by Karen Legasy
“Abigail Taylor. Wow. I still find it hard to believe. You’re not shitting me, are you?”
“What is it about trusting me?” Marlee dropped her arms. “It’s been so hard to get Abigail to have faith in me and she still seems doubtful at times. Am I too quick to trust others or what?”
“You can’t blame me for being a bit skeptical.” Tyler stood up and headed to the door. “I think I need to take a nap and process all of this.”
Marlee yanked his arm and looked into his eyes. “If this is going to work, we have to believe in each other. You’ll work with us, won’t you?”
“I guess. What’s next?”
“Abigail wants to meet you. She’s dropping by later this evening and we can talk more about your role.”
“She’s coming here?” His eyes bulged again. “Why wouldn’t you be meeting at some fancy hotel or at her mansion in Darling Point?”
“You know where she lives?”
“Not exactly, but I’m sure it’s somewhere around there. Her house is worth millions and has an impressive swimming pool with an Olympic length lane. I remember reading about it.”
“She hasn’t told me anything about her home, but I’ve been back on her boat.”
“You have?” Tyler’s jaw dropped. “Like when has she had time to go sailing?”
“It wasn’t really a day of sailing. We discussed the case and key employees at her company, but so far we don’t have any leads. Abigail and I aren’t very adept at computer systems and need to do surveillance on the company network without anyone knowing. That’s where your skills will be useful.”
“I need to lay down.” Tyler opened the door. “Message me when she gets here and I’ll pop back.”
Marlee closed her door and let out a sigh of relief. She sent a text to Abigail letting her know Tyler was on board, made herself a coffee, and then flopped on the couch with her computer. She spent the next few hours surfing websites on genetics, and real estate in Darling Point.
Chapter Fourteen
A key clicked in the door just as Marlee sent the last of her emails to family and friends in Canada. Abigail let herself in and smiled a heart-warming greeting.
“Hey.” Marlee’s stomach twirled with excitement at seeing Abigail, and the fact she used the key to let herself in. “How was your day?”
“It’s much better now.” Abigail kicked off her sandals and joined Marlee on the couch. “I’m anxious to hear about your conversation with Tyler.”
“It went well, but at first he didn’t believe me when I told him I’m working with you.”
“I suppose it would seem strange. Can he meet with us tonight?”
“Yes. I’ll let him know you’re here.” Marlee messaged him. “Can I get you something to drink?
“A glass of water would be nice, thanks.”
Tyler was at her door before Marlee had a chance to get the water. He’d dressed up for the occasion, wearing beige cotton pants and a light blue button-down shirt.
“You forgot to put on a tie.” Marlee whispered and winked as she let him in.
Abigail stood up and offered a hand. “Hello, Tyler. I’m Abigail Taylor. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Dr. Taylor.” Tyler grinned and shook her hand.
“Please, call me Abigail. And the honor is mine. I hear you’re somewhat of an expert on computer systems and might be able to help us.”
“I hope so.” Tyler jiggled keys in his pocket.
“Marlee told me you hacked into my company’s internal network. I’d like to see how you did that.”
“Sure, but I didn’t bring my computer. I’ll be right back.” He turned to leave.
“You can use mine.” Marlee opened her browser and pulled out a chair at the dining table before assuming her position on the couch beside Abigail. “Show us what you can do.”
Tyler sat down and began to type. “It’ll take me a few minutes.”
“Take as long as you need,” Abigail said. “In the meantime, I’ll get myself a glass of water.”
“Oh shoot, I’m sorry. I forgot.” Marlee jumped up. “Tyler, can I get something for you?”
He barely shook his head, absorbed in his task.
“I’ve been getting offers from people all over the world to help preserve the integrity of my research.” Abigail leaned against the kitchen sink and sipped her water. “It’s nice to know there are people who believe in my work and are cheering for me.”
