by Nelson, Cara
“Sure, sweetie.” Sue gave her another hug and herded everyone back to the living room. She chatted about the restaurant, complaining it wasn’t as good as she’d been told, and switched to talking about how Liam had caught a spider.”
“I was just glad he didn’t eat it,” Shane said and settled on the couch with his arm around Sue’s shoulders.
Stories about Liam dominated the rest of the evening. Victoria was happy enough to talk about something other than her own problems. She noticed Trent stayed in the background, watching her. That was a little unnerving, but she enjoyed the visit.
At ten, she glanced at her watch and said she should head home. Trent left with her.
Outside on the street, Trent shrugged into his jacket and shook his head. “That was a waste of time.”
“No, it wasn’t.” She told him about the bank statement. “Sue doesn’t need to steal anyone’s files—she’s set.”
Taking her hand, he headed for the subway. “You said it yourself—she could have another account.”
She pulled away from him and strode past the other late-night subway riders. “It’s enough.”
“Well, I’ll agree with that. No way could she have put on that act tonight. Sue didn’t do this to you.”
She let out a breath. “So what’s next? Oh—I almost forgot. I found something.” She told him about the two logins that had shown up on a late Friday night.
“That’s good—you need to keep at it. We should try and see if that’s a regular pattern. Meantime, I can start a check for file accesses at those times. I can get Jason at work to start some traces, too. Security will just think we’re running regular checks.” He glanced at his watch. “I might even catch up with Jason tonight—I said I’d try and see him at O’Malley’s.”
“The bar?”
“Yeah. We usually meet up for a drink at least once a week.”
She rolled her eyes. “Investigation in a bar? Now I feel like I’m in a bad TV show.”
Touching her arm, he stopped her. His smile warmed his eyes, sparked a brighter green. Gently, he cupped her elbow. For a moment, she thought he would do more. He stood so close to her that she could almost hear his heart thudding as hard as hers was. Their train pulled into the station and the moment faded. Turning, Trent pulled her with him onto the subway. “Hey—if it works. The guy needs someone to vent with—he has the worst luck with online gaming.”
Victoria looked up at him. “Jason has a gambling addiction?”
“No—he bets. Sometimes...”
“Are you sure everyone on your staff really is innocent?”
Trent glanced at her, his head cocked. “That man is a genius. He could easily earn a lot of money on the side by picking up a few freelance jobs. And like I said—I’ve already vetted my staff.”
Victoria held her tongue. If Trent thought his staff was innocent, she was going to have to trust him on this. But she really wished Trent had found out that one of the IT people had done this.
Exhausted from the day—from everything—she closed her eyes and leaned against the window. The cold glass touched her forehead, but it didn’t sooth.
Were they really chasing a ghost here? Maybe they were naive to believe they could find out anything. Opening her eyes, she glanced at Trent’s profile—at his straight nose and firm chin. He seemed to realize she was staring at him because he looked at her. Wetting her lips, she asked, “Are we crazy? We don’t really have any expertise in this. Maybe I should hire a lawyer—or a PI?”
He covered her hand with his. “Now you really sound like a bad TV show.”
“No, I’m serious. This is serious.”
He squeezed her hand and let go. “It’s only been a day—give it a little time.”
She nodded. He sounded so certain. So calm. She could feel despair trying to creep into her, a think trickle of ice that left her wanting to dive under the bed covers and not come out again. She looked at Trent again, and let herself lean into him. He put an arm around her, and desire lanced through her in a sharp jolt.
She wanted to kiss him—to lose herself in those kisses. She wanted to forget everything in his arms. But she couldn’t.
He was strictly off limits, not only because he was her oldest friend, but he had enough complications in his life right now. So did she.
Leaning away from him, she asked, “Did you talk to Cynthia? You know—about…?” She let the words fade.
The subway car slide to a stop and Trent stood up. “My stop. You want to come with? I don’t know about you, but I really could use a drink.”
