I gaped stupidly at him. “You’re not?”
“No.” He chuckled and indicated the bar with a wave of his hand. “You were right on Sunday. This is pretty much my life.”
“Oh.” My flush of embarrassment heated into anger. “That little shit.”
Eddy patted my hand. “Don’t worry about it. And if I hear any other ugly rumours about you I’ll nip them in the bud.”
“Oh.” My embarrassment came back in a rush. “No, Eddy, I didn’t mean it was an ugly rumour… I mean, I wouldn’t be ashamed if people thought we were… um. I just didn’t want to spoil anything for you.”
“Don’t worry,” Eddy repeated, smiling as he handed back my credit card. “I knew you didn’t mean it that way. Don’t give it another thought.”
“Thanks, Eddy,” I said with feeling, and made for the door.
The parking lot seemed ten times more dangerous without Kane beside me. Plastering my back to the wall of the bar, I scanned for any suspicious figures and saw none. A quick once-over of my car revealed no unusual wires, and I slid into the driver’s seat and turned the ignition key holding my breath.
When nothing exploded I steered for home, nervously checking my mirrors until I turned off the highway and nobody followed me.
Then again, why would they follow me? They knew where I lived.
Shaking my head at my own idiocy, I switched from checking my mirrors to surveying the woods, fields, and my yard as I drove up. Nothing unusual caught my eye, and I hurried to let myself through the gate and lock it behind me.
Inside my house with the blinds drawn, I couldn’t seem to settle. Every noise grew to threatening proportions, and I patrolled the entire house twice with my trank pistol before forbidding myself to do it for a third time.
Sinking into my most comfortable chair, I switched to slow yoga breaths and tried to read, but the book didn’t hold my interest and my heart still thumped too rapidly in my chest.
I sighed and abandoned the book for my computer. Placing an online order for my basement room’s concealed hinges used up a good ten minutes.
“Whoop-de-doo. Ten minutes down, twelve hours to go,” I muttered, and turned resolutely to my bookkeeping.
Familiarizing myself with the substitute bookkeeper’s work wasn’t nearly as absorbing as I’d hoped. Twitching and squirming in my chair, I managed to stick with it for half an hour before rocketing to my feet.
“Fine,” I growled.
I was putting on my boots at the front door when the phone rang.
A surge of adrenaline burned my veins and I sprang to snatch up the handset, trank pistol clenched in a white-knuckled grip.
“Hello!” I barked.
“Hey, darlin’.” Hellhound’s gravelly voice held a questioning note. “Did I catch ya in the middle a’ somethin’?”
“Oh.” The syllable came out on a rush of released breath as I sagged against the wall. “No. Sorry.” I took another breath, willing my pulse rate down from heart-attack levels. “It’s just that the analysts phone me if they spot anything on the surveillance cameras, so I’ve been jumping every time the phone rings.”
“Shit, sorry, Aydan. Didn’t mean to freak ya out. Should I call ya on your cell next time instead?”
“Yeah, thanks, that would be great.” Succumbing to the trembling of my knees, I slid down the wall to sit on the floor. “So how are you?”
“Fine, darlin’. Just been talkin’ to Weasel.”
“And…?” I held my breath all over again.
“An’ he says, word is there was some guy offerin’ cash for a job a few days ago. I guess there was a bit a’ talk ‘cause everybody thought it was funny as hell.”
“Funny?” My voice squeaked on the word. “Murder is funny? Who the hell is Weasel hanging around with, anyway? I thought you said he was small-time and basically harmless.”
“He is. But I guess this guy was so pathetic, they were takin’ bets on who’d just take his money an’ split without ever doin’ the job at all.”
“So who was the guy? And why was he so pathetic?”
“Didn’t get a name, but he was a skinny little fuck with a beard an’ a buncha piercin’s in his face. Light in his loafers an’ scared shitless.”
My heart gave a hard thump.
Brock.
Chapter 25
My mind whirled, the phone sagging away from my ear. Why the hell would Brock have wanted me dead last week? I hadn’t tangled with him until after Mallard showed up, so if he’d hired Mallard it wouldn’t have been in revenge for my attack on him and his stereo…
“Aydan? Ya still there?” Hellhound’s question prodded me back to the present and I raised the handset again.
