Trusting The Boss

by Mallory Crowe

  The elevator doors opened to Luke’s apartment and Emma immediately crossed to the refrigerator and pulled out a water bottle.

  “Oh, hi,” said a feminine voice from behind her.

  Emma’s eyes widened and she twisted around to see a strange woman on the other side of the kitchen island. She had long, blonde hair that was trimmed neatly past her shoulders and wore an emerald green silk blouse tucked neatly into cream-colored slacks. She didn’t give off a criminal vibe… “Um, hello.” Emma didn’t know whether she should call the police or introduce herself. “Are you a friend of Luke’s?”

  “I’m Cali Carson. I work with Luke. Sorry for barging in, but Luke left a file here and needs it for his four p.m. meeting.”

  Emma glanced down to the file Cali held in her hands. Cali Carson…that name did sound familiar. “I’m Emma Devereaux. I’d shake your hand but…” Emma motioned to her sweat-soaked top.

  “Don’t worry about it,” said Cali. “I figured you were Emma. I booked the flight and car for you when Luke heard you were coming to town.”

  Of course Luke wouldn’t do it himself. He was too busy running New York. “Well, I appreciate it. Did you want something to drink?” Emma wasn’t really sure about the proper etiquette for this situation, but if she were back home, Cali would already have a sweet tea in hand.

  “Oh no, but thanks. I’m heading out now. Luke will want these ASAP.”

  Emma nodded as Cali moved to the door. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Cali. Thanks for all you do for Luke. He needs all the help he can get.”

  Cali let out a knowing laugh. “Oh, I know. Nice meeting you.”

  Emma shook her head as she pulled out her phone. Still no word from either of the men she was waiting on. She tried to hold back her frustration as she called Luke’s private cell number and left him a message to inform him that a strange woman had been in his apartment and walked out with a file. But her worries were eased a few moments later when she saw that Luke had text her to confirm that Cali was his assistant.

  After a quick shower and changing into jeans and a pink blouse, Emma was right back to her laptop, but this time when she checked her email, Russell had finally come through. He sent her the email and password for one of Joslyn’s email accounts.

  Emma couldn’t contain her grin. She probably should feel bad about going through her sister’s life like this, but Joslyn had brought this on herself. Between refusing to talk to Emma while awaiting her trial and deciding to try to kill people, Emma lost some of her sympathy.

  As soon as she accessed the email account, she confirmed something she’d already known about her sister. Joslyn loved shopping. The whole thing was full of ads from some of the highest of high-end stores. These weren’t like normal ads, though. These were handwritten, personalized notes from the salespeople at the fancy stores. Why advertise sales when Joslyn probably took pride in paying full price for everything?

  After Emma weeded out which emails were from stores, there wasn’t much left. There weren’t notes from friends or family. No type of personal connection.

  Emma sat back and thought about her own email account. It wasn’t as if hers was blowing up with touching emails. She made acquaintances easy enough. Always seemed to have people to go out with at school. But then she’d leave those schools and her classmates behind.

  And after her parents died, she’d leaned toward online classes and traded the social scene for the familiarity of her own home. At least Joslyn would go out. When was the last time Emma went dancing? Or even to the movies, for that matter? This New York trip was the biggest thing she’d done since she’d gone to Oxford and the only reason she’d made the trip was because Joslyn had been arrested.

  No wonder she craved Jace’s attention so much. She was lonely. That explained so much! Once she got home, she’d be different. She’d find men who were actually acceptable for her and make herself available. Go to town functions and laugh at their jokes. Maybe she could even join a committee or two. Mom had been on a bunch of town committees. Library, parks… It seemed like every function of the town needed a gaggle of rich housewives to make them run smoothly.

  Feeling slightly better about her life choices, Emma started to go back through the emails when a new one popped up in the inbox. There was no subject line and the sender seemed like a random assortment of numbers.

  Emma opened the email.

  Hello. I’m trying to reach Joslyn. Please have her contact Sean as soon as possible.

