by Maggie Thom
“Excuse me. What are you doing?”
She spun around so quickly, she wished she’d worn runners as her heels slid on the cement floor and she slammed backward into the wall.
“Ouch.”
“Hey, are you all right?”
The young man grabbed her arm keeping her upright. She was about to pull back when she saw the darkening of his pupils. Taking a deep breath, she thought it was okay this one time to use what God had given her. She felt as though she was auditioning for a part in a play, if the nerves in her stomach were anything to go by. Bobbie had always told her as a kid she should use what she’d been given.
“Thank you so much. Do you think there’s somewhere close by where I could sit down? Get out of this noise?”
“Well—”
“Ooooohhhh. It hurts.” She did what she hated; she gave him her best helpless female, imploring expression that seemed to make all men think they could leap tall buildings. When he still hesitated, her lip quivered and she forced tears to rise to the corners of her eyes. She repressed the shudder of revulsion at what she was exploiting.
“Yeah, come on. I’ll take you into the reception area.”
A few minutes later, she found herself precisely where she wanted to be, in the central office reception area. He got her a glass of water from the water dispenser. She bent over and rubbed her ankle as though it was painful.
“I think I might have sprained something. I need to sit for a minute.” She slowly sipped her glass of water. “What’s your name?”
“Cory.”
“Nice to meet you. Have you worked here long?”
“I’m new this summer. I’m still learning my way around. Are you ready to go? I really have to get back to work.”
Tarin stood but instantly sat down. “Do you think I could sit here for a minute? You go and do what you have to do, come back in about ten minutes, I’m sure I’ll be ready by then.”
He hesitated.
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your saving me like that. Usually, I’m not so clumsy.” She eased her shoe off so he could see her passion pink toes. It only took a few more minutes of flirting to cajole him into trusting her. As soon as he was out the door, she kicked off her other shoe and immediately went around the receptionist’s desk and hacked into her computer. There was a lot to read but nothing of use. She logged off and made her way down the hallway situated behind her. Along the wall were several pictures. She glanced at them but didn’t want to get distracted. Another time, she’d study them.
Heading for the office at the end of the hall, she took out her lock picking set and tried to jimmy the lock. It didn’t work. No matter what she did, it wouldn’t open. Frustrated, she tried the other doors. It was only when she reached Oliver Gibner’s door that it opened. Not sure what she had done differently, she realized that she’d obviously missed something in the twenty minutes of YouTube videos she’d watched on lock picking. Bobbie had always been good at it when they were kids, but it wasn’t really a skill she could casually ask Bobbie how to do.
Tempted to go back and try the CEO’s office, she decided she was wasting time and she had better be thankful for opening one. For the hundredth time, she pushed away all the guilt over what she was doing. She kept reminding herself that this was for Chance.
Oliver Gibner, the Shipping and Receiving Manager. A couple of minutes and she was into his computer. Since she didn’t have time to snoop, she downloaded a number of folders onto her USB and logged out. Knowing her time had to be up, she let herself out and was strolling down the hallway when she heard the door open. She scurried to get behind the main desk before sinking to the floor. As soon as she knew she had an audience, she started moaning.
“Oooohhh.”
“Excuse me? Miss? Where are you?”
“Here behind the desk. I was trying to find the bathroom.”
He squatted down beside her, staring at the ankle she was clutching. “Let me see. It doesn’t look swollen.”
“I know. That’s what’s so weird.” She continued to moan.
“Let me carry you.” Before she could respond, he picked her up and carried her out. He stopped long enough for her to grab her shoes and then he proceeded through the building to the front.
Bobbie jumped to her feet. “What happened?”
“Nothing.” She opened her eyes wide hoping her friend would get the message and not make a big deal about it. “But we need to go. I twisted my ankle a bit. Nothing serious.”
“If you’d stop wearing those stupid things.” She nodded at the stilettos dangling from Tarin’s fingers.
“I know. Let’s go.”
After being carefully put into the passenger seat, she put her hand on the young man’s arm. “Thank you.” He turned a light shade of red.
As Bobbie drove away, she said, “He’s kind of young, don’t you think?”
“Funny.”
“So what was that all about?”
Tarin hesitated briefly before saying, “I got lost, ended up somewhere I shouldn’t have been. I’m not like you, I don’t know how to talk my way out of that so―”
“So you played the damsel in distress card.”
“Something like that.”
“If any guy would carry me, I’d play it up, too.”
“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be, believe me.”
The rest of the trip was made in silence. Tarin closed her eyes, glad that Bobbie was driving. The insanity of her actions washed over her. The last time she’d done anything this crazy, she’d been sixteen and she and Bobbie had hacked into the school’s computer to change her mark, which hadn’t ended well for Tarin. Sadly, she realized she’d included Bobbie again, only this time, Bobbie wasn’t even aware of it. In fact, Tarin was sure Bobbie would be shocked if she knew what Tarin had just orchestrated. She couldn’t believe what she’d pulled off. The sick feeling was still present but the excitement of what she’d done was starting to consume her.
