by Regan Black
Mitch swiped his cell phone screen and dialed Grant’s number again. “He’s probably working on setup for tonight’s band, but I want to get his take on this.” He wasn’t pleased about leaving a second message. He could keep her out of the stalker’s reach, but he was far less confident about how to proceed with any sort of investigation. Her purse and laptop were probably considered evidence—or they would be if she’d reported them stolen.
“My boss expected to be able to reach me by now. If you don’t want me using my cell phone, we’d better get back to the store and pick one up.”
“What about your laptop?”
She sighed. “I’ll have the store take a look, then get Haywood’s opinion. I’m sure he’ll want our own tech department to look it over.”
Mitch didn’t trust anyone else at Marburg. Not because they were defending Falk, but because someone on the inside had to be helping the stalker follow Julia. There hadn’t been any direct pictures of her inside the building, but an inside ally was the only logical explanation for the swift responses from the stalker.
Mitch put everything in the office back in place and they thanked Stephen on their way out. Stephen replied with his typical grunt, but the half wave was positive progress.
“He’s a charmer,” Julia said as they drove away. “It’s hard to imagine you two living together.”
“He’s always been serious,” Mitch said quietly. “But he wasn’t always miserable. Hopefully, he’ll remember how to be happy again one day.”
When they’d purchased the phone and had her accounts synced up so she could use it, she called her boss and let him know she was having the laptop screened for any viruses or problems. Haywood then confirmed her suspicions and ordered her to bring the laptop into the office for the Marburg team to double-check it.
Mitch managed not to voice his opinion on that idea. The stalker had repeatedly proved his willingness to cause havoc. He didn’t think it was a coincidence that Julia’s things had wound up at the garage—a place where he’d spent most of his off hours, before his suspension.
“I’m sorry about all of this,” she said as they walked up and down the store aisles while they waited. “We’re going to be here all day. I should’ve just bought new stuff and not mentioned we recovered the old.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He picked up a display model of headphones, turning them side to side. “My job is spending time with you.” He smiled. “It’s a good job.”
“Your job is being a firefighter.” She stuffed her hands into her pockets. “This is maddening, being caught up in something that I can’t fix or see a way out of.”
He set down the headphones. “We’ll get out of it, I promise.”
“You should be with the sketch artist by now.” She perked up. “Why don’t you go on ahead? I’m safe enough here.”
“Not a chance.” He started making up outrageous, danger-filled stories about the other customers and a few of the employees until she was nearly doubled over with laughter.
While he admired her intelligence and her serious determination, he thought he might become addicted to the bright sound of her laughter. A stunning woman in all circumstances—when she relaxed and smiled with genuine pleasure, he lost his breath.
How could he feel so much for a woman he hardly knew? Tomorrow was Sunday and he’d be expected at home for dinner. Last week he’d dodged it because of his responsibility to Julia. His mother wouldn’t put up with him missing two weeks in a row without a better explanation than a closing shift at the club.
It didn’t matter that her children were all adults now, Myra Galway kept a sharp eye on each of them. Even in the worst of his grief, Stephen hadn’t been granted two consecutive weeks away from Sunday dinner.
As they started yet another circuit of the store, Mitch debated which path offered the least resistance. He could take Julia with him and face the endless ribbing and blatant speculation about her significance in his life. Or he could face the inevitable and relentless guilt trip his mother would heap on him for missing two straight family dinners. He had opened his mouth to invite her and explain why they had to go when his phone rang.
“It’s Grant,” he told her as he answered. “Did you get my messages?”
“Yes,” Grant replied. “The purse and laptop aren’t evidence and even if I could call in a favor, I’m sure her stalker was careful not to leave anything helpful behind. Keep her boss happy, or you’ll give the stalker more cause to escalate,” he added.
Mitch watched Julia wander farther down the aisle. “Learned that the hard way last night,” he said under his breath. He’d been reckless pushing at the stalker that way. The only thing he’d gained was a profile that wouldn’t do them much good.
“That bomb threat wasn’t your fault. Your job is keeping her safe,” Grant said, echoing his earlier words to Julia. “I know this isn’t the work you’re used to, and not the work you anticipated when you signed on at Escape, but she’s alive and well, right?”
“Right.” Mitch smiled as she poked at a display of jump drives in various themes.
“So keep up the great work,” Grant said. “The stalker is hell-bent on a purpose we haven’t identified. All we know is that he has resources and personnel.”
“True.” He thought about the impostor cops and the man tossing Julia’s laptop into the garbage. “Keeping her boss happy might get tricky. I’m not letting her out of my sight until the sneaky bastard is in custody.”
“I’m confident you two can figure it out. Everyone I know is clammed up about the bomb threat and the impostors. I can’t tell if it’s because they’re afraid of making a misstep with Marburg or if there’s more to it.”
Mitch caught Julia’s signal that her computer was ready. “Looks like they just finished the evaluation of her computer,” Mitch said to Grant. “If anyone tampered with it, I’ll let you know. Next stop for me is meeting Carson for the sketch.”
“Good,” Grant replied. “Stay alert.”