  She raised a brow. Obviously the guy didn’t think he was talking directly to Joslyn. Did he know she was in prison? She typed a response.

  Joslyn can’t talk to anyone. I’m her sister. If you need something, please let me know.

  Emma stared at the screen as the cursor hovered over the Send button. Should she add in her phone number? She had no idea who this guy was. Maybe she should get Jace to look at the email address. Or Russell, for that matter.

  Well, sending him an email from an address he already had could hardly cause trouble. Emma sent the email and held her breath as she stared at the screen.

  After a few moments, she let out a small laugh. It wasn’t like a text message. She should go do something else to keep her mind distracted and come back in a few hours. But before she could tear her gaze away from the screen, there was a response.

  I have a lot of questions about what happened. Is there any way to meet with Joslyn or you? There is a café next to Joslyn’s apartment. We can meet there at three.

  Emma stared blankly at the screen. This random person wanted to meet? Well, that didn’t seem like a good idea. She needed to get Jace to come with her and three o’clock was rather close. She sent him a message asking if he was able to meet her at Joslyn’s apartment.

  Who was this guy? Just a friend worried about Joslyn’s legal trouble? Maybe Emma was overstating things in her mind. It wasn’t as if Joslyn was easy to get a hold of these days. Even Emma couldn’t reach her and they were sisters.

  Either way, Emma wanted Jace there. She’d seen enough Lifetime movies to know that you didn’t meet random people from the Internet alone, even if you were meeting at a public, well-lit area. When Jace finally text her back that he’d meet her there, Emma sent an email to confirm the appointment.

  Finally. Someone who knew Joslyn, who might be able to provide the insight she was looking for. Hell, if this guy knew enough, she might even be able to stop her investigation and then she’d never have to see Jace again.

  Of course, some dark area of her mind was sad at the thought of never seeing the tall, muscular blond again, but Emma tamped it down. No. As of right now, Jace was nothing more than an employee. Coworker maybe, but nothing more than that. Once she got home and out of the city, her muddled brain would finally understand.

  Filled with a fresh sense of determination, Emma packed up her computer. She slipped on her black ankle boots with heels short enough to let her walk comfortably and high enough to give her a smidgen more confidence, and headed out the door.

  After a cab ride she was becoming all too familiar with, she was at the café across from Joslyn’s apartment. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on Jace. Of course, he was hard to miss. Even in a city full of exceptional men, Jace managed to stand out.

  He leaned against the wall next to the door, eyes immediately meeting hers. His face remained blank and she tried to judge his mood. Was he upset about what happened last night? Excited about it?

  As she approached, she got her answer. He pretended it never happened. “Hey,” he said. “So what’s so important that we had to meet right now?”

  “Well, there’s been an update. I got access to my sister’s email. One of Joslyn’s friends wanted to know how to get a hold of her. I responded that I didn’t know how, but said we could meet here.” Emma didn’t really intend to lie. It just popped out of her lips. Like things were much less awkward if it was her idea to set up a meeting.

  “So this girl agreed to meet you, no quest
ions asked?”

  “Well, it’s hardly like we’re meeting in a back alley at midnight. Bad things don’t happen at cafes, Jace.”

  He didn’t appear convinced. “So what does she look like?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What will she be wearing?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “How will you know who she is?”

  So maybe Emma wasn’t good at setting up last-minute meetings. “This may be a good time to mention this might be a man.” Jace stared daggers at her, but Emma wasn’t in the mood for that. “Broad daylight.” She held up one finger. “Public place.” She held up a second. “And I brought you along. How much more safety conscious do you really expect me to be?”

  “Fine. I guess you aren’t a complete idiot,” admitted Jace. “But I would’ve appreciated some warning about what was happening.”

  “Fair enough.” She probably could’ve called him in the cab. “But then you might’ve talked me out of this and I didn’t want that.”

