Was he protecting himself or someone else? She held her shoulders back and maintained eye contact with Talcott. “I have no desire to speak with the media. I am interested in ensuring Jack’s murderer is caught and will cooperate fully with the authorities, even though my information is limited. The last thing I want to do is impede an investigation or my position here. I hope that’s acceptable to the partners.” Lila kept her expression neutral, but inside she wanted to high five herself.
“Of course. We encourage your full cooperation with the detectives.” He painted on a grin and stood. “I’ll let you get back to work.”
“Thank you.” She turned toward the door.
“Oh, and Ms. Caldwell. If you remember any new details about the incident, I expect to be apprised of the new information.” He rounded the desk. “We want to stay ahead of any new developments.”
She pursed her lips then cleared her throat. “Of course.” Lila exited the office, the raised hairs on the back of her neck sending a warning.
As she hurried down the hall, she spotted Hilary in the distance. With an inward groan, her first inclination was to turn around and take the long way back to her office. Instead, she steeled herself and kept going. Walking the partner floor was like navigating through a minefield.
“Lila, have you seen Steve?” Hilary placed a hand on her hip as if exasperated she had to speak with her.
“No.” Lila hesitated, unsure if she should disclose that she had a meeting with him for which he was now late. Based on his condition last night, she hoped Steve was at home sleeping off his binge.
“I’ve called him twice today and he hasn’t returned my calls.” She blew out a breath. “If you see him tell him I need to speak with him. And inform his assistant that we’re canceling the meeting with Gumfrey this afternoon. We won’t go in unprepared.” She pivoted on her heels, marched into her office, and slammed the door.
Lila trudged downstairs. She stopped at Peggy’s desk to inform her of what happened on the partner floor.
“It’s not like him not to call,” Peggy said.
“I saw him last night. He was pretty broken up about Jack. Maybe he needed a bit more time today.”
Back inside her office, Lila sank into her chair and put Steve out of her mind for the time being. Logging on to her computer, she ran a search for Morris Beak. Garvin said he was Ivan’s accountant. Even though Ivan’s US base was in Colorado, his accountant didn’t have to be in the same location. The search failed to return anything useful. She logged into several national databases searching for an accountant with the name Morris Beak. When nothing came up again, Lila sighed. Although it was possible, maybe even likely Morris Beak would have retired from the profession, she still expected to see a crumb of his existence online. The fact she didn’t find any information made her believe Morris Beak did indeed belong to The Order.
Lila moved on to Willa Dickerson. She found one article containing her name. Willa was one of three authors of a scientific article about the value of touch in helping children in pain from illness or undergoing medical treatments. Authored by three nurses, the article was published almost thirty years ago. She researched the other two authors and found loads of information.
The first woman died six years ago. The second author, Norma Voss appeared to be the director of nursing at a small hospital in southern Arizona. Lila swung her gaze toward the clock. At one thirty Arizona time, Lila gambled Ms. Barnes would still be at work.
Lila fished her secured phone from her bag and made the call. After waiting on hold for a few minutes, Lila introduced herself. She informed the woman that Ms. Dickerson was her grandmother’s friend and the two women had lost touch. “I promised my grandmother I’d find her friend, and I know I’m grasping at straws, but when I saw the article, I thought you might know of her current location.”
“How nice of you. It’s been years since I’ve talked to Willa.” Norma’s voice filled her ears with a gentle, soothing quality.
“Anything you can recall would be helpful.” A surge of guilt powered through her for the lie, but life-and-death matters trumped honesty.
“Willa, Ruth, and I went to nursing school together at Johns Hopkins in Maryland. Ruth has since passed on. Poor thing. I’m about to retire, and as you can guess, I’m way overdue,” she chuckled. “But about Willa… She married Edgar Dickerson after nursing school. We all got jobs at a DC hospital. I don’t know much about him, but Willa was head over heels. Two years later, I got married, too, and we moved to Arizona. I learned later that Willa was leaving the hospital and following her husband to Virginia I believe. She was going to work for a family as a private nurse.”
Lila jotted down the information. “Do you remember the name of the family?”
“No, I’m sorry I don’t. I’m certain they were well off because she told me she and Edgar had their own cottage on the property.”
Lila’s skin prickled. There were cottages for Order members on the grounds of Babylon Hall, the Sinclair’s original headquarters in Virginia. “Interesting. Is there anything else you remember?”
“Willa and Edgar had a daughter. She’s also a nurse. I ran into her at a conference last years. She said her father had passed on and her mother had moved out of Virginia.”
“Did she say where Willa moved?” Lila held her breath.
“Let’s see. I believe she told me Willa moved to Texas, maybe it was Dallas. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. If you find Willa please let her know I’d like to chat.” Norma said.
As Lila released a breath her pulse kicked up. Dallas? “I will. You’ve been a wealth of information.” Lila thanked Norma and hung up. She tapped her pen on the notebook. Funny how people connected with The Order had ended up near Dallas. It couldn’t be a coincidence.
She called Reid and relayed the information. He’d already started researching Willa Dickerson and Morris Beak but hadn’t gotten far.
