Tell me what to do here, Father. Give me direction.
Her stomach roiled and she clutched the sink until the nausea passed. She had to eliminate Luke as a suspect once and for all, but with her obvious attraction to him, she needed another person to vet him thoroughly.
She still wasn’t ready to call in her entire family as she didn’t believe they’d leave her in charge of the case, so who should she go to?
Of the other siblings, the only one she could convince to keep mum about the problem was Derrick. She’d have to invoke twin privilege, which meant he couldn’t share anything she said with anyone else. He’d never betrayed her confidence in the past, but he’d been far too protective since Paul, so she couldn’t tell him the whole story or he might insist on bringing in the family. She’d have to give him just enough information to obtain his help. She dug out her phone and dialed his number.
“Twinkie,” he answered, his sleepy voice uttering the nickname he’d given her in kindergarten.
She glanced at her watch. “Don’t tell me you’re still in bed.”
“I had a late-night stakeout.” A long yawn filtered through the phone.
A survivor of many of those stakeouts herself, she was normally understanding of sleeping late, but after discovering Echo, she’d pry her brother out of bed no matter what it took. “I need to meet with you. Now.”
“Why, what’s wrong?” His voice was instantly alert.
She’d have to do better to hide her dismay from him when she talked to him in person or he’d cop his big-brother attitude. Not that he was legally that much of a big brother. He was only three minutes older than she was, but he acted the big brother in every way.
“Can’t a sister want to see her brother for no reason?” She forced her voice to lighten up.
“Some sisters can, but not you.” There was that suspicion again.
“Okay, fine. I have a little problem and need to run it by you.”
She heard him moving around in the background and suspected he was getting dressed. “Is this about the military software you’re reviewing?”
“Yeah. So there’s a coffee place about a mile from here.” She gave him the name and location of a shop she’d stopped at this morning. “How long will it take you to turn into a human and meet me?”
“Give me thirty minutes.”
“Can you make in twenty?”
“Not and look as pretty as I’m sure you’ll look.” He laughed and disconnected.
Despite her angst over Echo, she grinned at their long-standing joke that he was the pretty one in the duo. And he was. In a very manly kind of way, of course.
She stowed her phone, then splashed water on her face before drying it with coarse paper towels. The brief conversation with Derrick had returned some of the color to her face. A good thing, as she had to go back to Luke’s office to retrieve her purse and tell him she was leaving for a bit. He’d already proved he didn’t miss a thing, and he was sure to notice if she resembled a white sheet when she walked in the room.
She pinched her cheeks to add color and set off down the hall. He still sat behind his desk with Tim on the other side. Tim had propped his grubby sneakers up on Luke’s pristine desk, and she doubted that Mr. Military Precision was happy about it.
When Luke caught sight of her, he jumped to his feet. “Everything okay?”
The same question he’d asked just a few minutes ago and nothing had improved since then so she wouldn’t give him a direct answer. Humor was always a good way to deflect.
“I’ve reached my quota of staring at code for the moment.” She forced out a smile. “So I’m going to run out for a little while.”
He stepped around the desk. “Is this about the case?”
She grabbed her wallet from her computer bag. “Something like that.”
He crossed toward her. “Something like that or it is about the case?”
She couldn’t tell him about Echo, and yet she couldn’t lie, so she’d evade. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
She spun, feeling his eyes track her to the door. She heard his footsteps behind her and sensed he’d come into the hallway to watch her walk away. Only knowing him for a day, she was sure he’d made a top-notch SEAL and wished he hadn’t chosen to focus his observation skills on her.
She kept going, but it took everything she was made of not to turn around to see if those razor-sharp eyes were tracking her. She straightened her shoulders and made her steps purposeful until she rounded the corner, where she sighed out a breath. Outside, she climbed into her car and glanced up at his office window. She caught him staring down on her.
Was he watching because he was guilty of sabotaging Crypton and feared she was on to him?
“He’s not guilty,” she muttered as she backed out of the space, but instantly doubted her belief in him. She much preferred to believe he was on her side of this case. Thinking of him as a man who would put soldiers in harm’s way wasn’t palatable at all.
Hopefully this would be resolved after Derrick dug into Luke’s finances. He’d either prove that Luke had paid Echo, that he’d received an advance payment for the sabotage or he wasn’t involved at all.
Three simple choices. All but the last one unacceptable.
Pulling onto the road, she negotiated heavy traffic to the shop. She ordered a large black coffee with an assortment of pastries for Derrick and ordered nothing for herself. She loved a cup of coffee as much as any Portlander, but the acidic drink would only add to the ache in her stomach.
She chose a table where she could see the door and took a seat. Longing to see a familiar face, she kept looking up each time the door opened. Not just any face, but Derrick’s. He’d been there for her since they were old enough to communicate, but he’d stepped up his care when their parents had died in an automobile accident the summer before their tenth birthday. Having no other family, they’d entered the foster care system.