“Stop the car, Bobbie.”
She immediately slowed, turning the corner not far from her house before pulling over. “What’s up? You okay? You look almost giddy.” She touched her hand to Tarin’s forehead.
Tarin ducked. “I’m fine. I’m going to walk—”
“What about your ankle?”
“It’s fine. I need a bit of fresh air. I think I’m only a few blocks from home, right?”
Bobbie nodded. Tarin climbed out, closed the door and started walking slowly down the sidewalk, even though the nervous energy bounced around inside her like a young child on a sugar high. Finally, Bobbie pulled away and waved as she passed. As soon as she rounded the corner, Tarin slipped off the heels she’d slipped on while in the car. She did something she’d never done: she ran.
The USB in her pocket sat about as comfortably as a load of bricks, and it felt as though it was radiating heat. It may not have been burning a hole in her pocket but it sure was in her mind. Did it have anything helpful or had all that risk been in vain? Would the guilt prevent her from even going through the information to discover what she’d stolen?
Her stomach felt as if it had dropped past her knees. Her breathing suddenly hitched. She stopped, bending over huffing and puffing liked she’d run a marathon instead of a mere twenty feet.
Her phone chirped a message notification. She pulled it out, warring with herself whether to look. Odds were that it was Stephen venting about what a witch she was—though he’d never called her anything that nice. She’d ignore it if it was from him. When she checked, she realized she’d missed a phone call. Listening to the message, she couldn’t help but smile. She’d done it. She’d gotten the job. Things were going to work out.
A few people turned as she ran by in bare feet, a big grin on her face, stilettos in one hand and her cell phone in the other. It wasn’t until someone honked that she even realized how ridiculous she must look... and how mortified her father would be that the young woman he’d groomed so meti
culously had just thrown her manners out the window. She immediately stopped running but refused to put her shoes back on. And nothing was going to dispel the excitement she was feeling. Everything was going to work out.
Chapter Fifteen
“I offered her the job. Tarin’s starting Monday. Thank God she was free to start so soon. We didn’t have much choice but I still say there’s something. She’s too perfect.”
“Really? I’ve never heard you say that about any woman.”
Graham’s head swiveled around to stare at Bailey, who was entering the office with a big grin on her face. “All right, that’s it. I’m getting you a cowbell.”
“Ah, that’s so sweet.” Bailey patted him on the shoulder as she passed on her way to Guy’s desk, who pulled her into his lap. They both looked at the woman on the computer screen. “Wow, she’s gorgeous. Who is she?”
“Someone who’s causing Graham some grief.”
“That’s not what I said. I said there was something about her—”
“Yeah, she’s absolutely beautiful. I would love to have that long black mane, not to mention those eyelashes, the slender body—”
“She doesn’t have long hair anymore and now it’s blonde—”
“Don’t you dare change anything.” Guy proceeded to kiss Bailey.
Graham, feeling like the outsider, was preparing to leave when they broke apart.
“Sorry bud. Besides the fact she should be a fashion model, what’s really keeping you from wanting to work with her? If all those emails you’ve received are because someone has hacked our system or they’re leading us in a maze that has no ending, we need some help. Especially with the crap that’s now happening at Casp—”
There was silence for a moment before Bailey pushed to her feet and turned to face Guy. “You were about to say Caspian Winery. What’s going on there? And why are you trying to hide it from me? You’ve never hidden anything about your cases before.”
“I’m outta here. Gotta run.”
“Chicken.”
“Yes but a smart one. Bye. See you in the morning.” Graham grabbed his jacket and strode out of the office. He didn’t know what Guy would tell her; she had finally reached the point where she’d stopped seeing Geoff around every corner. It was impossible for him to be back, he hoped, but the possibility that he might be could send Bailey back into her nightmares. He and Guy had to find out who was trying really hard to get their attention.
“Dammit!” He walked out of the building, unsure of his destination. He might as well check an address in one of the latest email requests they’d received. Sometimes it paid to check things out in person. There was too much false data on the internet. On one rushed case they’d worked on for the District Attorney, a suspect had been going on trial and some new information had arisen. They’d gathered their internet research and had almost sent it when Bailey questioned the existence of a location mentioned. She and Guy had driven out there only to find a vacant lot. The lawyers would have appeared incompetent had they used their initial report and in turn, Knights Associates would have lost credibility. The temptation to take shortcuts was getting more difficult to ignore as he didn’t even have the time to get through all the incoming emails, never mind get any investigative work done. That case, though, had been a reminder that they were hired precisely because the work wasn’t easy.
So now they would have some help, but he didn’t feel any more confident about getting on top of everything, and he had serious reservations about letting anyone else see what they did.
Am I being territorial?