Was that relief she detected in his voice? He didn’t seem to want to discuss this with her, which meant she needed to give him the space to work things out. She was so used to talking to him about everything it was almost impossible not to butt into his affairs. If he hooked up with Cynthia again, she’d have to learn to do so.
Deciding she wanted to meet this guy, Jason, she stood up and followed Trent out of the subway and into O’Malley’s.
The bar stood two blocks down from TerraDyn’s offices. The bar’s dark wood and comfortable leather chairs and booths made for a cozy atmosphere. She knew a lot of employees came here for lunch or for a beer after work. She glanced around, wondering if she’d see anyone from the office—or if they’d see her. Or would they want to avoid her? She was surprised to see mostly young couples having a late dinner.
Trent put a hand in the small of her back and pointed to a slim, dark-haired guy in his late twenties, sitting at a table by himself. “There’s Jason.”
Jason stood up as they approached. He glanced at her and then at Trent, his smile strained. He gave a nervous laugh. “Victoria, I didn’t know you were joining us.”
“She’s also low and down, so I tugged her along.” Trent held out a chair for her, pulled off his jacket and sat.
Jason pulled a face. “Yeah, I heard what happened. Can’t believe they want to pin it on you.”
“Shit happens.” Victoria shrugged. “Guess I have to learn to deal with it.”
“You’re a tough cookie. If it’d been me, I’d be totally drunk and unable to move.” Jason glanced at Trent and back to Victoria. “Sorry. Guess that was insensitive, given that we’re in a bar.” He lifted his beer mug and drank.
Trent signaled to a waitress and got her over to the table in two seconds—always the big advantage of going anywhere with Trent. Waitresses couldn’t wait to serve him. While he ordered, she studied Jason.
She didn’t know him well enough to hold any opinion of him. She’d always taken any computer issues straight to Trent. But office gossip put Jason’s reputation as that of a ladies’ man, and that could be explained by his Irish good looks. His blue eyes sparkled with a touch of mischief, and his tall, lean frame would pull in any woman’s glance. The man was hot—and she was going to bet he knew it.
“What will you have, Tori?” Trent asked while the waitress hovered.
She asked for a white wine and said, “This place is packed.”
“You should see it on weekends.” Trent gestured to the crowd. “Great place for singles.”
Jason gave a laugh. The waitress came back with their drinks and Jason lifted his beer mug. “Which is why you’ll find Trent here most nights.” Trent shook his head, and Jason turned to Victoria. “You’re not seeing anyone, are you?” Before she could answer, he leaned closer. “I always liked you. Quiet. Efficient. Nice and nice to look at.”
He smiled. Victoria shifted in her seat. She glanced at Trent, but he wouldn’t look back. She frowned at Jason.
Any other time, she might have found the attention flattering, but this was a bizarre situation. Trent—a guy she’d said she liked—was sitting next to her, not even looking at her. And here Jason was, seeming like he wanted to flirt. If she hadn’t been so wound up, she might have seen the humor in this, but she felt like she was teetering on the edge of a precipice.
She fiddled with her wine glass. “Thanks. I heard about yo
ur…bad luck.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Gambling is a two way street. Sometimes you go straight up and sometimes right down to the bottom.” She caught a slight accent, a bit of Irish lilt rolled into his word.
“Were you born in Ireland?” It was as good a conversational topic as any. She couldn’t exactly ask the man if he was the genius Trent said he was—meaning good enough to hide his tracks even from Trent.
“Born and raised. Moved here when I was eleven. But I love this country. Plenty of opportunity for a man who’s looking to make a name for himself.”
“And are you looking for such an opportunity?” She sipped her wine, a woody chardonnay with a fresh edge.
“Me? I’m just looking to have a good time and earn good money. And of course, a pretty woman is always worth more than any of those things.” He winked at Victoria. “How about dinner tomorrow? I’d like to cheer you up, and you’d cheer any man’s soul.”