At first, they were placed together. But then on a horrible, horrible day that still brought tears to her eyes, one of the other foster kids set fire to the house. Their foster parents decided they didn’t want to continue fostering, and no one else wanted to take both of them in. So they were separated. Forcefully, as Derrick clung to her and wouldn’t let her go.
After that, he’d tried everything to get them back together. As a last resort, he’d ditched his foster home and approached the lifestyle reporter for the Oregonian, who’d agreed to interview them and run a story. Patricia Justice had seen the article, and before the day had ended, she’d swept them into her burgeoning family and cared for them both until she and Robert had been brutally murdered a few years ago. Dani missed them as much as she still missed her birth parents. Each and every day.
She felt her eyes tearing and she looked up, seeking God’s comfort to stem the flow as she always did when these memories assaulted her.
The bells above the door tinkled and Derrick entered the shop, his eyes instantly seeking her out. A broad smile lit his face when he saw her and, overjoyed to see him, she jumped up. When he arrived at the table, she forgot all about playing it cool. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him hard.
Though they looked alike, he was six inches taller and he pumped iron. So though he was lean like her, he was rock-solid.
He held her for a few moments, then set her away and looked into her eyes. “Hey, what’s all this about?”
She shrugged. “I haven’t seen you for a few days, and I missed you.”
He continued to study her with large brown eyes that were mirror images of her own. “I know life without me is nearly unbearable, but this is overboard even for you.”
She forced out a laugh and gestured at the table. “I got a few goodies for you.”
He dropped into a chair and quirked an
eyebrow. “If you’re encouraging me to eat all of this junk, then something is wrong.”
She sat. “I felt bad for getting you out of bed.”
He rubbed a hand over his wide jaw covered in stubble and watched her. “So what’s going on?”
“Someone sabotaged the software I was hired to review. If the software had been deployed, satphone communications could be overheard.” She made sure to keep her tone level and devoid of the anxiety that still unsettled her stomach.
He took a long sip of his coffee. “Any suspects?”
“SatCom’s owner, Luke Baldwin, is the main suspect right now, though I’m also keeping an eye on their competitor.” She told him about the login from Luke’s home.
“Interesting.” Derrick picked up an apple fritter. “Tell me about Baldwin.”
She did as he chewed on his fritter. She kept to the facts so she didn’t color Derrick’s impression of Luke. “I was hoping you’d look into his finances.”
He set down his pastry and picked up the cup. “Has General Wilder hired you to investigate?”
She shook her head. “Actually Baldwin wants to hire us to clear his name.”
An eyebrow shot up. “So why aren’t you bringing this before the family?”
“Can you see Cole agreeing to work for someone accused of being a traitor?”
Derrick finished chewing. “No, and I honestly can’t believe you’d agree to do it, either.”
“I haven’t told him we’ll take the case,” she said defensively. “I’m just digging a little deeper to see what I can find.”
He scoffed. “Right, like there’s a difference.”
“Let’s not argue over semantics,” she said, hoping to move the conversation along. “Will you look into Baldwin’s finances for me or not?”
“I don’t know, Twinkie.” Unless he used her nickname in greeting, it usually meant she wasn’t going to like what was coming next. “Something about this feels wrong. I think we should bring this to the family before proceeding.”
She shook her head at her cautious brother. “Cole would veto it, and I need to do this.” She sat forward, planning to take his hand, but he moved it to his lap as if he’d read her mind. Sometimes being a twin had its disadvantages.
“Look,” she said. “This is the first computer case of any merit that I’ve seen in years. Don’t deny me the chance to use the skills I’ve worked so hard to develop.”
He didn’t speak or move, proving he was as headstrong as she was at times.
“I’ll continue my investigation, Derrick, whether you help me or not.”
“Fine.” He planted both hands on the table and his cup jumped. “But if I find any hint that Baldwin is up to something, you drop this case immediately. Agreed?”
“Agreed.” She smiled at him. “I don’t have to tell you not to mention this to anyone else, do I?”
“No.”
“Then we’re good?”
He nodded and lifted his cup.
Wanting to be sure that he understood her determination to keep this quiet, she made a fist and held it out. He groaned but lifted his fist and bumped hers.
“Wonder twins power activate,” they recited together, then both laughed as they had since the eighties when they’d seen the Wonder Twins on television as part of the Super Friends show. From that day on, they’d continued to use the superhero duo’s slogan and fist-bump whenever they formed a secret pact. As children, they went around fist-bumping all the time. Now it only came out on special occasions and usually only in private.
“So,” she said, “do you think you can have something for me by the end of the day?”
He sputtered and nearly choked on his coffee. “Really? You know how hard it is to get financial records.”
She grinned at him. “For most people, but not for a superhero investigator like you.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’ll start on it this morning, but Ethan’s nagging me to finish another project so I’ll have to spend most the afternoon on that.”
“What about tonight?” Her need to find Echo permeated her tone.
