Third Hour

by Lisa Phillips

  “Wow.”

  Welvern nodded. “It’s an eclectic group, and Victoria took them all on.”

  Kind of sounded like Welvern wanted Victoria to take him on as well. Though, maybe not in an official capacity.

  His boss chimed in. “Word through the grapevine is that there was some bad blood between Victoria and the powers that be at the state department.”

  Welvern made a face like he disagreed. “I’m not saying she isn’t…unique in her style. But she also has the experience to back it up. Victoria Bramlyn has earned the right to be as maverick as she wants.”

  “Like keeping her ‘director’ title?” Stanton asked.

  “And the way she went about earning it in the first place.” Welvern paused. “Though, I wouldn’t look too deeply into that. It’s so classified, it would be a waste of your time.”

  “We’ll see.” It sounded like Stanton was prepared to try.

  Mason’s phone buzzed. He looked at the screen and saw there was an email forwarded from his boss. Looked like the daily update from their other case. One that was highest priority. He stowed the phone. Mason figured it probably had higher classification than anything about Victoria. It was probably the biggest government secret of this administration, and they were tasked with keeping it all under wraps until they could get a result.

  The door flung open and Talia rushed in, breathless. “I found something.”

  Victoria was right behind her. Welvern stood. Mason looked at Talia while his boss said, “What is it?” He sounded peeved at being interrupted, but it wasn’t like they’d been in the middle of something.

  Talia sucked in a breath. “I had my program look at the origin of that transfer. Because it had to have come from somewhere.” She glanced at him, so he nodded to encourage her to continue. “The code originated from a terminal at the bank. I think a flash drive or other storage device was plugged in. That allowed someone to access their database and make it look like I stole money.”

  Mason said, “You know whose terminal it was?”

  She nodded. “I know which one of the bank’s employees let him into their system.”

  Chapter 7

  Talia leaned against the wall in the hallway outside Sarah Palmer’s studio apartment. The bank manager’s assistant had lived here quietly for two years, according to the building’s manager. A uniformed police officer waited at the door. The younger, red-headed man didn’t hide his curiosity as to who she was or why she was there. Talia just ignored him and waited for Mason to come back out.

  She didn’t want to know what he would find inside.

  Victoria had stayed behind at the Secret Service office, along with Welvern. Though not without her first telling Mason that he had better keep Talia safe. He seemed to have taken what amounted to a threat seriously enough, telling her with a grave look that he would. Talia had just looked at Welvern, and they’d both rolled their eyes.

  Their perpetrator might be targeting Talia personally, but she wasn’t sure she was in physical danger. Not that she would wander off alone right now. She’d nearly been kidnapped earlier, and they had no clue where the guy was now. Her facial recognition program was running his image through surveillance picked up by traffic cameras, ATMs and any other video feed that uploaded to the cloud. She was going to find him. It was just a question of how long it would take.

  That was why she had to access the woman’s computer directly. Normally she only needed general proximity to the computer—if it was on and connected to the internet, she’d be able to get into it. Look around. Pull what she needed.

  But right now her tablet was busy. So she had to be here.

  It took only minutes for Mason to emerge from the apartment with the officer’s partner who’d accompanied him inside. His face was grim. “Ms. Palmer is dead.” He glanced at the officer who’d met them there. “If you’d call it in?”

  It was probably good he didn’t suffer from an overblown case of empathy. Likely that wouldn’t serve him well. Kind of how it had been so detrimental to her lately. He probably didn’t see many dead bodies in his line of work, though. Talia had seen one. And that was enough for the rest of her life.

  The officer had already reached for his radio. “I’ll get homicide here.” He only stepped away a couple of paces, not leaving his post at the door as he radioed in to his dispatch what Mason had found.

  He moved closer to her.

  She studied his face. “Is it bad?”

  Normal people wouldn’t want to see a dead person. Especially not if it was gruesome. Talia didn’t actually work with anyone who could be classified as “normal,” but that didn’t mean she had a strong stomach. The last thing she wanted was to do something embarrassing like pass out. Or hurl.

  “There’s a clear path to the computer. She’s on the bathroom floor. Want to look at her system?”

  Talia nodded. She had to know how the person behind this had contacted the bank manager’s assistant to give her the flash drive—or whatever she’d used. If they could figure out how and with what reasoning they’d persuaded her to do it—or what they’d bribed her with—it would all be additional evidence that could help them find this guy.

  She followed him inside the studio apartment. Kitchen island to the left. Small table and two chairs. Bed directly in front. Bathroom door—she didn’t look over there. The couch was to the right, tucked in an alcove beside the front door. Talia turned her back to the bathroom door and pulled out Sarah’s chair.

  It seemed disrespectful to sit in a dead woman’s chair and go through her private computer files, but she needed answers.

  Mason stood close to her.

  “I don’t think he left anything that will lead right to him.” She entered a series of codes that got her through the password. Sarah’s desktop loaded. “He’s proved himself extremely skilled so far.”