“Uh… yeah… When was this?”
“Sorry, darlin’, I dunno for sure. Weasel didn’t wanna attract attention by askin’ too many questions. It might not have even been the guy who’s gunnin’ for ya.”
“Can you get him to dig some more?”
“Nah. Already tried but he said he ain’t gettin’ involved if it’s a hit, even when I offered him twice my normal rate. But you could probl’y get him to do it.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Do I even want to know what you mean by that?”
“Nah, probl’y not.”
“Shit.” I drew a deep breath and braced myself. “Okay. What does he want?”
Hellhound’s tone was wry. “What d’ya think? He wants ya to beat him up while he beats off.”
“Gah.” I gave a whole-body shudder. “He is such a disgusting little…”
“…Weasel,” we finished together. “But Aydan,” Hellhound added, “He says ya already owe him one. An’ from the way he had his hand down his pants when he said it, I’m figurin’ he wasn’t talkin’ about a coffee.”
“Yeech. I did promise to beat him up that time I needed him for a lookout at the Hogback Tavern, but I sure as hell didn’t say he could whack off while I did it.”
Hellhound snorted. “Good luck tryin’ to keep Weasel from whackin’ off. He’s pretty much gonna have his hand on his dick the whole time you’re whalin’ on him ‘less ya break both his arms.”
“God, this is such a gross conversation!” Shuddering again at the thought of actually touching Weasel, I scrubbed my palm against my jeans. “So you’re saying he won’t ask around any more unless I promise to come down there and beat the hell out of him.”
“Sorry, darlin’, it’s a little worse than that,” Hellhound said regretfully. “He ain’t takin’ any more promises. If ya don’t deliver a beatin’ up front, he won’t go lookin’ for any more info.”
“Urgh! Bleah!” I scrubbed my palm even harder. “Now I need brain bleach and hand sanitizer and about ten hot showers with antiseptic soap. And that’s just from thinking about it.”
“Wish I had better news, but he’s a stubborn little fuck. I could lean on him a bit…”
“No, Arnie. Thanks, but don’t. I know you need him as an informant for your P.I. jobs, so don’t take a chance on pissing him off. I have an idea about who the guy might be anyway, so I’ll investigate here. If I can’t find out anything more on my own, I’ll… I’ll think about beating Weasel.” I shuddered again. “Bleah. That sounds like a euphemism for masturbation. ‘Beating the weasel’.”
Hellhound laughed. “Better than ‘chokin’ the chicken ‘til it pukes’.”
“Eeuw!” A giggle bubbled up. “How about ‘doing the five-knuckle shuffle’?”
“Beatin’ the meat; slammin’ the ham; yankin’ the crank; floggin’ the log; ticklin’ the pickle…”
By now I was giggling helplessly.
“…polishin’ the flagpole; spankin’ the monkey; burpin’ the worm; wrestlin’ with Cyclops; makin’ the bald man cry…”
“Stop, you’re killing me!” Laughing and gasping for air, I toppled over to sprawl on the floor.
“…an’ don’t forget ‘shakin’ hands with your best friend’,” Hellhound finished gravely before his laughte
r joined mine.
At last I managed to stop laughing and dragged myself upright again. “What would I do without you?”
“Hell, darlin’, I dunno. Prob’ly just dry up an’ blow away.”
“I would, and that’s a fact.”
“Well, lucky I’m comin’ up Thursday, then.” He hesitated. “If that’s okay.”
“It’s more than okay.” Reality intruded on my happy glow and I heaved a sigh. “I might have to sneak around to see you, but I’ll see you for sure.”
“Sounds good, darlin’. See ya then. Unless you’re comin’ down here to beat Weasel.”
“I really hope not. The only weasel I want to beat is yours.”
His laughter warmed me. “Darlin’, you’re a silver-tongued charmer. Be safe. Love ya.”
He hung up before I could reciprocate, but I knew he didn’t need to hear me say it.
Smiling, I hauled myself to my feet and replaced the telephone handset in its cradle.