With nothing more to discuss, Grant ended the call and Mitch joined Julia at the service counter. On the seat beside him, Julia folded her arms over her chest, as if trying to warm up or protect herself from bad news. He hated that she was caught in this trap, with no hint of how to break free. They needed an identification or at least enough new information to make a logical guess as to the man’s next move.
He wasn’t sure if he hoped for an all clear or obvious signs of tampering on her computer. Surely, the stalker hadn’t gone to such extreme lengths just to annoy her. No matter how Mitch reviewed it, he agreed with her that the jerk’s actions weren’t adding up.
Let him try, Mitch thought. If the jerk wanted a run at Julia, he’d have to find a way through Mitch first.
*
Julia had her fingers crossed there would be good news on the technology front. She wanted to know her laptop wasn’t just clean, but that the information hadn’t been stolen or tampered with. Had the stalker found what he wanted and then “returned” her things just to delay the inevitable identification?
She’d watched the clouds pass over Mitch’s expression during his conversation with Grant. Mitch couldn’t possibly be a good poker player. His emotions were too easy to read. She’d recognized relief and frustration in alternating turns. It was hard to hold on to any hope that they were making significant progress at uncovering the stalker’s name or motives.
This had to be more than he’d signed on for. Maybe the sketch artist would help them—if they could ever meet up with him. That seemed like a stretch the way the day was going.
“Good news and bad news,” the technician said, setting her computer down gently on the counter.
“Bad new first, Todd,” Julia replied, reading the young man’s name badge. “Please.”
“Someone accessed your files at these times.” He slid a printout across the counter.
“How do you know it wasn’t me?” They hadn’t told the tech anything other than she needed the
laptop examined.
“I, um, I assumed,” Todd stated. “Your system is set to automatically link to specific IP addresses and at these times, the IP address was different from the two most commonly accessed addresses.”
She leaned over and peered at the printout. “Those are my home and office.”
Todd nodded, giving her a smile as if she was the star pupil today. “Usually, yes. For most people.” She listened to him explain the technicalities, her heart sinking with every word. Her career at Marburg was over as soon as they discovered the breach.
“There’s good news, Ms. Cooper.” Todd’s smile felt too bright, glaring in vain against her increasing despair of the stalker’s unpredictable behavior. “No viruses or malware. Your system is perfectly clean.”
“Great.” Todd had no idea that news wasn’t much cause for celebration. It did beat the alternative of investing in a new laptop. Her laptop wouldn’t blow up or infect the rest of Marburg’s network when she logged in again. “Thanks for your help.”
“Sure thing.” He handed her a card and a protective neoprene sleeve for the device. “Be sure to come back anytime.”
“I think the kid has a crush on you,” Mitch said when they were back in his car.
Julia wasn’t in the mood for teasing. “I think the kid is barely old enough to work.” She sighed as she buckled up for the drive back to the law firm. “None of this makes any sense. He’s got us running in circles.”
“Maybe that is the point,” Mitch said thoughtfully.
“Then why target me? Why threaten me or anyone else?” Her voice rose with her temper. “He said he wanted to know who Falk was naming, but I’m not privy to that part of the case. It’s a fruitless approach.”
“Maybe taking your laptop has proved you can’t help him and he’ll leave you alone.”
“Forgive me if I don’t hold my breath.” Knowing the stalker had people to help him sent her anxiety skyrocketing. She wouldn’t be able to hide it much longer. Not from Haywood and definitely not from someone as observant as Mitch.
She plucked her old phone out of her purse. The device felt dirty in a way that had nothing to do with where it had been found. “There might be something to your distraction theory,” she said. “Why take my computer when he so easily seized control of my financial life from a distance?”
He reached over and trapped her hand between his warm palm and her thigh, ending the rapid drumming of her fingertips. “You’re not alone. I won’t let you be alone in this, Julia.”
The way he said her name sent a ripple of awareness through her system. Not the time, she scolded her wayward hormones. She couldn’t allow her attention to be diverted from the primary goal of catching the creep who’d twisted up her life.
Mitch parked the car, a half block closer to the office this time. “I could manage this on my own,” she said as they hurried toward the IT department. “You should come back for me after you meet with Carson.”
“I won’t let him divide and conquer again. We’re sticking together until further notice.”
She halted in the middle of the corridor. “Mitch, come on. You can’t stay glued to my hip indefinitely.”
Using her elbow, he nudged her along. “One step, one day at a time, okay?”
She gave him a skeptical glance but withheld her argument. With her computer under another evaluation, she went upstairs to bring Haywood up to speed in person. It was quickly evident her boss’s mood hadn’t improved much in her absence. He pointed to a stack of folders on his receptionist’s desk and ordered Julia to start reviewing the witness statements.
“You’re looking for repetitive wording and any overlapping dates and times,” he said.
“All right.” She understood he wanted to find any instance of witnesses being fed the same answers that would incriminate Falk or those working within the car-theft ring. “Can I take this home? In case I don’t get through them all before my laptop is ready?”
“Nothing leaves the building,” he said, his gaze as flat and cold as a sheet of black ice. “Except you.” Haywood drilled a finger in Mitch’s direction. “Her personal life can resume in a month or two.”
