by T. L. Haddix
She went still in his arms, her eyes searching his. “Wyatt, that’s… we’d practically be making an announcement that we’re a couple.”
“I know.” He could tell the invitation had flummoxed her. “It’s entirely up to you. No pressure.”
Looking down, she bit her lip. “Where is this dinner?”
“At the Lighthouse at seven.”
“They don’t serve dry chicken,” she teased.
“Semantics. If you won’t be there, it might as well be cardboard.”
“You sweet man.” She ran a hand along his jaw. “Okay. Will you pick me up, or should I meet you there?”
His wide smile lit up his face. “Really? You’ll go?”
“If you’re sure you want me there. I’m assuming I’ll need to dress nicely?”
“Yes. If I have to wear a jacket and tie, you have to dress up, too.” He hugged her tightly. “I can’t believe you’re going.”
“What time should I be ready?”
“I’ll pick you up around twenty ‘til seven, if that’s okay.” When she started to draw back, he tightened his hands. “Don’t I even get a kiss?”
“No. Not here, and not with me wearing lipstick.”
“Then I’ll dictate a memo effective immediately that all personnel are required to not wear lipstick while at work.” He let her go. “Not even a peck?”
Maria was fighting to keep a straight face. “No, not even a peck. I will give you a rain check, though, so don’t eat anything garlicky or with onions at dinner.”
With a reluctance that warmed his heart, she said goodbye and left. Wyatt stayed in the room for a few more minutes, trying to convince his body to calm down enough that he could walk out into the hall. Luckily, no one came along while he was recovering. He could only imagine the gossip that would start if he had to explain that.
Chapter Twenty Seven
When Maria joined Stacy in the car, she could tell from the look on her friend’s face that she was in for a grilling. She tried to head it off, or at least postpone it. “Buy me lunch after this, and I’ll tell you everything, okay?”
Stacy laughed, her face open in a way most people never got to see. “Deal. Where do you want to eat?”
“How about Christos’?”
The detective groaned. “Really? But it’s so awkward, seeing Andre there.”
“Oh, hush. The two of you parted as friends, and you know it. Besides, if you’re going to poke and prod in my love life, I need to exact a little revenge of my own.”
They both chuckled, and Stacy said, “Okay. I guess that’s fair enough.”
They parked outside the two-story cottage that housed Sharon Jenkins’s practice, and Sharon met them at the door. “Please, come in. Would you like the tour?”
“Sure,” Stacy responded. They followed her into the reception area, where she showed them around Theresa’s office.
“You mentioned that you have a server.” Maria pointed at the monitor on Theresa’s desk. “Is this computer terminal connected to that?”
“Yes. I also have a terminal in my office, and my laptop is networked in wirelessly. It’s encrypted. I take it upstairs at times, especially if I need to work late. I live upstairs,” the doctor explained as she led them to the therapy room that stretched across the back of the house.
“What’s your setup as far as medical records go?” Stacy asked. “How are client files processed?”
Sharon slid a bookcase to the side, revealing a small room behind it. “The physical charts are kept in here, along with the server. This opens into Theresa’s office, as well. When I have a session with a client, I may or may not take notes, depending on the situation. Once the session ends, I dictate chart notes, progress reports, et cetera, using a program on the computer. Theresa then pulls the audio files up on her end and transcribes them into the e-record. The system is backed up daily, off-site.” She paused when they were back in front of Theresa’s desk. “I thought keeping the transcription in-house would keep the records safer. I guess that was naïve of me.”
“How about letting me browse around your system while you give Stacy your statement?” Maria suggested gently. “Maybe that will tell us something helpful.”
“Of course.” She showed Maria the programs they used.
Sitting down, Maria started familiarizing herself with the office’s file structure. The server software was the standard for small businesses, and a program Maria was intimately familiar with, having used it for the last few years at work. Very soon, she was cruising through server logs, looking for anomalies.