Derrick arched a brow and she looked away so he couldn’t get a read on her desperation to find Echo.
“Look at me,” he commanded, a hint of anger in his tone.
She usually ignored him when he was being so obstinate, but ignoring him right now would only make him probe deeper. She thought about happy things like Cole’s upcoming wedding and Kat’s recent marriage to Mitch to clear her mind, then looked at her twin.
He studied her as if she were one of the lying homicide suspects he’d interrogated during his years on the Portland police force. “You’re doing a good job of hiding whatever’s bothering you, but you know I’ll figure it out. You’ll be in a world of hurt if it’s something you should be sharing with me right now.”
She didn’t answer. Couldn’t answer without lying, and she’d never lie to Derrick. She’d simply hope that as the person who knew her better than anyone else in this world, he didn’t dig any deeper and find out about Echo. If he did, he’d halt the investigation, thus ending her dream of heading it up before it even began.
She stood. “I really need to get back to SatCom.”
Derrick came to his feet, too, and blocked her exit. “Don’t do anything foolish, Dani. Watch your back and suspect everyone.”
Telling her how to do the basics of the job was going too far. Even if she was hiding something from him and needed his help, she wouldn’t let him boss her around.
She crossed her arms. “I can take care of myself, you know.”
“But you don’t have to now, do you? Not when you have a family of experts to help.”
“I’m not rethinking bringing them in on this, so don’t even try to talk me into it.”
He took a step closer and laid a hand on her shoulder. “After what you told me, I’m rethinking my decision and I’m not letting you walk out that door until we talk about it.”
“Calling you was a mistake.”
“Then why did you?”
“At the moment, I don’t have a clue.”
He arched a brow and watched her like a hawk.
Wondering how she’d gone from hugging him to wanting to throttle him in less than ten minutes, she shrugged off his hand. “We’ve been over this a thousand times. You may be my twin and I love you, but that doesn’t give you the right to boss me around. If you choose not to do this for me, I understand. But please don’t break my trust and tell the others.” She sidestepped him and marched toward the door.
“Be careful, Twinkie,” he called after her.
She hurried to her car and offered a quick prayer for safety. She knew God was watching over her, but she also knew He’d given her abilities to help protect herself and others. She opened her gun safe. After seating the clip and holstering the weapon, she slid it onto her belt. She didn’t need Derrick telling her to be careful. She may need to work this case as much as she needed to breathe, but with Echo in the picture, she knew full well that taking great care was the only sure way to stay alive.
* * *
Wondering what was keeping Dani, Luke paced the floor in his office and glanced out the window as he’d done every few minutes since she’d left. He didn’t like the thought of her out there on her own. She’d hinted that her trip had to do with the case, so why hadn’t he insisted on going with her?
Simple. After the way she’d reacted when he’d butted in with Eggleston, she would’ve gotten mad at him if he’d pressed the issue. At the time, he thought that was important. But now, when he didn’t know if she was safe, he’d take mad over the worry eating at him.
What if she’d gone to meet Eggleston and the homeless man?
Luke didn’t know her all that well, but he did know that taking
risks was part of who she was. He didn’t doubt for one minute that she would meet Eggleston on her own. If he and God were talking, Luke would offer a prayer for her safety. But that hadn’t helped his mother and sister, so why should he think it would help Dani?
He saw a car pull through the security booth and watched it cross the lot and park. After a few moments, Dani slid out, coming to stand on those legs that seemed to go on for miles. She brushed a hand over her hair, taming long strands softly blowing in the breeze.
He drew in a deep, cleansing breath and hissed out his anxiety. Not wanting her to know he’d been watching for her, he took a seat behind his desk and dug into his employee files. When she entered his office, he looked up and planned to act casual, but then he saw the gun strapped on her belt, and he jumped to his feet.
“Where have you been?” he spit out like a scolding parent.
Irritation flared in her eyes, but she said nothing and took a seat behind her computer. Of course she kept quiet. He’d come on like a caveman who’d dragged his woman home. He needed to back off and rephrase.
“I’m sorry for sounding like a drill sergeant.” She didn’t look up, so he crossed the room. “You stowed your weapon after we left Eggleston’s house and now you’re carrying again.”
She glanced down at her gun as if surprised to see it. “I often carry when working a case.” Her words were measured and flat when he’d expected anger directed his way.
“You didn’t say where you went,” he said, hoping she’d take pity on him and share.
“I didn’t, did I?” She opened her laptop and focused on the screen. She may not sound angry, but he suspected she wasn’t happy with him at all.
He took the chair across from her, bending lower to draw her attention from the computer. She gazed at him; her rich brown eyes met his and didn’t hold even a hint of what she was feeling.
“I’d like to think we’re partners in this investigation and that we’re working together,” he said, hoping to connect with her. “If you run off, how am I supposed to make sure you don’t come to any harm?”
Thread of Suspicion Page 6