“I won’t bother her.” Mitch’s smile was cold.
“You’re bothering me.” Haywood squared off with Mitch, his hands on his hips. “Get out of my office.”
Julia watched as Mitch took in his surroundings, obviously weighing his options and searching for a way to satisfy Haywood and maintain his obligation to her. She didn’t want the men to clash and she needed to stay on the case for a multitude of reasons. Contrary to her bravado near the IT department, she knew she’d be battling fear if Mitch left. Haywood’s corner office had too many windows and she felt the stalker was already out there, keeping tabs on her.
“Mitch is feeling a little overprotective after last night, Mr. Haywood.” Her statement drew the attention of both men. “I admit, I’m a little jittery, too. I’d be more comfortable and get through this faster if he stuck around. He won’t be in anyone’s way if he waits for me right there.” She pointed to the glass-walled waiting area between the offices and the elevator.
“You’ll rush through it.”
She forced her lips into her mild courtroom smile. “If I had that reputation, you wouldn’t have added me to the case.”
Haywood’s eyebrows climbed his forehead. “Your confidence doesn’t hurt, either.” He backed down. “Just get it sorted out.”
“I will,” she promised. “Quickly and without rushing,” she whispered when he was out of earshot. She flicked her fingers at Mitch, sending him to the other side of the glass.
As he settled into one of the leather club chairs that faced her, she opened the first file in the stack. At least she was doing something more productive than researching precedents. As the afternoon ticked by and dusk fell outside the large windows, she focused on the task at hand rather than how this was one more impediment to Mitch’s potential identification of the stalker.
It was just past six o’clock when Haywood stepped out of his office to tell her the IT department had decided her laptop was clean and she could have it back.
“Any progress on those statements?”
“I’ve been through all of them twice.”
Haywood narrowed his eyes. “You said you wouldn’t rush.”
She smiled through her perpetual annoyance with him. New associates were propelled to the top or tossed into the trash based on these tense encounters. “I did not rush.” She tapped the two statements that had felt like misfits. “These two witnesses claim to have seen their cars being stolen by Falk’s crew.”
“And?” Haywood’s gaze landed on the folders she held out.
“Their phrasing is too similar based on their differing neighborhoods and backgrounds. Additionally, the cars stolen weren’t standard to Falk’s operation.”
“You think the prosecutor is piling on?”
Julia wanted to stretch the kinks out of her shoulders and neck, but it would have to wait. “That’s something only you can decide,” she said, stroking his ego. She stood up, caught the movement in her peripheral vision as Mitch did the same on the other side of the glass in the lobby.
For the first time since she’d been hired, she couldn’t wait to leave the building for longer than her lunch break. “I’ll see you on Monday,” she said to Haywood as she walked away.
“Answer your phone.”
“Yes, sir.” To stay on the case, she had to remain available to Haywood’s every demand.
In the lobby, Mitch dropped his arm over her shoulder in a blatantly possessive gesture. “You’re not helping,” she said through clenched teeth while they waited for the elevator.
“Don’t care. Your boss is an ass.”
“Comes with the territory.” She hurried onto the elevator and slid away from Mitch’s tempting embrace. She had to maintain her distance before she gave in and just let him sweep her out of this mess. “Junior partners land in a gri
nder that’s worse than the associate obstacle course.”
“How is that?”
“No one expects much success out of a new associate,” she said. “A high percentage of new associates at Marburg simply burn out. A few become effective workhorses. Fewer still get the right opportunities to move up.” The Falk case was her next step on the ladder, but it was at risk of snapping and sending her tumbling down to the bottom of the heap. “Partners have to hire the right associates, bring in more billable hours and log more victories than losses in court to maintain the stellar reputation.”
“Hard to believe you willingly signed up for all of that.” He shook his head, but a smile lurked at the corner of his mouth. “What’s the fastest anyone made junior partner?”
“The Marburg record is three-and-a-half years. The Falk case—if I managed to contribute something that helped them win it—would’ve accelerated my personal schedule.”
“You planned to break the record.”
She shrugged. It was silly to confirm or deny his statement. What had been a lofty goal might be forever beyond her reach if the stalker didn’t relent soon. They didn’t discuss anything else while they retrieved her computer and walked out to his car.
Her stomach rumbled loud enough to be heard over the souped-up engine. “You must be starving, too. I’m sor—”
“Don’t apologize for doing your job, Julia. Want me to pick up a pizza on the way home?”
Home. The word sounded so nice it set off warning bells in her head. “Sure. You don’t have to tend bar tonight, do you?”
“No.”
Once they decided on toppings, she sent a text to the number logged into his phone, and then a comfortable, peaceful silence filled the car. Julia watched the city go by, wondering when Mitch would share whatever was on his mind.
Close to his neighborhood, he stopped in front of an Irish pub. “My cousin’s place,” he explained. “Don’t let the shamrock fool you, they have excellent pizza.” She caught a few speculative looks while he paid for the pizza and a six-pack of beer. Good wishes for his parents followed them out the door.
