It Happens in Threes

by Denise Robbins

  He opened the door to the garage, headed toward the tool bench that ran along one wall. With quick, rough motions, Michael rummaged through a red and silver colored toolbox and came up with what he needed. A screwdriver.

  The laptop settled on the workbench, battery side up. Tiny hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. He knew he was right. And if he was, maybe they could get rid of the ex-fiancé once and for all.

  He worked the screws counter clockwise with the miniature screwdriver in rough, rapid turns. Once he’d removed all four, he lifted the back cover to the laptop and set it aside.

  Peering intently at the internals of the computer, he looked for the small GPS component he knew had to be there. It made sense. He didn’t know a ton about the insides of a laptop. But the government’s computer courses and Alex had schooled him enough to discern the basic parts. This meant he would be able to identify if there was something that didn’t belong.

  Sure enough, there was. He located a small, brushed metal chip about 1 centimeter in size and blue in color. With a pair of tweezers he found in a nearby tool chest, he removed the metal disc. Inscribed on it in tiny white writing were the initials GPS. Twisting it in his hand, he noticed more marks.

  The symbols were a GIE reference number, a government issued equipment ID. “Government-issued,” he muttered in a state of disbelief. Ruby never said anything about her ex-fiancé working on government contracts. How could he get hold of this? He would find out.

  Jerking the cell phone from his pocket, Michael placed a call to Jake. Without preamble, he asked, “Where is she?”

  “Howdy to you too. She’s stopped at the grocery store and we’ve already been to the farmer’s market.”

  “She hasn’t seen you?”

  “Well, I never,” he drawled with an air of being offended. He knew Jake wasn’t but he also knew he wasn’t above a little good-natured complaining.

  “What bee got under your bonnet?”

  “More like what bug crawled inside Ruby’s computer.”

  Jake could hear the tension in Michael’s voice.

  “You want to spell that out a little more carefully for us slow Southern types?” At the conclusion of Michael’s story, Jake whistled under his breath and leaned against the car seat as he stared at the blonde getting out of her car. “Well, I’ll be.”

  “That’s right, you will be. You’ll be glued to her every movement when I’m gone. If she even sneezes I want to know about it. Don’t let her out of your sight, Jake. I’m depending on you.”

  If Jake wasn’t mistaken, the last sentence was a plea.

  “No worries, boss. I’ll take care of the little lady.”

  The tightness in Michael’s chest eased. Some sixth sense told him he could trust Jake, and he hoped it wasn’t wrong.

  “What else do you need me to do?”

  “Do you know how we can track down where this government-issued device came from and potentially who it was distributed to?”

  “Sure, I got a friend who might be able to help.” Michael heard the smile in Jake’s voice and knew his friend was a woman. The boy could charm any female within earshot. “You want I should call her?”

  “Friend, huh? Yeah, right. But, yes, please give her a call, otherwise, I have to call George and I’d rather not get him involved at this point.”

  “Gotcha. It’s on the hush-hush. Uh-oh, your little lady is pulling out, gotta go. If she doesn’t make anymore stops she’ll be back at the house in about ten.”

  “Oh, shit. I’ve got to put the laptop back before she realizes I tampered with it, or in her words, snooped. See ya.” Without giving Jake a chance for further comment, Michael snapped the phone shut, and stuffed it back in his pocket.

  For a minute, he contemplated not putting the GPS back into the computer, but decided he didn’t want Thomas to know he was onto him. It would improve his chances if he kept Thomas on the hook while he waited to get more intel on the guy.

  He’d just walked out of Ruby’s bedroom when the garage door opened and Ruby entered through the kitchen.

  FOURTEEN

  Two days flew by, it was Saturday, and Michael had only a day and a half to get himself acquainted with the ins and outs of his business, his rented home and his part of the island prior to the meeting with the Frenchman. From the airport, he stopped at the business office first, located at the Ala Moana business park near the mall. It was a small, but plush work space that included a reception area, conference room, and a state of the art data center with top of the line computer equipment.

  At the temporary office, he met his assistant, a pretty woman with red hair in her early forties. Janice Bailey, a local operative and well-versed in computer technology. He doubted her knowledge was as extensive as Ruby, but she was competent. She had read the dossier, knew the answer to every one of his questions, prepared for her role as his assistant.

  On his way out the door, Janice provided him with a typed list of local attractions and restaurants to help get him more acclimated with the area. Yup, competent, he thought and thanked her for the package.

  * * * *

  In his rented corporate apartment, the penthouse suite of the Outrigger Reef hotel on Waikiki beach, he checked out his accommodations. Nice. Not the typical hotel pastels he expected.

  The suite included a bedroom with a king size bed, a den, a kitchen and eating area attached to the living room decorated in light cherry stained woods, ivory colored shag rugs. Comfortable and cozy décor with a dash of elegance.

  Opening the glass slider to the terrace overlooking Waikiki beach, he breathed in, soaking in the spectacular view. City lights twinkled, meshed with the starry sky above the stone balcony as he remembered watching the stars with Ruby wrapped in his embrace.

  After he unpacked his bag and set up his office, Michael ordered room service. While waiting for his dinner, he called Ruby from his cellular to check on her.