After hanging up, Lila called Peggy. “Did you find Steve?”
“Not exactly. I called security, and they told me Steve’s car is still in the garage. They show he swiped into the building but never out. I’m getting worried.”
Lila stood as she remembered a recent conversation with Steve. “I’ll get back to you in a few minutes.” She hung up raced out of her office toward the library. Zigzagging through the stacks of law books she stopped in front of the file room door. After punching in her code, she stepped inside.
“Brandon?”
He spun around, his face red. Brandon’s tie hung askew, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbow.
Lila’s gaze shifted to the pair of feet sticking out from the shelves. She advanced farther into the room and stopped again.
“I found him. Like this.” With an unnaturally high pitch to his voice, Brandon scurried away from the body.
Lila stared at the dead body of Steve Dorman. Gel-like blood saturated his white shirt, riddled with angled slashes. She couldn’t discern the number of stab wounds but judging from the amount of slashes in his shirt, someone had been intent on causing maximum damage.
She stumbled backward, unable to emit a scream. Death seemed a daily companion.
“He’s dead.” Brandon shook his head and ran out of the room.
Lila stared at Steve. What were you trying to tell me?
“What do we have here?”
Lila whipped around. Then the lights went out.
Chapter 27
Cody slapped on his helmet, slammed down on the clutch, and rocketed out of the farmhouse garage. Images of the politician gripping his heart paraded through his memory. The day had gone into the crapper, the only saving grace had been when Rick let up and the senator remained alive. The question of whether they’d hurt Lila required no further thought. He’d updated the Alliance on what happened, then escaped the house. The motorcycle hummed under his legs and the wind whacked against his darkened face shield.
The rural area gave him the needed space to open
up on the empty road. He needed to be as far away as he could from Veridian and people. For several minutes, he and the bike were one, hugging the road and cutting through the atmosphere. The adrenaline surge satisfied a need to push boundaries. Cody recalled his first skydiving jump. He’d peered from the open door of the plane, then jumped. The thrill of diving from the plane to the thud of landing on earth, the experience filled him with an unmet need. As he slowed the bike, he made a mental note that he needed to search for a new skydiving club.
As he drove along, he compared the Texas scenery to what he’d become accustomed to in San Francisco. Hills, palm trees, fog, and close living. Although he missed life in California, he could get used to sprawling space, southern hospitality, and a lower cost of living. He could also get used to being with Lila. The kissed they shared had been seared into his soul. But what now?
Pulling over to the side of the road, he drew out his portable telescope and surveyed the Texas night sky. He spotted the constellation Cassiopeia within seconds. The colorful cluster, over nineteen light years away, gave him perspective. Everything seemed less important when he lost himself in the heavens. Everything but Lila. Only she could match and surpass the awesomeness of celestial bodies.
After a few minutes, he stuffed the telescope into his backpack. As he hopped back on his motorcycle, he stilled when his secured phone rang.
“Cody, can you pick me up from the police station?” Lila’s panicked voice perked up his adrenaline. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ll tell you later, but I just need…” She paused. “Please come.”
“I’ll be there right there.” Cody shoved the phone inside his pocket and sped out.
Breaking the speed limit, Cody shaved ten minutes off the thirty-minute trip. He pulled up to the police station and spotted Lila talking with some guy. Still dressed in what she wore to the funeral, black pants, white shirt, and black pumps, she adjusted the large bag hanging from her shoulder. She nodded then the guy hugged her. Something close to jealousy coursed through him as he gripped the handlebars of his bike. The man trudged off toward the parking lot and Lila glanced around. Cody waved her over.
She slowed as she approached him. “You finally got your motorcycle.”
He swung a leg over and hopped off, holding his helmet under his arm. “I was out riding when you called. I didn’t want to make you wait until I went back for the car.” He stepped closer. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Can we get out of here?”
He detached the second helmet and handed it to her.
Lila slid her bag across her body and put on the silver helmet. “Let’s go.”
Cody kept the bike moving at a respectable speed. He loved the feel of Lila’s arms wrapped around his body. Her touch made him warm and spurred the desire to protect her from the world. A few days ago, he’d jumped into the lake to pull her from a sinking car, today he had no doubt he’d step in front of a bullet.
With her legs hugging him and her arms around his waist, Cody appreciated each second. She directed him to a country bar twenty miles from her house. As he took a curve, he felt her body stiffen and grip tighten. Once he was on the straightaway, he felt her grasp loosened. When he parked the bike, she jumped off and handed him the helmet.
Cody took her hand and led her toward the bar’s entrance. A large gray cowboy boot flanked the front door offering no doubt about establishment’s theme.
Crossing the threshold, he noted the interior of the bar resembled a log cabin with western wall hangings and a collection of cowboy hats and boots attached to the walls. Members of a band scurried about setting up in a corner while music blared from the overhead speakers. Televisions were mounted at each booth and throughout the bar. They were all muted and tuned to sports or national news stations.
“Your father owns a bar and grill, right?” Cody said as they slid into the booth.