Victoria choked on her wine. “Ah…actually…”
Trent cut in, his voice sharp. “Hey, Jason, how’s the wife? You have a new kid, too, don’t you?”
Jason’s face flushed. “Don’t know why you called me for a drink. Excuse me.” Picking up his drink, he finished it and left.
Victoria turned to Trent. “That went well—not!”
“I didn’t like him hitting on you.”
“Like I can’t take care of myself?” Victoria gulped down her wine to give herself a moment to calm down. Trent had blown it with Jason. From the sound of it, he’d needed Jason’s help, and now Trent would have to do everything on his own. “I have been dealing with guys like that for many years, and I can do so without your expert help.”
“I didn’t like the way—”
“You don’t have a say in that. And, excuse me, but you’re having a baby with another woman, so I don’t think you’re in any position to be a Miss Manners on dating.”
He glowered at her, opened his mouth, and closed it again. Taking a deep breath, he picked up his glass and drained the beer. “Okay. Come on. I’ll take you home.”
Angry, Victoria wanted a fight, not for Trent to give up and give in. Standing, she left her drink. Outside she hugged her arms against the night’s chill. The city’s lights gleamed far too bright around her. She and Trent headed back to her place in silence, and she didn’t want to think about him, so she put her focus on the next step.
In front of her apartment door, she turned to Trent. “I’m going to have to meet with Bob next.”
“What? Why? I though you hate that guy now.”
She fished her phone out of her purse. “Well—duh. Isn’t he next? Old boyfriend. Guy who had access to my computer. How am I going to see how he’s doing, financially and otherwise, if I don’t meet him?”
Trent frowned and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. “I thought he moved out of town.”
“Apparently he’s back. He called and texted me a couple of days ago. In fact he texted the same day all hell broke loose in the office. I should have seen it before—that can’t be a coincidence.”
Trent’s frown tightened. “What did he want?”
She was about to tell him Bob wanted to hook up with her but the look on his face stopped her. Was Trent actually jealous? Damn it! They were not a couple. So what was the big deal about her seeing her ex-boyfriend and him…doing whatever the hell he decided to do with his ex?
Instead of saying anything to Trent, she punched in a text and sent it to Bob before she changed her mind.
Want to meet up tomorrow? Coffee at Delight? Five?
Delight was her favorite bakery and only two blocks from her apartment. A message flashed back.
Yes. See you then.
“It’s on,” she told Trent in a flat voice.
Snatching the phone, he glared at the message. “This isn’t a good idea.”
Certain he’d be pissed off no matter what she said, Victoria decided to keep her mouth shut before they got into a real argument. Turning, she headed into her apartment.
The sooner they solved this mystery and got her life back on track, the sooner she could go back to being the strong one in their relationship. Then she would find a way to help Trent out from his current mess. And they could all get back to normal.
Chapter Seven
Trent glanced at his watch. Ten past five already. He’d have left the office a little earlier but Peter had given him another long list of information he needed regarding the theft. Trent didn’t like it that it seemed like TerraDyn hadn’t let this go—they’d said they weren’t going to charge Victoria, but they were still digging into the files. It might just be that they wanted to know the full extent of all the thefts—or maybe they were building a case. Either way, he didn’t have any intention of being left out of the investigation. He gave Peter everything he’d asked for and kept copies of the files for himself. Now he was ten minutes late to check up on Victoria’s meeting with Bob.
She wouldn’t be pleased. He didn’t care. He’d never liked Bob. The man was vain, impulsive, egotistic, and selfish. And that was just the tip of a very dirty ice berg. Perhaps his dislike for the guy had to do something with the fact that Bob had dated Victoria. That was something that Trent didn’t have—and he wasn’t any closer to getting her into his bed. Cynthia’s news had destroyed the small steps he’d made on Victoria. And now she wasn’t talking to him, either. Trent had called her last night, but she hadn’t picked up her phone. He’d left messages that they needed to sit down and talk, but she hadn’t called back. He would have thought she’d be desperate to find out what his plans were regarding her and the baby, but it seemed she had better things to do.