My smile faded as my thoughts returned to the problem at hand. Frowning at the telephone, I considered my new knowledge.
Brock was the only person I knew who fit the description, but I couldn’t believe he’d want to kill me. Well, he might now; but probably not last Thursday. I was pretty sure nothing in our brief exchange four months ago would have inspired him to homicide.
But he’d uttered those threats…
Kane’s warning took on a whole new level of credibility now.
But what motive could Brock have for killing me? Could he be trying to get rid of me so that he and Tammy would be left as Canada’s only option for clandestine decryptions?
My heart clutched. If that was the case, Spider was in danger, too. And Brock had already threatened him twice.
Oh, God. Adrenaline flooded my system, but I fought the need to spring into immediate action.
Calm down and think.
It didn’t make sense for Brock to murder us. There was more than enough work to keep all of us busy for the rest of our lives, and despite Stemp’s threat to replace Brock, we all knew that would be more easily said than done.
I thumped a fist gently and rhythmically into my palm and began to pace.
Could Brock be working for somebody else?
No; it didn’t make sense for somebody else to hire him just to hire an assassin.
Unless…
What if Brock was part of the original group of Fuzzy Bunny’s agents who had infiltrated Sirius Dynamics?
My fist met my palm with a smack, my heart lurching up into my throat. What if he had been feeding Fuzzy Bunny information all along? With his high security clearance, he had access to almost everything. I fled for the bedroom to grab a secured phone.
Halfway down the hall, I slowed to a halt.
No, that didn’t make sense, either.
Brock had been working with Sirius for as long as Spider. If he had been relaying information to Fuzzy Bunny, we never would have been able to catch them by surprise and accomplish all those arrests last winter.
Frowning at the floor, I traced a scratch in the hardwood with my toe. The Department’s security had been overhauled less than a year ago. There was no way a double agent could have slipped through their scrutiny.
But what if Brock was a criminal mastermind? What if he’d been biding his time at Sirius and we’d played into his hands by eliminating Nicholas Parr and all the other big players in Fuzzy Bunny, leaving the organization ripe for a takeover? That was exactly the kind of subversion that would appeal to him. And eliminating Spider and me would cement his position both with Fuzzy Bunny and in Sirius…
I hurried down the hall, only to stop myself again in the bedroom clutching a secured phone.
I couldn’t call Stemp yet. This was nothing more than a tangle of paranoid speculation. And if I made groundless accusations against Brock I’d just look childishly vindictive.
There were lots of skinny bearded guys with facial piercings, and I didn’t even know for sure the guy in question had been negotiating a contract against me. The chances of Weasel pinpointing exactly the right transaction were ridiculously slim. More likely the guy had been trying to buy drugs or something.
I hissed out a breath between my teeth. But what if it was Brock? And what if he sent an assassin after Spider? Spider wouldn’t have a chance…
Panic climbed my throat, but I gulped it down.
Think this through. If he wanted Spider dead, he would have already made an attempt. And anyway…
I drew a deep breath. Brock might be a shithead, but he was a smart shithead or he wouldn’t have been able to worm his way inside the Department’s security. And hiring a guy like Drake Mallard was definitely stupid. It couldn’t be Brock.
It just couldn’t be.
I needed more information. A better description of the guy. Details of the contract he was trying to negotiate, and whether anybody had noticed who he was negotiating with. If I could confirm it was Drake Mallard, at least there was a better chance that I was chasing the right lead. And I needed to narrow down the timeframe. It would be pretty damn embarrassing to accuse Brock only to find he’d been in his office surrounded by witnesses at the time.
But I needed to know more about Brock, too. Where he lived, who he hung out with, what he did in his spare time. I needed to sneak into Sirius’s network to spy on Brock the way he’d been spying on me…
I smacked my fist into my palm again.
But Stemp had forbidden me to go into the network unless it was necessary. If I told him I needed to check up on Brock I’d have to explain why, and that would look like a petty attempt at revenge. And if I wanted to snoop secretly I’d need my network key, which had to be signed in and out of the secured area. So Stemp would find out, and I’d have to explain anyway.
Damn.
I paced some more.