  “Ms. Devereaux?” said a voice from behind her. Emma twisted around to see the well-dressed man approaching them. He wasn’t much taller than Emma, maybe around five foot eight inches, and his thick, brown hair was slicked back. That, combined with his neatly pressed suit, gave the impression of a local businessman.

  “Yes. Emma. Hi.” She held out a hand.

  He met her handshake. “Dave. Thanks for agreeing to meet with me. You look so much like your sister.”

  “In some ways I suppose.” It was the nicest way she could think to tell him that no one ever said they looked alike. He hadn’t given her a last name and she wondered whether she should be concerned about that.

  Jace moved from behind Emma and held out his hand as well. “I’m Jace. Emma’s boyfriend.”

  Emma tensed but didn’t correct him. Unfortunately, Jace pretending to be her boyfriend would give him a good enough reason to tag along and sounded less threatening than admitting he was her hired muscle.

  “Should we get a table?” she asked. The café was seat yourself and it was between dinner and lunch, so the crowd wasn’t bad. Jace and Dave both made their way to the closest table. Dave took a seat while Jace held a chair out for Emma.

  As soon as they were all seated, a waitress popped up and Emma tried not to glare at the woman preventing her from asking Dave questions.

  The waitress handed each of them a menu. “Hi, would you all like to start out with a drink?” asked the friendly sounding blonde.

  “Just water,” said Emma.

  Jace nodded. “Same.”

  “Nothing for me.” Dave shook his head. He glanced over to Emma and Jace. “I don’t think we’ll be here that long.”

  “I’ll be right back with those waters then.”

  As soon as she had twisted around, Emma started in. “How did you know Joslyn?”

  Dave leaned back in his chair. “I actually didn’t. My boss knew her. They were exceptionally close.”

  Emma straightened as she realized what he was implying. “How long were they close for?”

  “Honestly, I didn’t keep detailed records. Probably a year. But she has something that belongs to my employer. I’ve been sent to get it back.”

  Jace narrowed his eyes as though sizing up the man who sat across the table. “What exactly does your employer do?”

  “That’s not important. The important thing is that I get a few items from you.” He looked pointedly at Emma. “Namely your sister’s computer and a USB drive with Excel Bank’s logo on the front. I’ve been trying to get a hold of Joslyn, but she isn’t seeing visitors.”

  Emma shook her head. “You need to give me more than that. Joslyn hasn’t spoken to me in months and I don’t have her computer.” Not technically a lie. “Do you have any idea where she’d hide something like that? Because it’s a big city.”

  “You have access to her car and apartment. I suggest you start there. All of her assets are now yours, Ms. Devereaux. All I’m asking for are two small things.” He slid a piece of paper across the table. “Contact me through this email address once you get what I’m looking for. If I don’t hear from you in a week, I’ll pay a personal visit.”

  Jace stood and stretched to his full height. “I wouldn’t mind a personal visit.”

  Dave didn’t appear cowed. Instead, he raised a brow at Jace’s tactics. “Well, if you find what I’m looking for, I’ll be sure to stop by. With friends.” Dave stood and nodded at Emma. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Devereaux. You should’ve come alone.”

  Emma clenched her jaw, but didn’t say anything as Dave turned and walked out of the café less than five minutes after he’d come in. She heard Jace take his seat next to her, but she didn’t look at him. Instead, she stared blankly at the seat Dave just vacated.

  “Are you okay?” asked Jace.

  She scoffed. Okay. “Of course I’m not okay. This whole stupid investigation has caused nothing but trouble. If I’d never checked her email, I wouldn’t have had this stupid meeting and wouldn’t be fending off stupid threats. So, no. I’m not okay. How are you doing?” She finally glanced over to confront his smug, I-told-you-so expression. But he didn’t look smug. He appeared somber and, Lord help her, was that pity in his eyes?

  “Hey, you know I think this meeting was a stupid idea,” he said. “But you didn’t cause this. If you hadn’t responded to his email, he would’ve contacted you somehow. Especially if whatever he’s looking for is so important. I’m just glad I was here.”