  The telephone rang six times before someone picked up the receiver. “Hello.” She sounded cloudy and yawned.

  “It’s me. I’m sorry for the lateness of the call. I forgot about the six hour time difference and the day got away from me.”

  “Michael?” He heard the rustle of bed covers and pictured her sitting up in bed rubbing sleepy grit from her eyes. He also imagined her naked with the purple sheet slipping down to her waist exposing silky skin and sexy perky breasts. He groaned.

  “Something wrong? Is everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine.” Michael tried to clear his head of the vision. “I just wanted to check in with you, see how things were going.”

  “It’s great. Illusion is almost finished. It shouldn’t even take me half of tomorrow to complete it then I’m going shopping to celebrate.” Shopping was her way of rewarding herself for a job well done.

  “Not alone, you’re not,” his voice commanded from the other end of the line. “You can wait to celebrate and go shopping when you get to Hawaii.”

  “I just needed some alone time to get my work done so why shouldn’t I go shopping?” From the other end of the line, she taunted him.

  “Are you saying I was a hindrance to your work?” he asked. His voice sounded lighter than a second ago.

  “More of a diversion, but I’m not complaining. Sometimes diversions can help you get your focus—when they’re gone.” And she just diverted him from his bossy tirade. The little witch.

  “I see. Well, this distraction is going to go have his dinner. I’ll call you Monday after I meet with Nicolas and let you know when you’ll be joining me.” He liked the fact that he disrupted her concentration on one level but hated it on another. It was the exact reason he kept his distance. But she had a worse effect on him.

  “Okay. Good luck and I’ll talk with you then.”

  “Goodnight and sleep well.”

  “You too.”

  He listened to the click of her hanging up the phone on the other end and held the receiver closer to his ear wor
rying about the whole situation. On top of his concern for Ruby’s involvement, he couldn’t get her out of his head. They’d known each other for too long. There was always an attraction but somehow this was different. He didn’t seem to be able to get enough of her and he wasn’t sure he liked that fact.

  He called her just to hear her voice. Shaking his head, he admonished himself. He wouldn’t be in this predicament if he exercised a little self-control. He felt helpless and it was his fault. He should never have touched her. But damn, if he could resist. When he replaced the handset in the cradle, Michael knew he wouldn’t sleep well.

  * * * *

  Monday came and so did the meeting.

  “Mr. La Rue.” Mickey rose to his feet from behind the desk as he entered the room. “Thanks, Janice. I can take it from here. I’m Mickey August,” he said, offering a hand. “Please have a seat.” He gestured toward one of the oversized red leather chairs. “Thank you for taking the meeting at my office on such short notice.”

  “All in the name of business, Mr. August.”

  “Please, call me Mickey or Mick.”

  “That’s an unusual first name or is it a nickname?”

  “No, it’s my first name. My parents named me after Mickey Mantle.” This guy is good, Michael thought. He’s already fishing.

  Nicolas nodded affirmation. “Please call me Nico.”

  “Well, Nico, let’s get down to business. I’ve done my research and your name and business popped up for an excellent computer security consulting firm in the financial industry.”

  “I thank you for the compliments. I like a businessman who does his homework.”

  “I assume you’ve done the same. You can’t be good and walk into someone’s office ill-prepared.” Michael saw the spark of recognition in Nico’s eyes.

  “You would be accurate. I know you do international financial transactions, that you’ve been in business for 5 years and gear most of your business toward the average working man but still manage to land some major players.” One eyebrow raised a fraction as if waiting for affirmation on his last statement.

  “Very good. You’ve done a little digging as well.”

  “Where did the name Financial Beginnings Investments come from?”

  “That’s easy. I didn’t want a name that sounded too stuffy and professional, but something that made people feel comfortable. Financial Beginnings Investments will go out of our way to provide financial freedom by offering the right advice, personalized for our customers, their circumstances, and their goals.”

  Michael grinned inwardly, impressed with his own ability to think on his feet. Actually, he came up with the name because if you put the first letter of each word together it spelled FBI. Just a little play with a sister government agency.

  “Very interesting format. That also explains the air of informality in your office.”

  “Exactly.”

  “What can my company do for you?” Nicolas asked.

  “We implemented online transaction processing capabilities via the web and need to make it secure. Our customers as well as our brokers will be able to perform these transactions and we want them to be safe. We’re getting more of the larger clientele and they’re very specific about what they’re looking for in secure transactions. I don’t want to be libel for any issues but it’s important the customer get what they expect. Unfortunately, we’ve grown so fast we didn’t have time to get this in place at the same time as the online transaction application.”

  “Is there a plan for implementing the security in and between all of your offices?”

  “No plans as of yet. That’s where your expertise comes into place. I’ll rely on you. The one piece I have to dictate is that we initiate the security here first. After that, I leave the schedule to the professionals.”

  “Why here first?”

  “Reason number one is because this is where our corporate headquarters is located. Reason two is because this is my smallest office, but some of my largest clients are based out of this location. And number three is because I like it here and I’m looking forward to the ocean and some scuba diving. Do you dive?”

