t have any information that you don’t have.”

  Val blew out a breath. “I’m sorry for being such a ninny, but you know how it is living with thoughts of him getting hurt in the back of your mind all the time.”

  Gina nodded. She’d felt the same worry for Jon whenever he’d been deployed. Ironic, since he actually died in his own car on U.S. soil.

  Derrick held out his phone. “Would you both excuse me for a minute? I just remembered a call I need to make.”

  Gina flashed a questioning look at him, but he didn’t respond other than to move out of earshot.

  Val stepped closer. “So dish. What’s going on with you two?”

  Gina shrugged it off. “It’s purely business.”

  “Mmm-hmm.” A knowing smile spread across Val’s lips. “Just what kind of business have the two of you been up to?”

  Gina tapped Val’s forehead. “You can stop all those crazy thoughts racing through your mind right now. He’s simply helping me find my attacker. End of story.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Val said again then grinned. “So where’s Sophia?”

  “Staying with Derrick’s sister someplace safe.”
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  Val’s smile fell. “This is all so surreal, isn’t it? I used to think this was a safe complex, but after your attack...”

  Only Quentin knew about the flash drive and that Gina’s attack wasn’t some random incident. He clearly hadn’t mentioned it to Val. He had to have a reason to keep it from her, so Gina stayed mum.

  “I was hoping you could tell me if Quentin was home the night I was attacked,” she said, moving on.

  Val’s brow furrowed. “You know he was here. He came over when he heard the gunshot.”

  “I mean before that.”

  “No, he went out with the guys and got home just after the shot was fired. He came in long enough to tell me to stay put while he checked on you, and then was out the door again.” Val tilted her head, her gaze not leaving Gina’s face.

  “Where’d he’d go with his friends?”

  “I don’t know.” Val pursed her lips and studied Gina. “Why all the questions about Quentin?”

  Feeling guilty of suspecting her friend’s husband, Gina waved her hand to dismiss Val’s concern. “Nothing really. I was just wondering if he saw anything.”

  Val didn’t buy it for a minute. “He’s already told you he didn’t.”

  “I know, but on those cop shows they always say people remember things later.”

  Val’s concern faded. “I’d ask him for you, but by the time he gets home, I’ll be sound asleep.”

  “I’ve been thinking about his boat.” Gina’s transition was so obvious, she held her breath waiting for Val to become suspicious again.

  “What, the other woman in his life?” Val smiled.

  Gina chuckled, appreciative as always of Val’s good humor. She just couldn’t imagine that a man married to her good friend would have killed Jon and attacked her. What could drive him to do such a thing?

  Money. Derrick’s word came barreling into her head.

  Despite her affection for Val and Quentin, she had to keep digging. “You never said how he was able to afford such an expensive boat.”

  “No, we didn’t.” Val bit her lip.

  Gina could see she had pushed too hard, but she couldn’t give up now. “Mind if I ask you about it?”

  Val appraised Gina for a moment. “What does his boat have to do with anything?”

  Gina searched for a quick answer that wouldn’t make Val suspicious.

  Val held up her hand. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. If you want to know anything about the boat, you’ll have to take it up with Quentin.”

  “What? When?” Derrick shouted into his phone.

  Gina spun in time to see him shove his fingers in his hair and start pacing.

  “Looks like bad news,” Val said.

  More bad news? Gina was nearing the end of her rope. Barely keeping it together. How could she possibly handle more?

  Derrick jammed his phone into his pocket and took purposeful strides in their direction. Gina swallowed hard and waited for him to join them.

  “We need to go,” he said, his eyes filled with worry that stole Gina’s breath. Until this point, he’d never displayed even an ounce of fear.

  Her stomach ached as she asked, “What’s wrong?”

  He laid a hand on her shoulder, but even his touch couldn’t calm her worry.

  “Kat needs us back at the hotel,” he said. “Someone broke into the suite and tried to abduct Sophia.”

  NINE

  Derrick’s heart slammed against his chest as he and Gina rushed to his car. He’d managed an outwardly calm appearance to keep Gina from falling apart, but he’d barely kept it together inside.

  These unexpected attacks were starting to get to him. He needed a schedule with alarms and reminders to keep things in control. Not this insane free-for-all. He’d thought the multiple attacks on Gina were hard to handle, but this time they’d almost lost Sophia. Little Bug. If not for the baby monitor alerting Kat...

  No. He wouldn’t go there.

  The monitor had alerted Kat, and Sophia was safe. Still, he needed to see her smiling face with his own two eyes before his worry would fade. Gina had the same—greater—need, but he wouldn’t take her to Sophia unless he could do so safely, and that meant added precautions.

  He opened the back door of the car. “Later, I’ll need you to lie down on the floor, so be prepared.”