While she worked, she half-listened as Stacy resumed the interview. “Do you think Theresa’s behind the leak?”
The doctor walked to the window, arms wrapped around her middle as she considered the question. “I don’t. I really don’t. She’s been with me since I opened my practice several years ago. It just feels wrong, that she would be behind this. But who else could it be?”
“Has anyone else had access to your computers? Anyone at all?” Maria asked.
Sharon shook her head. “No. Why?”
“Because someone has installed a keystroke recorder on your server.”
Her shock was palpable as she rushed to look at the computer screen. “What? That’s impossible.”
“I’m afraid it isn’t.” Maria pointed to the telltale lines in the server’s directory. “The recorder was installed six weeks ago. With time, I can probably dig out more details. This is good news. It points away from your receptionist. She wouldn’t have any need to record keystrokes on a system she already has full access to.”
“Thank God.”
Maria could hardly contain her excitement. “It’s also a huge mistake on the part of the extortionist. It may be just what we need to catch him. Can you tell me what times you’re not on the server? Are there any hours you absolutely don’t have activity, like when you’re asleep?”
Sharon thought about it. “Probably from one a.m. to six o’clock in the morning.”
Stacy spoke up. “Sharon, I need to ask you something, but I need your complete confidence. What we say here can’t leave this room.”
“Of course. Ask what you need.”
“Can you tell me if any of these people are current or former patients?” She named the other extortion victims.
The doctor hesitated, her hand playing with her necklace. “I’ve seen one of those people in a professional capacity, but not the others. That’s all I can tell you. Is that going to be sufficient?”
“It is. Thank you,” Stacy said.
“I’ve found a few more things here, enough to get me started anyhow,” Maria said. “The problem we’re going to encounter is that in order to use this information as evidence, you’ll have to let the news of the leak go public. I’m guessing that’s the last thing you want.”
Sharon nodded. “It is. To be honest, I’m not sure I can do that. I just wanted to bring the sheriff into the loop, since this concerned him. I guess I hoped you all could resolve this without my direct involvement.”
“We aren’t without sympathy, but I don’t know that we can promise you won’t have any direct involvement, especially if this leads to an arrest that goes to trial,” Stacy said.
“I appreciate your honesty, Detective. What do I need to do to keep my files safe while I consider this?”
Maria tapped her fingers on the surface of the desk. She was disconcerted by the doctor’s reluctance to act, and had to struggle to conceal that concern. “Don’t uninstall the software, first of all. We don’t want to tip our hand. I can go back in and erase any evidence that I’ve been in here. Also, I’m going to strongly advise you to disable your wireless network. Dollars to donuts, that’s how he’s getting in. If you decide you do want to continue, I can come over here and dig around a little more, plant some seeds that will lead back to whoever is doing this. That will take a few hours, though.”
“How do we disable the wireless network?”
&n
bsp; “That part’s simple. I can do that before we leave today. How tech-savvy is Theresa?”
Sharon’s mouth moved into the ghost of a smile. “Not very. She hates technology.”
“Are you the in-house geek, then? Or do you hire someone to take care of your IT?”
“I’m the maintenance person. I can do basic stuff, but for the heavy lifting, I call someone in.”
“Good. Then Theresa shouldn’t be horribly suspicious if she figures out the Wi-Fi isn’t working. You can just tell her it’s a glitch, and you’re taking care of it.”
“Okay. Then let’s disable the network. I guess that means I shouldn’t use my laptop for a few days?”
Maria nodded. “I’d advise against it.” She proceeded to disable the wireless network, a simple matter of removing the network cable from the router. Handing it to Sharon, she suggested the doctor put it away somewhere. “Just to be safe.”
“I’d like a day or two to consider my options. I’m also going to contact my attorney, get her advice,” Sharon said as she escorted them to the door. “You said you were able to get some useful information?”
“Yes,” Maria told her. “Hopefully it will be enough.”