  “Why? I’m glad you were here too, but it didn’t stop him from threatening me.”

  “I don’t think he came here to threaten you. I think he came here to play you.”

  Oh great. She wasn’t sure which of those options sounded worse. “Oh really? What do you think would’ve happened if you weren’t here?”

  “He would’ve preyed on your sympathies. Said he was a friend of your sister’s and asked if he could see her apartment sometime to look for something he’d left there.”

  Emma frowned. “And you think I would’ve been dumb enough to go up to her apartment with some stranger.”

  “You went up there with me,” he pointed out.

  Emma stood and pushed the chair out with a clatter against the cement. “You’re right. I have horrible judgment and am lucky I’m not dead yet.” She threw a five on the table for the waitress as a silent apology for not ordering anything before she pulled her laptop bag over her shoulder and strode out of the patio area.

  She didn’t hear him, but she knew Jace followed her. Probably to tell her how illogical she was being. Again. She should just get Russell to overnight her the laptop and hand it over to this creep. Then she could do what Michael and Luke had been telling her to do for years and write off Joslyn.

  From now on, she wouldn’t have a sister.

  “Emma, we should talk about this.” Jace came up beside her as Emma impatiently waited for the crosswalk signal to change.

  “I don’t have time to talk. I have to go look for some USB drive that could be anywhere in the city,” she snapped at him. The light changed and she strode into the street with the rest of the pedestrians. Jace stayed quiet, but kept walking beside her as she made her way to Joslyn’s building. Even though the silence was self-imposed, as they got into the elevator together, something nagged at the back of Emma’s mind. “Why wouldn’t he be worried that we just copy whatever was on the USB?”

  “I’m thinking it’s encrypted so that files can’t be moved or saved. Probably protected so it’s view-only.”

  “That’s a thing?” There had to be a way around it. She was sure Michael could manage to crack any type of firewall or encryption or whatever it was called.

  Wait. What the hell was she thinking? She was going to give this guy what he wanted, not try to get around his demands.

  “These days, information is worth more than gold. There are some pretty inventive ways of protecting it.” It was only then she realized Jace still held ont
o the menu from the café. Had he forgotten to set it down? That didn’t sound like Jace at all…

  The elevator doors opened. Emma headed straight into Joslyn’s apartment and pulled her laptop out as she sat on the couch.

  “What are you doing?” asked Jace.

  “I should’ve had those bank statements by now.” She powered up the computer. “Russell said I’d have them by yesterday. I don’t know what’s been the holdup. If there are fishy deposits in Joslyn’s accounts, maybe we can figure out exactly how much this USB is worth to these guys, right? Maybe we can even figure out who they are.”

  “Why don’t you take a break?” Jace sat next to her and set the menu on the coffee table. “This whole thing was stressful enough to begin with. Now that we realize all the shit she was involved with, I think you need to take a day off to regroup.”

  Emma shook her head as she pulled up her email. “You heard him. I only have a week or else. Which means if I don’t find what this guy is looking for, I need to go to the police and tell them that my sister is more psychotic than everyone thought and that some person I know nothing about might do something.” She met Jace’s eyes. “And then they’ll laugh me out of the station. If I am in danger, we need to find out as much as possible so I have specifics. Not vague threats from some guy named Dave.”

  “That’s probably not his real name.”

  “I know!” she snapped. “I’m half surprised he didn’t introduce himself as John Smith.” She glanced in her email inbox and let out a sigh of relief when she saw the message from Russell. “And it looks like we have bank statements. At least something is going right.” Russell had attached twenty-four statements to the email and Emma opened them.

  “So what are you going to look for?” Jace leaned in closer.

  “I don’t really know,” she admitted. “Anything that looks strange. If she was running out of money. If this ‘Dave’ guy was paying her off. Really, anything suspicious.”

  “Well, I know you are not having a great day, but I do have some good news.”

  Emma glanced up to Jace. “Yeah?”