“I think you have a lot of fans.” Marlee stood beside Abigail, her voice low so as not to disturb Tyler. “Your clinical trials are giving hope to terminal cancer patients. I’ve read some of the online comments about your studies and feel so privileged to be working with you. We’ll be the perfect trio.”
Abigail smiled. “Now that we’ve included Tyler, I’ve been thinking about things and want to bring Hannah into this as well. What do you think?”
Marlee stiffened. “Are you sure? I thought you didn’t want to involve anyone from your company?”
“Hannah’s been a big help and I can’t fathom leaving her out now. Four will be better than three and it’ll make us an even team.”
“Who’s Hannah?” Tyler stopped typing and looked up.
“You haven’t heard of Hannah?” Abigail returned to the couch. “She’s been working close to me for years now. Some of my most important research projects have been facilitated by her and we’ve jointly published many papers.”
“I vaguely remember the tabloids mentioning her.” Tyler looked at Marlee. “Have you met Hannah?”
“No, not yet.” Marlee didn’t want to meet her either. She preferred being the only other woman on this team.
“Are you into my network yet?” Abigail leaned toward the computer.
“Yes.” Tyler picked up the laptop to show her. “I assume these internal files on employee data aren’t meant for public consumption.”
“How did you do that?” Abigail jumped to her feet. “This is outrageous. I pay a ridiculous amount of money to people who are supposed to be the best in network security and you hack into my system in less than fifteen minutes?”
“It actually took me quite a few hours the other night,” Tyler said. “Sorry, but it’s the way it is.”
“You don’t need to apologize, and thank you for bringing this to my attention. I’m going to dismiss the whole lot of them tomorrow.”
“You can’t fire them,” Marlee said. “Not yet, anyway. This could be our first big lead where we can monitor network activities. You can do that, can’t you Tyler?”
“I should be able to,” Tyler said. “I’d need to set up a tracking device through injecting a virus into your system.” He looked at Abigail. “I could send it to you in an email attachment and you’d need to open up the file for activation.”
“Won’t her IT security team be able to see it?” Marlee asked.
“Not if I create a spam email that makes its way to Abigail’s account,” Tyler said. “I can set something up to make it look like a legitimate marketing email on investing or something like that.”
“Do whatever you have to do and I’ll open it,” Abigail said. “Those bloody bastards aren’t going to get away with this.”
“Tyler should examine the file of personal emails you gave me,” Marlee said.
“Having access to personal email addresses would be helpful,” Tyler said. “I could hack into employee bank accounts to see if anyone has been making large deposits.”
“No.” Abigail swung around to face Tyler, her eyes stern. “I’ll let you have whatever access you need to my network, but there is to be no illegal hacking into the personal bank accounts of my employees. Is that clear?”
“Yes,” Tyler said.
Over the next hour they examined internal files on the AbTay Biosystems server. Abigail shook her head and snapped her tongue while Tyler opened up secret documents and accessed company data that was supposed to be secure.
“Now
that we’ve established Tyler can hack into your network,” Marlee said, “we need to set up a protocol for documenting anomalies. The notes we make could be useful as admissible evidence in court when prosecutions begin.”
“You’re optimistic,” Tyler said. “Just because I’m able to prowl around the system doesn’t mean we’re going to solve this.”
“True,” Marlee said, “but this is a big break for us. I’m sure it’ll provide more leads.”
“How?” Abigail asked. “I’ve been searching our network for weeks and haven’t spotted anything out of the ordinary.”
“Hacking into the supposedly secure system of your company is unusual and should be thought of as a lead. It opens up the possibility that maybe this isn’t being done from the inside after all.”
“Hmmm.” Abigail hesitated. “I’d certainly like to believe that because I can’t imagine anyone within the company doing something so atrociously disloyal.”
“It’s getting late.” Tyler yawned and fondled his ribs. “I’ll have to call it a night. I’ve cut back on the painkillers, but I need one now.”