  She looked at him. “I didn’t have to do that on the way here.”

  “The attempt to take Sophia changed everything.” He helped her into the car and slammed the door before she questioned him again and delayed their departure.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” she asked the moment he slid behind the wheel.

  As he cranked the engine, he glanced in his mirror. There was no point lying to her, not when the situation was so dangerous. “We’re worried that this wasn’t actually an attempt to abduct Sophia. We think your attacker might have staged the event so you’d come running.”

  Her eyes widened. “And when I arrive, he’ll try to kill me again.”

  “Exactly.” Derrick backed out of the space. “I don’t really want to take you to the hotel, but I know you need to see Sophia.”

  “I wish I didn’t, but I won’t relax until I have her in my arms,” she said, looking pensive. “Could Kat bring her to us?”

  He shook his head. “The police are on scene, and she can’t leave until they finish processing it. Since it’s an attempted child abduction, that could take hours.”

  “Do you think it’s safe for me to go there?”

  “As safe as it can be under the circumstances,” he said. “Kat arranged for us to park in the underground service entrance. But we have to get to the entrance first.”

  “And if this creep really is a trained sniper, he could fire a lethal shot,” Gina finished for him, her voice surprisingly calm.

  “So when we get closer to the hotel and I tell you to lie down, I need you to do so.” He exited the apartment building’s parking lot and merged into traffic.

  “You won’t have to tell me twice,” she said with vehemence.

  He was pleased with how well she was taking the attempted abduction, but he didn’t want her to think about it all the way to the hotel. He glanced in the mirror. “Did you learn anything in your conversation with Valerie?”

  “A few things actually.” She leaned over the passenger seat. “Quentin went out the night I was attacked and came home just after the attack. Val said he was out with the guys, so at this point he doesn’t have a solid alibi.”

  “That keeps him at the top of my suspect list until we can confirm his whereabouts.” Derrick honestly hadn’t wanted to believe Gina’s friend was involved, but he felt good about having a suspect to investigate. “Did you ask about the money for his boat?”

  “Yes, but I did a horrible job questioning her. She said I’d have to ask Quentin about it.” Gina rested her chin on her arm.

  Derrick moved into the turn lane. “I’d hoped she might be more open without me standing there.”

  “So that’s why you left us alone.”

  He nodded. “Plus when she mentioned Quentin was out of town, I knew he could’ve flown to Portland and attacked you. So I wanted Ethan to start checking flight records.”

  “Val really seemed like she thought he was deployed.”

  “Which is why I also asked Cole to see if his military sources could confirm that. If they can, it will give Quentin an alibi for the Portland attack.”

  Gina shook her head. “I’m continually amazed at how fast you all think of these things.”

  “That’s what we do and do well,” he said, not surprised when he heard the pride for his family’s skills and successes lodged in his voice.

  “It sounds like you really love your job.”

 
“Yeah. I mean, there are times when I’d rather not work with my brothers and sisters. You’ve spent enough time with us, so I’m sure I don’t have to tell you why.” He winked at her in the mirror.

  “After the way I grew up, it’s refreshing to see a committed family.” A long sigh slipped from her mouth. “I hate that Sophia won’t have a brother or sister.”

  He braked at a red light and looked back at her. “What happened to your plan of having a houseful of children?”

  She shrugged.

  Surprised, he angled himself so he could look into her eyes. “Something change?”

  “Age and experience, I guess. Finding that perfect someone to have a family with isn’t as easy as I thought it’d be.” She firmly met his gaze. “You obviously know that since you’re still single. Or don’t you want to get married?”

  How could he answer? Years ago, she’d accused him of always pulling away when things started to get serious, and she’d been right. Even after all this time, he hadn’t resolved his problem. And that meant that despite his dreams of family, he’d always be on his own.

  * * *

  Anxious to see and hold Sophia, Gina rushed into the hotel room without so much as a glance at the police officers and forensic team. Kat held the smiling child as she talked with the same detective who’d responded to Gina’s attack the other night. When Kat spotted Gina, she started across the room, and Gina met her halfway. She didn’t need to ask for Sophia. Kat immediately handed her over.

  “I’m sorry,” Kat said, first looking at Gina then Derrick, who’d come up behind her. “The creep tried to come in through the bedroom window. I should’ve stationed myself in Sophia’s room. But thankfully, I heard a noise on the baby monitor and went to check before he opened the window all the way.”

  “Did you get a good look at him?” Derrick asked.

  Kat shook her head. “Caught a quick glimpse of his head and upper torso only. He wore a mask. Couldn’t even get a good sense of his size except that he has broad shoulders. By the time I got to the window, he’d darted behind shrubs. I couldn’t leave Sophia alone to chase him, so he got away.”