“Yes, but I didn’t want to run into anyone I knew. I’ve noticed this place, and they are always crowded so I figured no one would bother us.” She fumbled with a napkin.
They ordered beer and when the waiter retreated Cody turned to Lila. “Why did I pick you up at the police station?” A modicum of relief shot through him that Lila was able to leave the police station. The grim look on her face told him the reason she’d been there was another devastating blow.
Lila twisted the paper napkin. “Steve Dorman. I introduced you to him at the Veridian benefit.”
Cody nodded.
“He was murdered today. Inside the firm’s file room. I got there minutes after his body was discovered. I was at the police station to give a statement.” She abandoned the napkin and massaged the bridge of her nose.
Cody scooted up on the bench and leaned over the table. His heart raced as his jaw tightened. “Did you see who killed him?”
“No. From the looks of things, he’d been stabbed hours before he was found. Steve’s assistant and I couldn’t find him. When we determined he was still in the building, I had a hunch he’d holed up in the file room. I walked in and found Brandon standing over Steve.”
“What do you know about Brandon?”
Lila shrugged. “He’s kind of annoying, although I might be alone in that assessment. But he’s a good guy, I think. Nothing came up on his background check. He was rattled when he found Steve.” She traced a circle on the table with her finger. “Walt Talcott came into the file room after Brandon ran out. He didn’t seem all that concerned about Steve. Then the lights went out and I almost died but I remembered the room is set to go dark if no movement is sensed.”
“Based on Steve’s interaction with you last night, we can assume he knew about the files.”
“He knew he was in danger. But from who?” She expelled a sigh then quieted as the waiter deposited their beers then rushed to another table across the room.
“If they are killing people with knowledge of those incriminating files, then, Lila, you are in extreme danger.” Cody glanced around the bar. He could find something suspicious about everyone. “The police probably haven’t gotten far enough into the investigation to have a definite suspect.” Cody tamped down his desire to jump over the table and take her in his arms.
She wrapped both hands around the mug. “One of the detectives commented that people around me have been dying. I called Reid and Adam. They are huddling with their boss, who may have to run interference and let the local authorities in on my connection to Lance.”
“Risky call. We don’t know if The Order has corrupted any of the higher-ups on the force. Doesn’t end there.” Cody leaned forward and lowered his voice. He told her about his latest test case. “Rick, my boss, came close to killing Senator Reynolds today by hacking his pacemaker. It’s all supposed to be done in the name of testing Veridian’s security. You know by pressing our system we can prevent the bad guys from doing harm but today involved hacking into the guy’s pacemaker. Rick caused the pacemaker to fire. We watched the man on the monitor clutch his chest.”
Lila’s eyes widened. “What happened to the senator?”
“Rick finally let up and his heart returned to normal. I told everyone in the Alliance before I left for my motorcycle ride earlier. We have to stop this.”
“How long has this project team been around?” Lila asked.
Cody sipped his beer. “About a year. Intel is hard to come by but I’m positive this wasn’t the first time someone almost got killed. In fact, I’m betting someone already has. I intend to find out who’s sanctioning this. The DDI team has extremely high security clearances, giving us access to the company’s most sensitive information. Maybe I can find out more about what’s going on.”
“Won’t snooping around send out red flags?”
He met Lila’s concerned gaze. “I’m not going to do anything until I have vetted a way in and out.” Cody shifted in his seat. “It’s time to see who’s playing for which team.”
“You’re talking about hacking into police servers?” Lila whispered.
“Maybe. I might be able to hack into Skies International, any accounts Lance might have, and the accounts of those in his inner circle.”
Lila waited for a couple to pass their table before she spoke. “Can you do that without being detected?”
“Yes.” Cody stopped talking as the waiter approached. He ordered pretzels just to keep the waiter busy. After the waiter left the table, Cody rubbed the stubble on his chin. “I’m not going to sit around and wait for one of Lance’s men to grab you or worse. I spoke to the Alliance members last night. They are on board with my plan.”
Lila shook her head. “I don’t want you to become a target either.”
“I’m already a target. We all are. But I promise I won’t do anything until I have a clear plan.” Cody leaned back as the waiter placed a bowl of pretzels on the table. When they were alone again, he said, “I’ve been asking myself, why Veridian chose you to threaten me with. Did they see us together at the charity event and figured we were…involved? Or do they know something deeper? Doesn’t it seem too much of a coincidence that we’ve both landed in the world of Veridian Technologies?”
Several couples headed to the small dance floor as a slow country tune wafted throughout the restaurant. The band checked their set up and appeared ready for their gig.
“Reid and Adam taught me not to believe in coincidences, especially where the Sinclairs are involved.” Lila ran a finger along the rim of her mug. “I guess I have reason to doubt most people.”
Cody cringed inside. Did that include him? Of course, she doubted everything when it came to their nonexistent relationship. They hadn’t discussed the past, yet they shared such a deep intimate kiss. She’d responded to the kiss so could he assume they still had a connection? He reminded himself to focus on their current life–and-death situation. Feelings would have to wait.
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