“What happened?” Abigail asked. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were injured or I never would have agreed to asking you to do this.”
“I’m okay to work with you,” Tyler said. “Really. It’s a long story. I have a few broken ribs. I’m off work for now so I’d be playing on my computer anyway to pass the time. I need to do something or I’d go crazy.”
“You mean I’d go crazy,” Marlee said. “Just this morning he came to my door complaining he was bored.”
“It was more like this afternoon,” Tyler said, “and someone had just gotten up.”
Abigail followed Tyler to the door. “It was very nice meeting you Tyler, and I’m sorry to hear about your injury. I really appreciate you wanting to help, especially with broken ribs. Thank you.” They shook hands.
“It’s my pleasure.”
“See you.” Marlee closed her door and turned to Abigail. “I’m not sure about involving Hannah in this. Why don’t we wait and see what Tyler comes up with after a few days investigating your internal network?”
“What are you worried about?” Abigail slipped on her sandals and got her purse. “It’s hard not to have her involved because we work so closely together. Besides, I think it’ll be good for the two of you to meet. She’s single right now and has a weakness for attractive women. She’ll be a good diversion.”
“Excuse me?” Marlee stepped back, anger rising. “You’re throwing me a bone? You think I’m that shallow?”
“Of course not,” Abigail said. “I’m sorry if I insulted you.” She paused then mumbled. “Maybe I’m the one who needs a diversion.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. I have to go.” She gave Marlee a quick hug and was out the door before anything more could be said.
Chapter Fifteen
Marlee endured a long night fighting with her sheets and her emotions over Abigail’s parting words. As daylight crept into her room, she gave up trying to sleep, dressed in jogging gear, and headed out for a run while most were still in bed.
Quiet streets and ocean air beckoned her toward the loudening roar of water slapping against shore. That she’d been insulted the night before was an understatement. Her heart sputtered over Abigail’s comments about having Hannah as a diversion. The faster she ran, the more certain she became they needed to talk—in private, without Tyler and especially not Hannah. That was going to be a challenge because their exclusive meetings could be rare, if not over, now that Tyler was involved.
By the time she’d raced along the beach and back through the streets, Marlee had resolved to confront Abigail about her remarks. The way she’d slipped out without explaining was unacceptable. If there was one thing Marlee had learned over the years, it was that she was a pretty good judge of mutual attraction. The way Abigail looked at her with glistening eyes, touched her so gently, gave glowing smiles, and kept coming back with an urgency to talk were all the usual clues. As Marlee got home and stepped into her shower, she was determined to broach the subject again with Abigail before Hannah was thrust into the mix.
After dressing, Marlee opened her computer and noticed she’d just missed a call from her brother. She took five minutes to make herself a coffee then tried to connect with him.
“G’day stranger.” Gabriel’s smile lit up her screen. “I’d just about given up on talking to you tonight because it’s past my bedtime.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.” Marlee bit into her toast, Abigail still on her mind. “It’s good to see you. How are things?”
“Busy, but great. Between gymnastics and dance, our van is always on the go. How are things down under?”
“Fine, just like the weather here. I could get used to this life.”
“Don’t get too relaxed, because you’ll be coming back soon enough,” he said. “We all miss you, especially the girls who are anxious for another sleepover. Stephanie and I can’t wait too.”
The harsh reality of her limited time in Australia suddenly struck Marlee. “I miss you guys, but I’m really going to miss it here. I’m trying to make my time last as long as possible.”
“Have you met someone?” Gabe knew her so well.
“Sort of.” Marlee smiled as she imagined another cherry-flavored kiss.
“You’re scaring me.” His forehead wrinkled. “I hope you’re not thinking about staying for some woman.”
“She’s not just some woman. She’s interesting, smart, and I’ve never met anyone like her before.”
“What’s her name?” Gabriel yawned.