  Nicolas smiled, visibly relaxed and Michael knew he had him right where he wanted him. “You can’t live in Hawaii and not scuba dive.”

  “Great. Since you know I like to keep business on a casual informal level maybe we can get together for a boat dive?” Most times it’s easier to get to know people on a personal level and that makes it easier to understand how they work. Michael laid the ground work for getting Ruby introduced into the picture.

  “I think that can be arranged,” Nico replied.

  “Good. What’s the next step for a business proposal?”

  “I’ll need to get documentation on your transaction processing system that was implemented and the levels of security you necessitate. Essentially, I’ll need business requirements from you detailing your expectations for the outcome of the project. After that I can outline a rough draft proposal in two to three days.”

  Michael stood to show Nicolas out. “My assistant has a file prepared.” As he opened the door, he took a very polished document from Janice. “When would be a good day to do that dive we discussed?” he asked when he turned to hand Nico the portfolio. “Do you prefer to go during business hours to beat the tourists or wait until the weekend?”

  “We can make it a business trip. I’ll have the rough draft proposal ready by Thursday. Why don’t we plan for Friday and I can deliver it to you then?”

  “Perfect. I’ll make all the arrangements and pass on the details to your assistant.” Shaking Nicolas’s hand, he said, “It’s been a pleasure, I look forward to Friday.”

  When the door closed, Michael sank into the nearest chair. His eyes closed, he let his head roll back on his shoulders, took a deep breath and exhaled an audible sigh of relief. Step one was complete.

  As suddenly as relief swept through him, once more a cold shudder of dread flashed. With the pads of his thumbs, he pressed his eyelids, pushed the brief image from his mind. He intended to use Ruby to lure Nicolas into his trap and endanger his best friend. She understood her role, but he wasn’t crazy about her being bait, like raw meat being tossed to a starving wolf. If their quarry knew, her life could be over.

  A sudden urge to call her gripped him.

  * * * *

  Hidden amongst the bushes, he watched her through the window rid herself of shoes and dark red shorts. She reached up behind her neck and the next thing he knew, her blue kerchief top glided to the ceramic tile floor like an autumn leaf falling from a branch. Red polka dot panties followed. His jaw dropped and he gaped at her in astonishment, feeling his face turn crimson.

  She mesmerized him. Her voice as she sang along to a catchy tune played over the house stereo. The graceful way she walked over to the tub and grabbed her beach towel. He stared as she went to the pool deck, stepped outside, closed her eyes and stretched as the wind tickled her nose. She shook her head, a smile played across her face. When she inhaled, he gazed at her. Her nostrils flared as she filled her lungs and drank in the warm, moist aroma mixed with orchids, hibiscus, and saltwater that permeated the air. It was intoxicating. She was intoxicating.

  From his vantage point behind a bush, he observed her naked form walk across the lanai to the deep end of the pool. Bringing her feet to the edge of it, she took a deep breath. Her breasts rose up as her lungs filled with air.

  Under the cover of the tree canopies, he watched her and swallowed his rising anger.

  “Damn,” he swore.

  On her toes, she pushed up and out from the cement flooring, and gracefully dove into the clear water. The moon high and bright, beamed down on her as she reached up again, displayed her sleek figure as she took her next stroke.

  His eyes shot hungry fire at her. He should not be there, enduring her nakedness. He should be in the pool with her, her legs wrapped around him as he drove himself into her, claimed her.

  It was t
hen, in his peripheral vision, he thought he saw movement. Ruby must have sensed something as well because she halted in the middle of her lap, looked up and around at her surroundings while bobbing in the water. Her gaze appeared aimed at him or at least in his direction.

  He knew she couldn’t see him, yet her eyes remain fixated at his location. Something disturbed her. The air currents shifted and she shivered. Her head turned as if to get a better look, as if wanting her nagging suspicion to be wrong. Wet blonde hair shook back and forth, her expression filled with doubt as if it was just her imagination playing tricks. That’s right. I’m just a figment of your imagination.

  In the distance, he saw a shadow move. He squinted and on the other side of the pool, in the darkness, he made out the form of a man lurking in the bushes. Camouflaged by the cover of night, the moon shone bright, illuminated skin, and he could make out fuzzy features. In a flash, he burst from the screen of shrubbery he used as a shield.

  The guy must have seen him because he was on the move and he was quick.

  * * * *

  The rustle of leaves, twigs snapping, then fast footsteps pounding on cement sent a cool wet shiver traveling down Ruby’s spine. Fear caused her to swallow chlorine water and choke. She sputtered and flailed then blinked her hazel eyes to clear them from the burning sensation. When the stinging subsided, she opened her eyes and shrieked in horror. A blurry form streaked past. Her mouth agape, hands flew to her breasts trying to cover them. Heart pounding like a jackhammer in her chest, her gaze followed the swift purposeful movement of the man running across the pool deck and barreling through the screen door.

  It wasn’t until she saw a second man dart through the bushes that she realized there was someone else there. Who? She squinted in the direction the shadow had gone, tried to identify the two figures.

  Goosebumps rose over her body, skin prickled as though an electric charge had gone through her. As she absorbed the situation and her predicament, her heart raced. She needed to escape.