  The officer tapped on the door. “Detectives will be here in a few minutes. They said not to touch anything.”

  Mason answered for her. He pulled his badge out again. “Secret Service, remember? And we’re nowhere near the body.”

  She could have told the officer all her credentials. Why she was the best—maybe the only—person here qualified for computer forensics who could also get an answer quickly. Some people didn’t appreciate speed, but basically every case she worked had a time-is-of-the-essence vibe to it. They didn’t want the bank robber hurting anyone else.

  But she held off on throwing her weight around with the officer. She would save that for the detectives, if it was needed. Talia just got on with her work. She might even get done before the detectives showed up. The last thing she would do was look in the bathroom, let alone disturb a crime scene.

  When the officer stepped back out, she glanced over her shoulder at Mason. “Was she murdered?”

  A muscle in his jaw flexed, making the dark skin of his face shift. Whatever it was, he didn’t want to say. But he did. “Pills on the floor beside an open prescription bottle. As for cause of death, I can’t say. I’ve seen crime scenes before that were staged to look like an accident, or an overdose, to cover up a murder. Who knows what the truth is?”

  She knew he couldn’t make a judgment based only on seconds of having observed a scene. He wouldn’t have touched anything either, except maybe to see if Sarah Palmer had a pulse. Did that bother him, finding someone who was too late to help?

  She’d have to ask him later. If they got time to talk.

  Mason shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “She told Crampton she was headed out to lunch, presumably right after she confronted me about the money. He never even knew it went missing. Or that you put it back.”

  “That was a few minutes before the robbery.”

  He nodded. “She slipped out the back exit of the bank and came home. Now she’s dead.”

  Talia went through the woman’s files. Mason leaned down and pulled a waste paper basket from under the desk. Inside was a manila envelope that had been ripped
open. “Could be this was how she got the flash drive.”

  Talia nodded, most of her attention on the computer. She didn’t know how they could confirm that for sure. Unless she found something… She clicked through two more folders. “Huh.”

  “What is it?”

  Talia opened the command window. Yes, there was a line of code running in the background.

  Before she could think too hard about what it meant, Talia pulled the top sticky note off the stack and folded it over the web cam at the top of the screen on Sarah’s computer. Then she turned to Mason and mouthed, “He’s been watching her.”

  Whether he could hear them or not, she didn’t know. Which was why she’d made no sound.

  He nodded, then touched her shoulder lightly.

  She turned back to the computer and found an email sent to Sarah’s personal address. Shortly after Talia and Mason had started their work at the bank.

  Sarah had been lured back to her apartment under the guise of a romantic lunch, and now she was dead.

  Had her lover killed her?

  Or someone else?

  . . .

  Mason had no intention of letting Talia in on the state of Sarah Palmer. Just as he had no intention of allowing anything even remotely similar to happen to her. There was no way he’d let her get in the path of the bank robber if this was what had happened.

  Yes, it looked like a drug overdose. He hadn’t lied about that. However, it was also clear just from looking at her that Sarah had been in a serious physical altercation before she died. Whether or not the drugs were supposed to explain her death away, or just provide the police with the idea she’d been unstable, or even if she had been murdered, he wasn’t sure. But she’d also been attacked.

  The homicide detectives strode in. Mason met them over by the door and shook both their hands. They didn’t seem all that impressed by his Secret Service credentials, or Talia’s NSA ones when he told them who she was. But they seemed content to work this case with the two feds present. Especially when he’d implied he did not consider them to be working for him. He would provide whatever support they needed.

  Mason said, “Even if that involves getting out of the way.”

  Talia got up from the computer and walked over.

  “Anything?”

  She said, “Just that email from her boyfriend, or whoever he is. I’ll have to look into the email address. See if I can link that to a person.” She didn’t look too hopeful about it. Nor had she really given details about the person they were going up against.

  A killer.

  A hacker.

  A bank robber.

  One person, or three. Or two.

  Did Talia know who it was? She had been specifically targeted. That meant there was reason to believe that if someone killed Sarah just to clean up a loose end, then Talia could very well be in danger, too.

  Mason gave them both his statement, and then handed over his business card. The detective said, “Thanks.”

  He checked his watch. Time to get Talia back to the office.

  She glanced at him. “Did we stay too long?”

  Mason walked her outside, scanning the area as they moved. Hand on the small of her back. “I’m supposed to meet my daughter for dinner. We try to do it every two weeks.”

  He held open the passenger door and she climbed in. Mason trotted around to the driver’s side. When he got in, Talia had her eyes closed, her head back against the seat.

  “Tired?”

  Her lips curled up before she opened her eyes. When she looked over, she said, “Yes.”

  “Long day.” He started the engine.

  “Long month.”

  “Yeah?” He let the word hang between them. Waited to see if she would take up the invitation to tell him what was on her mind. Maybe even what had happened to her that made her the target of someone who could hack a bank.