The interview over, she and Stacy headed to the detective’s cruiser. Neither of them spoke until they were in the car, pulling away from the curb.
“How bad is it?” Stacy asked.
Maria groaned. “From what I was able to see, he’s been all over her system. I’ll know more once I analyze the packet of information I sent myself.” Correctly interpreting Stacy’s look of astonishment, she shrugged. “I didn’t transfer any client information, just the paths and information from the directory. There were a couple other interesting little snippets, and I snatched those, as well.”
Stacy’s disapproval was written on her face. “Why would you possibly take such a chance? We didn’t have her permission to copy files!”
“Technically, we did. Wyatt told us that at the department. Remember? As to why, I can almost guarantee you we won’t get another chance to look at that server. The information I took may well be the only chance we’ll have of figuring out who’s behind this. I didn’t tamper with any evidence. I just copied it.”
Stacy parked in the sheriff’s department lot beside the courthouse and turned off the engine. After a minute, she blew out a breath. “I guess I can understand why you did it, but we won’t be able to use anything you find that’s based off that evidence. You know that, right? And you’re telling Wyatt. No way am I going to be the one who initiates that conversation.”
Chastised, Maria nodded as they got out of the car. “Okay.”
“One more thing… you’re buying lunch.”
Chapter Twenty Eight
Late that afternoon, Wyatt was clearing out some paperwork when Ethan knocked on the doorframe. The outer office was empty, Gretchen having already left for the day.
“Hey, Boss. Do you have a minute?”
Wyatt waved him inside. “Sure, come on in. What’s up?”
Ethan closed the door and sat down, elbows on his knees. He ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head as though puzzled. “Nothing. I just wanted to touch base on the extortion case. Did Sharon have another letter?”
Wyatt studied the detective closely. Something wasn’t right. He stood and came around the desk, taking the chair next to Ethan’s. He placed a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “What’s wrong? Is it Beth?”
Ethan looked at him, obviously struggling for words. He finally gave up and threw his hands in the air, a tremulous smile breaking out across his face. “Twins.”
Wyatt’s surprise must have shown because Ethan nodded and laughed, wiping his eyes.
“Twins? Really? So Beth’s okay?”
“She’s great. I’m a mess, but she’s great. Oh, God. Twins. I can’t breathe.” He laced his fingers together behind his head and bent over his knees.
Wyatt had to fight to keep his own eyes dry. The detective’s emotions were raw, and Wyatt hadn’t seen him so distressed since Ethan had learned about Beth being shot.
“The doctor says she’s about six weeks along, and she’s at a slightly higher risk because she’s carrying twins. With her injuries, it was already a little risky to try to get pregnant so early, just with one baby. What the hell was I thinking, getting her pregnant?”
Wyatt felt a pang of sympathy at the fear in Ethan’s voice. “Is the doctor concerned?”
Ethan sat up and exhaled slowly. “A little, but not tremendously so. She thinks that with some precautions, there’s no reason Beth can’t carry the babies to term.”
Wyatt slipped his arm around Ethan’s shoulders. “It’ll be okay, son. What does Beth say about all this?”
“She’s on her way to talk to her editor to set things up, so that when the time comes, she can transition to work from home.”
“When’s her due date?”
Ethan blew out a breath. “June sixth. God, that seems so far away. How in the world am I supposed to deal with this until June? I’ll have a nervous breakdown.”
“Son, men have been asking that question for thousands of years. The short answer is that you just pray and enjoy the experience. Try to focus on the fact that you’re going to be a father. Congratulations, by the way. I’m tickled for you both.”
Ethan shot him a rueful grin. “Thanks. I guess I’m overreacting a little, huh?”
Wyatt moved his hand in a seesaw motion. “Just a little. You’re entitled, though.” He moved to sit behind his desk again.
“So about this morning… is Sharon another victim?” Ethan asked.