Sighing heavily, he didn’t know. It would be great to have another set of eyes, but on the other hand, at what price? An image of Tarin immediately came to mind. His original thought had been how tough it would be to let anyone into their inner circle, but when he couldn’t get past how attractive she was, he wondered what bothered him more. Imagining her doing this job was almost impossible, because she was definitely not his idea of a computer nerd. He couldn’t help but smile as he remembered Bailey telling him the same thing not long after they’d met.
Feeling the exhaustion of the last few months, he climbed into his car. No longer concerned about checking an address, he was ready to head home where he hoped to crash for about twelve hours.
His phone rang. Distracted, he reached for it.
“Hello?”
“Graham. Glad I caught you. I need your help.”
All thoughts flew out of his head at the distinctive voice. “Mrs. Lindell.”
“For goodness sakes, Graham, it’s Dorothea. Do not call me Mrs.; it makes me sound old and I refuse to be that.”
Listening to her spunky and spry voice, no one would ever have guessed she was eighty years old. Still, he felt like a young boy about to get his knuckles rapped if he didn’t sit up straight and pay attention.
“Dorothea.” His mother’s voice played in his subconscious. You never call your elders by their first name and never someone who has the status of this lady. He gulped. “What can I do for you?”
“I find myself in need of a driver. Can you be at the airport at 5:00 p.m. to pick me up?”
“ The Toronto International Airport?”
“Yes. Please be there. Oh and...” She gave him her flight information, where she wanted him to drive her and approximately how long she would need him, before she hung up. All of it left him very confused... and unnerved.
She had a full-time driver, so why wouldn’t she use him? She often liked to drive herself or even get Guy to drive her but she had never asked Graham. So why now? It was true that Guy was busy with his wedding plans, he reasoned, so maybe she didn’t want to distract him from that.
The real question was why did she want him to keep it to himself? And specifically asked that he not tell Guy... or Bailey.
Chapter Sixteen
‘Tarin, it’s time you stop this foolish attitude. There are things I need to discuss with you.’
Her father had called. The one thing she’d been waiting for, for so long. He’d finally bridged the gap between them. Tarin’s body sagged with relief at the sound of his voice. It was over. They could work things out. She hugged her cell phone to her chest and imagined it was her dad giving her a big hug, not that he ever had but it was part of her new dream. Her lips stretched into a natural smile; everything was going to be fine.
Regardless of her heart’s response, her mind wouldn’t allow her to bask in her newfound comfort. Why did he call? What am I missing?
To prove to herself that it was all good, she listened to his message again, only to promptly wish she hadn’t. Though she listened to his words, it was his tone that caught her attention. She immediately became the child that had stolen a flashlight and silently hugged her teddy bear in her closet so her dad wouldn’t discover that she was frightened of the dark and the monsters that came with it. Hopes of ever having a close relationship with him were slipping through her fingers like the misty layers of fog.
Reality was settling in. Instinctively, she reached up to tug on her hair, which reminded her of the shorter style she’d yet to become accustomed to. Cutting her long hair had been a small sacrifice to help camouflage her identity. At least Chance didn’t seem to mind it.
Leaving Chance was harder than she thought. Picking him up, he clung for a few moments big tears filling his eyes. Then the new puppy Bobbie had just gotten, came bounding down the stairs with Kim. Chance wiggled to get down and was soon playing with the dog. It made Tarin happy and sad at the same time.
Knowing Chance was okay made it easier to focus on getting ready for work and out the door on time. Her mind soon shifted to focus on one thing—her father. The weight of her father’s disapproval sat heavily on her shoulders. By the time she’d pulled into her new employer’s parking lot, she still couldn’t shake her thoughts. My father called. What does he really want?
Reminding herself that she needed to get it together to start her new job, she climbed the fli
ght of stairs. Taking a deep breath and pasting on a smile, she entered the office. “Good morning, Graham.”
“Good morning, Tarin.” He smiled and gestured toward the desk she’d used for her interview. “This will be yours. As you can see, this space also serves as kitchen and exercise room. The bathroom’s just down the hall.”
Tarin studied her new workspace. It was a large area with her desk on one side, a counter and fridge in the far corner and a workout machine in the opposite corner near Graham’s office.
“It’s great, thank you.”
“To tell you a bit about us, we have a couple of companies—Knights Computers is downstairs; we fix computers there. This is Knights Associates—”
Graham explained their businesses and explained her responsibilities. Then he gave her access to one of the email accounts he wanted her to monitor. He went on to explain security and how they did things. The technical knowledge she already knew and she found her mind wandering back to the thoughts plaguing her since she’d received her father’s message.
Why did he phone? Why now?
Something didn’t feel right. It wasn’t just that his tone admonished her as though she was a child; it was also the timing. Chance immediately came to mind. Did her father know about him? Every now and then, she wished she could tell Chance he had a grandfather but the fear of giving him hope that he had a sweet old gramps, kept her from saying anything at all.