  This was bordering on a conspiracy, considering the flash drive used to give the hacker physical access to transfer money to Talia’s account. Using the bank manager’s assistant and then killing her after. Every hour it seemed there was another moving piece added to this case. It was getting more and more complicated as the day went on.

  Talia had closed her eyes again. He drove them from the apartment in the suburbs, back downtown through afternoon traffic. Not much better than rest-of-the-day traffic.

  She sighed, long and loud. When he pulled into their underground parking lot, she said, “What now?”

  Mason found a parking spot. “If we can find that bank robber, maybe he can shed some light on all the rest of it.” He paused. “Maybe he’s also the hacker, or maybe not.”

  She winced. Probably because she’d seen him, and the bank robber had called her out by name. Was she afraid of him? From the way her hand shook as she reached for the car door, he’d say she was.

  “Do you know of any associates whose names we could run?” He was in the mood to kick in some doors and tighten the screws on an uncooperative interviewee.

  Probably he would just knock, and follow procedure, but the mental image was satisfying enough.

  She said, “I’ve been trying not to think about it all day. Because I’ve just been going around and around in my head. There’s nothing. We know nothing. And it gripes me to say it, but if he hadn’t walked into that bank and used my name, we’d never have even had anyone to chase down.”

  “Cue, manhunt.”

  Her brows flickered. “That’s actually a great idea.” She reached into her purse, by her feet.

  “What?”

  “I need to make a call.” She tapped and swiped the screen, then put it to her ear. “It’s me.” She paused. “Because I’m not having a good day, that’s why.” She sounded like she had to fight back tears.

  Mason reached out and touched the fingers of her free hand. She didn’t jerk her hand away, so he entwined his fingers with hers and held on.

  She bit her lip. “I need your help tracking down this bank robber guy.”

  He’d thought she was already running searches. Who had she called?

  Her face flushed with relief. “Thank you.” She flushed again and smiled, her gaze on their hands together on her knee. “I know.”

  Talia hung up. When she looked at him, she said, “Alvarez.”

  “One of your teammates?”

  She nodded. “The US Marshal.”

  “You think he can find the bank robber?”

  “He said he was already on it.” She gave him a small smile, the first glimmer of relief he’d seen on her face all day. Because of her teammate. “Which is the best news, because Alvarez can find anyone.”

  Mason said, “Good.” Even though he felt anything but. She didn’t need to take on his hang ups about who she relied on to help her. If this Alvarez guy was already on the hunt for their bank robber, then it was good. “Let’s head upstairs.”

  They made their way through security to the floor where his desk sat in the sea of cubicles. Victoria and Welvern sat in Stanton’s office, chatting with the man. Looked like they were drinking coffee.

  “Dad!” Rayna slammed into him. A blur of pink sweater before her head glanced off his chin. She was getting bigger every week, it seemed.

  “Baby girl.” He gave her a good hug, then loosened his hold on her.

  She leaned back and grinned. “You’re busy, right?” When he nodded, she said, “I figured. That’s why I grabbed Chinese takeout and came here.” She glanced at Talia, then at him. “I got enough for a crowd, just in case.”

  Mason narrowed his eyes.

  Her smile faltered.

  “Rayna.”

  “What? I can be nice. Just because I brought Chinese food doesn’t mean I want something.”

  Mason shook his head. Yeah, except that it totally meant she wanted something. Behind her, an agent who also had a teen chuckled. Mason just prayed it wasn’t something that was serious—or something that would cost him thousands.

  Mason said, “This is
Talia Matrice. We’re working together today.”

  Rayna lifted her hand so they could shake.

  Talia took a step to the side, out of reach of him and his daughter. Her fingers were clenched on the strap of her purse. “I should get to work. There’s a lot to do.” She turned away and hurried to Stanton’s office, but not before he saw a look of pain flash across her face.

  Rayna let her hand drop. “Was it something I said?”

  Chapter 8

  Victoria shut the door to the conference room. Talia heard it click. She couldn’t turn around, or they’d all see the look on her face. No, that wasn’t right. Mason would see the look on her face. That was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now.

  “Talk to me.” She’d followed Talia into the conference room almost immediately. Which meant she’d seen that beautiful young girl. Mason’s daughter. Seen her reach out to shake Talia’s hand.

  Seen Talia’s reaction.

  She sucked in a breath, then turned and perched on the edge of the conference table. “I need to leave.”

  Victoria knew. She was probably the only friend Talia had who actually understood what’d happened to her. The director said, “I got you out of there, remember?”

  How could she forget?

  “You’ve had a long day.”

  “It’s five o’clock,” Talia said. “Not midnight.”

  “You’re not hungry?” Victoria didn’t eat until the afternoon.

  “Do you need dinner?” she asked her boss, instead of answering.

  “Don’t worry about me. Welvern wants to go to this steak place he always talks about.”

  “Yeah?” Talia could actually smile, except for the reality of what was happening. “You should just go.” There was no point in her sticking around just for Talia.

  “We’re not leaving until you do. In fact,” Victoria said, “you should come with us to dinner.”