by Elaine Meece
Rather than return to Brice’s condo, Annie drove home. Whoever had thrown the brick through her window probably wouldn’t return tonight.
She entered her house and stopped. Her stomach dropped, and her heart accelerated. “What the hell?”
Her house had been ransacked. Someone must’ve been watching when she’d left with Brice. The smart thing to do would be call the police, but she’d already called them several times. They hadn’t been able to help.
Annie pulled her .22 from her purse and walked through the house, stepping over things thrown in the floor. No one was there. She eyed each area carefully checking for anything missing. Her computers and televisions were all there. Then what had they been looking for?
Annie hated to call the police back, but she did. After checking her house thoroughly inside and out, they left. They promised to patrol the area through the night.
Around two in the morning, she finally locked her bedroom door, pushed a dresser in front of it, and climbed in bed.
Sleep evaded her. Not from the brick being thrown through the window or the house being trashed, No, it was because she’d fallen in love with a man who had no intentions of falling in love with her.
The next morning, she received a call from Dwayne.
“You’re needed around eleven. Mrs. Conners called last night and said they’ll be flying to Utah.”
“Overnight?”
“I don’t think so. She plans to make it back.”
Annie nodded. At least this way, she couldn’t be tempted to fly to Phoenix. “I’ll be there.”
♦♦♦
Megan and Connie worked alone in the kitchen. Everyone else had gone to bed. Dan was with Ruth. The other wives and kids were asleep.
“Libby and I want to leave with you. Is that possible?”
“Yes, I’m sure the driver will be more than glad to take you too.”
“Who is this person?”
“I’m not sure. At the store, I told the woman who approached me earlier that I was ready.”
“When do we leave?”
Connie wiped her wet hands on her apron. “The twelfth. Around midnight. We can leave together.”
“I’ll have to get Libby out of Hawkins’ house.”
“Okay, then I’ll wait at the north end of the cornfield. It’s the only way to go from one side of the farm to the other without being seen. We have to be on the road. If we’re not there, the driver will keep going.”
Megan hugged her. “Thanks for letting us go with you.”
That night in her room, Megan had mixed feelings about Connie’s plan. Who were these people? Could they be trusted?
♦♦♦
Wednesday morning, Brice entered Cynthia’s office. “I’m turning my phone over to you. You can have the IT department check it to prove I’m not communicating with Kayla Miller.” He held out his phone. “Here’s the text I sent Shea and her response. It has the date and time on it.”
“Put your phone away,” Cynthia said. “Take a seat.”
“Are you firing me? Is that what this is about?”
“I believe you. You’re not in trouble.”
“But what about last night? Hell, Kayla was sitting across from me drinking a latte and eating cake.”
“The email I received was a little contrite. We were both set up. On top of that, you had a bouquet of flowers on the seat beside you. You didn’t give them to Kayla, so it meant you bought them with someone else in mind. I figure you thought Shea was coming.”
“I did. But she didn’t know anything about it. So, why’d you want me here so early?”
“We flying to Utah.” She studied him for a moment. “How’s the plan Annie and you concocted coming along?”
“It’s working great with Evan.” He told her about the copilot calling Annie. But as he talked about it, he suddenly felt anxious like he was about to have an anxiety attack. “There’s something else you should know.” He told her about the brick thrown through Annie’s window. “This is the third time something has happened.”
“Adding the Bible verse only makes it creepier.” She leaned back in her chair. “How did you know about it?”
“I was at her house when it happened.”
“So, were you there when Evan called?”
He nodded. “But he has no idea she was at my condo.”
Cynthia appeared confused. “I thought you said you were at her place.”
He explained about inviting her to stay in the boys’ room.
“But then she left and went to Evan’s house, right?”
“Right.” Though he pretended to be happy for Annie, he wasn’t. A hard knot formed in the pit of his stomach each time he thought about Annie spending the night with Evan. But by next week, he could be back at home with Shea and his sons.
“I didn’t pack anything,” he said.
“We’re doing a turnaround. We might not get back in until the early morning hours. Gina and Mallory have a dance recital I have to be back for, but I have to get this MX7 issue resolved.”
“Why not call or skype him?”
“If your phone is being hacked, there’s a good possibility mine is as well. I’d rather discuss this with Mr. Langston in person. He’s their new CEO.”
On the flight to Utah, Mark and Keith flew them. Tristen had the job of hauling the girls to their dress dance rehearsal and took the day off. Evan had requested some time off as well.
Brice debated whether to ask Annie how her night with Evan had gone. But the thought of them together left him hollow. With Cynthia beside him, he decided not to bring it up.
Annie worked in her space behind the cockpit, making coffee. Judging by her expression, she didn’t appear like a girl who’d just fallen back into the arms of her lover. Maybe, things hadn’t gone well.
The thought pleased him. No, more like thrilled him.
By three that afternoon, Brice and Cynthia met with Langston at Komar Industries and discussed the problems with MX7. He wondered if Cynthia would ever let go of the apron strings and trust him to run Zurtel. They met in an enormous conference room. Many of their supervisors and engineers joined them to discuss the issue.