Opening the door at Delight, the smell of fresh bread, sugar and cinnamon hit him. His mouth watered. He could smell coffee as well, but his stare locked in on a small table where Bob and Victoria were sitting—way too close. Looking up, Victoria’s mouth gaped. Bob glanced around and scowled. Their dislike seemed to be mutual and very much present.
He headed over to their table.
Stiffening, Victoria glared at him. “What are you doing here?”
Pretending he didn’t understand, he smiled. “I just thought exactly the same thing when I saw you two. Came to get coffee and a fresh donut from my favorite place and guess who I run into.” Trent pushed his hands into his pockets. Bob’s mouth lifted in a sneer. Pulling out a hand, Trent picked up a chair and put it next to Victoria. “So Bob? You’re back in town? How is it going?”
“Fine.” Bob folded his arms and leaned back. He faced Victoria again. “Hey, babe, you never did say—how’s work?”
She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Oh, good, you know…same old.”
Trent watched Bob. If he’d been stealing the files, he had to know that Victoria’s login was no longer active—he’d know she’d left the company. Bob didn’t as much as twitch. Bob lifted his coffee. “You should see the great place I’ve got in Manhattan.”
Not far enough away, Trent thought, and now he’s back in my territory. Resisting the urge to kick the guy, Trent leaned back in his chair. “So why are you here?”
He knew Bob worked in a construction firm—doing something. Bob glanced at him. “Just taking a few days off. Had to see someone.” He glanced at Victoria and smiled.
Under the table, Trent’s bunched a fist. He wanted to wipe the smirk off the guy’s face.
Victoria leaned forward as if fascinated. “That’s great to hear!”
“Oh, gag me,” Trent muttered.
“What?” Bob glanced at him—finally.
Trent shook his head. “Just saying, oh, great.”
Bob turned back to Victoria. “So are you dating someone?”
“Not seriously, no. But I do have a special someone in mind.” Trent smiled. That earned him a kick from Victoria under the table. Rubbing his shin, he glanced at her. “Oh, sorry. Were you talking to Tori? My bad.”
Bob curled his upper lip. “Well, are you, Victoria?
” Trent knew Bob had never liked Tori’s nickname.
She picked up her coffee cup. “No, actually, I am not.”
A grin spread across Bob’s face. “Yeah—that was a hard breakup we had. Lotta regret there.”
“Is that a new watch?” Victoria pointed at his arm. “It looks…expensive.”
Bob lifted his arm and flashed the watch. “You bet. Rolex. Got a real good bonus. Kept some of it, thinking of taking a trip to Hawaii. Sunny beaches, cool drinks, sounds a dream, right?”
Trent thought about making a gagging gesture. Tori sipped her coffee. “When are you going?”
Resting his elbow on the table, he flashed his watch again, glancing at the dial. “Haven’t decided yet. Going alone seems a little…boring, you know. I’m hoping to convince someone to come along, all expense paid, you know.” He winked. “Got a little business to clean up first, but extra cash coming means living in style.”
Trent draped an arm over the back of Tori’s chair. “I thought you were taking some time off?”
Victoria turned to him. “Didn’t you want to get some coffee?”
“What—and leave this scintillating conversation? How can I drag myself away? Hey, Bill—”
“That’s Bob.”
“Oh, yeah—Bob. Sorry. I thought the construction industry was going through tough times.”
“You heard wrong. You still stuck playing with your geek toys?”
Trent fused his smile in place. He was not going to be lured into pointing out that he liked being in the same position. “You bet. Geek-o-matic here!”
Shaking his head, Bob turned to Victoria again. “How about we set up a date, say, sometime in the next couple of days? Just the two of us.” He glared pointedly at Trent.
She fiddled with a spoon, smoothing the handle. “Actually, I am a little busy.”
Bob appeared not to hear. Standing up, he peeled off a twenty from a wad of bills. “I’ll call you, babe.”