“In a manner of speaking. Apparently, she’s the source of the information about Julie, as well as another recipient. We don’t know which one. Rather, her office is the source, I should say.” He explained what the interview had uncovered, as well as telling Ethan about the information Maria had obtained.
The detective whistled. “Ouch. How much of a chewing out did you give her over that?”
“Enough of one that I’m not sure our dinner date is still on. I tried to keep it impersonal, but I’m not sure I succeeded.”
“That had to be awkward, to say the least.”
Wyatt expelled a long breath. “You could say that. I have to set up a protocol for handling disputes and infractions involving Maria. If by some miracle she doesn’t dump me on my ass, the department needs to have something in place. What about you? Did you get a chance to check anything out?”
“A little bit. After we got out of the doctor’s office, Beth and I went and had a talk with Raven. He received a second note yesterday, demanding more money because he’s been talking to Beth.” He shook his head. “He’s probably Sharon’s second client from the list. I know he’s been seeing her for a couple of years now.”
“You think he’s going to pay?”
“I don’t think so. His partner is going to come out to his family tomorrow, and Raven seems pretty resolved not to let this guy win.”
“Good for him.”
Ethan stood, stretching. “If that’s everything, I’m going to head out. Take some personal time for the rest of the day.”
“I think we can spare you, unless something else comes up in the next few minutes.”
“Then I’m heading out.” He paused, his hand on the doorknob. “So where were you supposed to take Maria tonight?”
Wyatt rubbed the bridge of his nose. “The Lighthouse. Dinner with the mayor and Sammy.”
Ethan grinned. “That’s as good as taking out an ad in the paper. Good for you.”
“Yeah, well, she’s probably not speaking to me now, so it’s a moot point.”
“I doubt it. Maria’s level-headed. She’ll know the difference between you dressing her down for a problem with the job and something personal. I think you’ll be fine.” Pulling open the door, he stepped back quickly in order to avoid being hit by the fist that came crashing through the opening.
“Oh, my God! I�
�m so sorry, Ethan,” Maria said. “I was just getting ready to knock.”
He laughed. “I noticed. No harm, no foul. I hear you have a fancy dinner this evening.”
“Yes, why?”
Ethan shook his head. “No reason. I’ll see you both tomorrow. Have a good night.”
Wyatt’s glower deepened as the detective mouthed, “Told you,” over Maria’s shoulder before disappearing.
When she stood awkwardly just inside the door, Wyatt stood and went around his desk. “Come on in.”
“No, I don’t want to bother you. I was just wondering about tonight, if we’re still on.”
He sat on the edge of his desk. “You aren’t bothering me, and yes, as far as I’m concerned, we’re still on. Are you concerned about earlier?”
She nodded and took a couple steps toward him. “I know I messed up.”
“Look, what happens here at work? It stays here at work. We have to both agree on that if we have a prayer of a chance of making this relationship work. Do you agree?” He saw relief wash across her face.
“Lord, yes. I’ve been so worried this afternoon.”
When he held out a hand, she came over to him and clasped it. “We are going to have to be very careful, at least for the time being, though. What happened this morning, with the hug? As much as I love holding you, that close proximity affects me in very embarrassing ways.”
She blushed. “Do tell, Sheriff.” Turning serious, she gently pulled her hand from his. “Why don’t we just make it a policy from the get-go, then? No touching in official settings?”
“That’s probably a good idea. Not much fun, but a good idea.”
Going back to the door, she sent him a soft glance. “So I’ll see you around six thirty?”
He frowned. “I thought we said six forty.”
“We did. But I was hoping you’d get there a little early, before I put on my lipstick.”
When he caught her meaning, he stood and took a step in her direction before he managed to stop himself. “Go on and get out of here. I’ll see you around six thirty.”
As her footsteps faded, he rubbed his eyes. That he was coming alive for the first time in years, and that it was happening during the biggest crisis of his tenure as sheriff, only served to show him that God had a wicked sense of humor.