“We have stopped all production and testing of products constructed from MX7. Our profit margin and stock have dropped. If we don’t get this resolved soon, we could lose billions.”
Mr. Langston guaranteed it wasn’t from any contaminate in the production of the material.
Brice decided to dive into the discussion. “Could the formula have been altered?”
Cynthia nodded. “That’s a possibility. But how could that have happened?”
Mr. Langston frowned. “It couldn’t.”
“Unless someone hacked into your system and changed it,” Brice said. “Zurtel has been hacked several times recently.”
“We have one of the best firewalls in the country,” Langston argued.
The group of employees nodded in agreement. Several made comments supporting him.
“Is there a way to pull up the formula?” Cynthia asked.
“Yes, we can do that.”
They followed the head engineer and several technicians to the main computer on the production floor that housed thousands of various product formulas.
They pulled up MX7 and showed it to Cynthia. She studied it carefully. “The ratio of microlattice to synthetic web isn’t right. Everything else is correct.” She wrote the formula down and handed it to the engineer and CEO. “Compare them.”
After only moments, the engineer nodded. “She’s right. They’re slightly different.”
“Only slightly,” Cynthia said. “Find out when the formula was altered. I want an answer, and I want it now.”
Mr. Langston scowled at his employees. “Call the IT department. Let them know our system has been compromised. Shut down all production of MX7 immediately.” He turned to Cynthia. “If our IT team finds we’ve been hacked, Komar will accept responsibility and will try to make financial r
etribution to Zurtel.”
Cynthia stood. “I’m almost certain I know who is behind this. If we can prove it, they will be responsible not Komar.”
“We’ll assist in any way we can,” Langston said.
“Since this involves corporate espionage that puts people’s lives at risk, it should be handled by the FBI,” Brice suggested. “They’ll stand a better chance of tracing it back to the guilty party,” Cynthia added.
♦♦♦
Annie had everything on the jet ready for their return. She glanced at her watch and wondered what was taking so long. She hadn’t expected their meeting at Komar to last more than two hours. It had been four. They wouldn’t arrive in Atlanta until the early morning hours.
While waiting for them to return, she shopped online. Her phone played its familiar tune. “Detective Tabor, have you learned anything?”
“The brick didn’t have any prints on it, and Ronnie Mason has a solid alibi.”
“I can’t see him as the wrath of God type.”
“While I’ve got you on the phone, let me ask you a couple of questions,” the detective said.
“About last night?”
“No, about Mrs. Conners. Were you aware of any conflicts between her and Mr. Garner?”
“No, but I’m not familiar with the board members. Trust me, she’s not the type to murder someone.”
“Really? She didn’t have a problem killing Randall Miller.”
“That was ruled as self-defense. He pulled a gun on her.”
“Well, that’s how it looked.”
She didn’t like what he was insinuating. “If you need information on Mrs. Conners, you need to ask her. So, if you don’t have any more on my case, this call is over.”
“Hold up. I want you to look through your house again. There’s something specific they were after. Something you might not miss right off. They don’t sound motivated by monetary gain.”
“I will,” she agreed before ending the call. Annie considered Ronnie again. He was ten cards short of a full deck. She couldn’t see him being brainy enough to remove the prints. She ruled him out. That took her back to square one.
She mused over the Bible verses that were listed on the brick. Suddenly, the light came on in her head. The commune.
Dan had relatives living in Alabama just across the state line. Could they be behind this? She wondered why they hadn’t bothered her all these years. It all started after she’d contacted the police about Megan and Libby. Apparently, she removed the lid off a jar of bees.
It had to be them. What were they looking for?”
Megan’s letters.
If Dan and the leader at Cactus Point knew Megan had been communicating with Annie, it could have deadly consequences.
Chapter Thirteen
After returning so late, Brice fought being tired. That morning he had the office to himself without Cynthia Conners shadowing his every move. He’d actually enjoyed it. It’d given him a chance to get to know the employees better. They behaved differently around Cynthia.
As he walked out of the building, a black limo pulled up. The window rolled down, and an older man who could be classified as a silver fox smiled. “Mr. Jordan, I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure.”
“And you are?”
“Johnathan Bizer. Hop in. Let’s talk.”
Brice walked around to the other side of the limo and joined the older, dignified man. The plush limo smelled like expensive cigars and bourbon. “What’s this about?”
“My daughter, Kayla, really wants you on her team.”
Brice thought for a moment. “I’ve already told her I’m not interested.”
“She’s my only daughter, and she’s headstrong. When she makes up her mind she wants something, she goes after it. I’m to blame. I spoiled her.”
“I’ve noticed.”
He chuckled. “Right now, my daughter has you in her sights as being her top man. She’ll give you whatever it takes to bring you onboard.”
“I signed with Zurtel, and I plan to honor that commitment.”
“With all the problems Zurtel is having, it seems you would want to get out now instead of going down with the ship.”
“A good captain always goes down with the ship.”