“It doesn’t matter because it’s not going to go anywhere.” Marlee stared into creamed coffee brimming her mug. “I should let you get to bed. Say hi to everyone for me.”
“Take care of yourself and keep in touch. See you.”
Morning drifted into afternoon. It was almost two o’clock when Marlee approached Tyler’s door. They’d messaged each other a few times to check in, but had kept mainly to themselves until Marlee couldn’t handle the restlessness anymore. Her mind anguished over aching for Abigail and the need to return to her job in Canada. She resigned to live for the moment.
“I can’t believe we’re working with Abigail Taylor.” Tyler sat at his computer, a glass of water and half-eaten Vegemite sandwich beside him. “No screwing around with her, that’s for sure, unless it’s you.”
“I wish.”
“I thought she was going to bite my head off when I suggested checking out bank accounts.”
“Can you blame her? She’s under a lot of stress and doesn’t want to add breaking the law to her problems.”
“She’s really getting to you, isn’t she?” Tyler swung around. “I saw the way you looked at her with your big lusty eyes. I bet you had to change your knickers after she left.”
“Stop it.” Marlee crossed her arms and dropped on the sofa. “It’s hard enough to cope with my attraction as it is. I don’t need you teasing me about it.”
“I’d be willing to bet you weren’t the only one who had to change your undies last night.” Tyler snickered as he turned back to his computer.
“What do you mean by that?” Marlee jumped up and hovered over his shoulder. “What did you notice?”
“Couldn’t you see the way she was looking at you?” Tyler tapped a few keys. “Her eyes kept moving from your breasts to your lips and her face lit up every time you got near.”
“I didn’t notice. What else did you see?”
“How jealous you looked when she talked about including Hannah.”
“I wasn’t jealous.”
“You had me fooled.”
“I don’t like the idea of involving Hannah because, for all we know, she could be the one trying to frame Abigail.”
“I looked her up and they could be sisters,” Tyler said. “The fact they each have a long blond ponytail sure makes them look similar, and they’re bo
th very attractive. Maybe you could get lucky with Hannah instead. It sounds like she’s bi.”
“I’m not interested in getting lucky with the bitch.”
Tyler laughed. “You’re sounding jealous now. This could be fun to watch.”
“The only gawking you should be doing is on the company network. I’ll see you later.” She slammed the door and left, more determined than ever to risk another kiss that evening until Abigail texted to say she’d be dropping by later with Hannah.
Hannah had a private Facebook page and Marlee wanted in, but there was no way in hell she’d send a friend request. She finally broke down and begged Tyler to help her access the page that could provide a lead. It turned out the site hadn’t been updated in over a year.
The information on Hannah was scant, with mostly shared sites or videos related to her research, but Marlee didn’t like that she’d used an image of Abigail’s boat for a cover photo as though it were hers.
Hannah did look a lot like Abigail, could have been a younger sister, and was gorgeous, but her pictures did nothing for Marlee. She ate a quiet dinner of shrimp and rice then arranged her sitting room in preparation for an extra person.
When the knock finally came, she put on her best smile and pulled open the door. Abigail was by herself.
“Hi.” Marlee’s heart fluttered at Abigail’s sexy smile and the fact that she was alone. “I thought you were bringing Hannah.”
“She couldn’t make it tonight.” Abigail put a container of fruit salad on the table. “I’m starving and haven’t had a minute to eat yet. I hope you don’t mind that I brought my food.”
“Not at all.” Marlee almost skipped to the kitchen. “Let me get you a proper bowl.”
“That would be nice.” Abigail brushed against Marlee as she washed her hands at the kitchen sink.
“We need to talk.” Marlee set the dish and fork on the table. “I’ve been thinking about things all day and…” A knock sounded at the door.
“It’s Tyler. I’ll let him in.”
They spent the next hour discussing email traffic and employee connections at AbTay Biosystems. Tyler had tracked thousands of messages and hadn’t been able to find a single abnormality in anyone’s mailbox.