Then I paused, a slow smile spreading across my face. I might not be able to snoop in the network myself, but I knew somebody who could. Now I just needed to contact him without alerting Brock, who was undoubtedly watching my every move with either murderous or malicious intentions.
Pulling out my cell phone, I texted Spider, hoping he’d remember the code we’d used during the Fuzzy Bunny sting. “Mind if I come over for a beer?”
I was rewarded in only a few seconds. “Come on over. See u soon.”
When I pulled up in front of Spider’s small bungalow twenty minutes later, he popped out the front door and hurried down to meet me.
“Is something wrong?” he demanded before I was halfway out of the car.
“No, don’t worry. I just need your help with something,” I reassured him, and his shoulders slumped with relief.
“Come on in, then,” he said. “Linda’s just getting ready to leave for the night shift, so if it’s not urgent maybe we could wait until she leaves…?” He left the question mark hanging in the air, and I nodded.
“That’ll be fine. It’s not urgent, and I’m glad I’ll get a chance to say hi to Linda. I haven’t seen her in ages.”
When we stepped through the front door, Linda was just pulling a jacket over her brightly-patterned nurses’ scrubs.
“Aydan!” She flipped her glossy brunette ponytail free of her collar and greeted me with a hug. “It’s great to see you! How are you?”
“I’m fine, how about you?” I took in her healthy makeup-free glow and sparkling eyes. “You look great!” I nudged Spider with an affectionate elbow. “This long drink of water must be good for you.”
“Thanks!” She beamed up at Spider. “He is.” Her smile faded. “This isn’t a social call, is it?”
“No, I’m afraid not. I’m here to pick Spider’s brains for a work thing. Sorry.”
Worry clouded her face for a moment before she put on a smile and gave Spider a hug. “Well, I hope you figure it out, whatever it is.” She went up on her tiptoes and Spider stooped to meet her in a kiss. “See you tomorrow, Sweetie. Have a good night.”
“You, too,�
� Spider replied, and my heart warmed to see the fond look they exchanged before she went out the door.
As soon as it closed behind her, the smile vanished from Spider’s face. “What do you need, Aydan?” he asked anxiously, then blinked, pink rising in his cheeks. “Oh… um, sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. Did you actually want a beer? We have some left over from our engagement party…” He made a half-hearted move toward the kitchen.
“No, thanks, Spider, I’m driving. I was hoping…” I trailed off, suddenly second-guessing my idea. Would he get into trouble? “Um… what are your rules for accessing the Sirius network from home?” I asked instead.
“I can access it whenever I want. I use extra security if I’m going to access it remotely, that’s all. Why?” His gaze sharpened. “What are you looking for?”
“Um… you’ve got a really high security clearance, right?” I equivocated.
“Yes…” He eyed me with interest. “And…?”
“Would you, um… hypothetically speaking… get in trouble if Stemp found out you had… hypothetically… gone through some personnel files?”
Spider’s uber-hacker alter ego blazed to life in his eyes. “Whose?”
“Brock’s.”
“Oh.” His sparkle dampened and he gave me wry smile. “That’s no fun. I don’t even have to hack those. I’m his team lead, remember? I have full access to all his records.”
“Oh, right.” I drew a breath of relief. “Good. You won’t get in trouble, then.”
Spider grinned. “I guess that would depend on whether I get caught showing them to you. And what you do with the information.” The wicked sparkle came back. “I hope it’s something evil.”
I laughed. “If it is, I won’t tell you until afterward so you can claim innocence.”
“Oh, no, Aydan, I’ll take full responsibility,” he began, but I waved him to silence.
“It’s nothing evil. Yet.” I gave him a brief summation of Weasel’s information and my conjectures. When I finished, he stared at me with a troubled expression.
“It can’t be Brock,” he said slowly. “I mean… that’s my gut feeling, but I’m also pretty confident in the new screening processes we put in place last year. After those slimeballs infiltrated Sirius and attacked you…” His face hardened at the memory. “Stemp and I completely revamped the system. Everybody had to requalify under the new guidelines, even him and me. I really don’t like Brock but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t kill anybody, and I don’t think he’s selling intel, either.”
Spy Away Home (The Never Say Spy Series Book 10) Page 19