“No, son, only a stupid man would do that. You don’t look stupid to me. From what I hear, Cynthia Conners hasn’t given you control. There seems to be a trust issue between you.”
“Despite your daughter’s attempts, Mrs. Conners does trust me.”
“If you part from Zurtel, and join Novik, I’ll make sure you get a bonus of a lifetime. It’ll make you not only happy, but a wealthy man.”
Knowing he’d be tempted by the offer, Brice didn’t want to hear it.
Bizer grinned like the devil. “Your own new jet. A five hundred thousand bonus besides what she’s paying you. I can arrange for you and your family to take a lot of vacations at any of my five-star resorts located around the world.”
The offer was extremely tempting. Damn, this man. Damn, Kayla Miller.
Now he knew how George Baily felt when Mr. Potter made him a job offer. He recalled that George had kept his integrity and walked out.
“As great an offer as it is, I have to pass.” Brice opened the car door.
“I can make a certain deadbeat pool cleaner disappear.”
Brice thought he’d misheard him. “I can handle my own problems.” He sighed. “I’m not for sale.”
After Brice climbed out, he headed for the airstrip. He needed to fly to Jacksonville for the night, then return in the morning. Cynthia had given him a list of chores. He had to admit Bizer’s offer had tempted him.
But if you play with vipers sooner or later you’ll be bitten.
Cynthia Conners made him feel like a kid being led around on a horse. When would she give him the reins and let him go on his own?
She’d already canceled two cruises, because she didn’t feel she could leave him with her company.
Keith, the newest copilot, greeted him. “How’s your day going?”
“Great. How ‘bout you?”
“So far, so good,” Keith said. “We’re almost done with the preflight check. Annie has everything ready in the cabin.”
Brice entered the jet and found Annie with her back to him reading something on the computer. Whatever she was reading had her full attention. A herd of buffalo could have come aboard and she wouldn’t have noticed.
When he walked up behind her, he caught a glimpse of what she’d been so engrossed in. Chartered planes in Phoenix. She hadn’t given up on getting her sister out of the commune.
Brice hated to tell her that no pilot flying a chartered plane would land on a deserted runway to pick up two women running from a slew of angry men with guns. He placed a hand on her shoulder.
Annie jumped off the seat. “For the love of Pete.”
“I wanted you to know I’m onboard.”
“Geeze. Give someone a warning.”
“That was your warning.” He chuckled, then walked farther back in the swanky jet and took his seat. He liked having the jet to himself. Cynthia had to attend a dance recital. He considered it a waste of money to have a flight crew just for him, but it was the way Zurtel did it.
Once in the air, Annie came over. “What can I get you?”
“Bourbon and Coke.”
Despite her surprise over his choice, she didn’t say anything.
He’d never had anything stronger than a Dr. Pepper. But the visit with Bizer had left his nerves on edge. He needed the stiff drink to forget everything he had turned down. He mulled over what Bizer meant when he’d said he could remove Hayden Green from the equation. It almost sounded like a murder for hire. He suspected Bizer had the drone following him. For some reason, Brice didn’t think the devil was finished tempting him.
Annie handed him the glass. “Are you all right?”
He nodded. “Yeah, for the most part.” He sipped his drink, then set it down. �
��Still going with me tomorrow night?”
“I’m planning on it.”
“Did things go the way you wanted with Evan the other night?”
She sighed. “Actually, no.”
“That’s too bad. I thought he was coming around.”
Her eyes grew glassy. “It wasn’t him. It was me who pulled back.”
“Ah, Annie. You had him where you wanted him.”
“Yes, but then oddly enough, I didn’t want him.”
Brice couldn’t explain the feeling of relief running through him. He fought smiling. If they hadn’t been at forty-thousand feet up, he would’ve stood up and done a victory dance. “Any particular reason?”
“I realized I don’t love him anymore.” She paused, looking uncertain. “There’s a rumor going around I thought you could clear up.”
“What’s that?”
“Is Zurtel designing robots that will replace the copilots?”
“The company is developing artificial intelligence. As to what capacity they’ll play in the operation of our aircraft, I’m not sure.” He hated lying to Annie, but the last thing he needed was an uprising while Cynthia was gone; instead, he wanted her to return and find everything running smoothly. Now that they had solved the issue with MX7, production should resume and the test results on the new parts should be successful.
In flight while Annie sat reading, her skirt rose up.
Brice’s gaze landed on her legs. After looking away, he tried to work on the departmental reports. Unable to concentrate, his thoughts returned to Shea. Hopefully, Friday night, she’d rethink why she walked out. Though he’d forgive her, it’d take some time to trust her again.
Later at the Jacksonville facility, Brice met with the head engineers. He recalled what his PI had said about Ed Sawyer, the head engineer. “The MX7 material delivered between June first and now will be destroyed. We discovered a slight flaw in the production at Komar that has caused the issues. Somehow, the formula had varied from the original.”
Brice tried to watch Ed’s reaction. Would he run back to Kayla Miller? Hopefully, Richard could prove him guilty. Some of his methods went slightly outside the law.