“We’re still trying to piece together how your father fits into the mix, but we have confirmed that Fai Meng has ties to Chinese intelligence.”
“Great.”
“When do you leave for Tokyo?”
“Next Friday.”
Ghost got up and crossed to a tall wooden cabinet. He pulled open the door to reveal shelves of various electronic equipment and reached into a plastic organizer and fished out a flash drive that looked similar to the one Fai had given him.
“Take this. Before you copy your father’s hard drive for Fai, I want you to make a copy for us.”
“What do you expect to find?”
“Answers.” Ghost dropped the drive into Devin’s outstretched hand.
“The sooner, the better.”
* * *
Grace sat across the kitchen table from her grandfather, the sandwiches she had made them for lunch remaining untouched.
“Are you sure this is a message from Devin?” Grandpa asked, holding up the printout Grace had given him of the hotel advertisement.
“It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
“None of this is making any sense to me,” he admitted. “Chinese diplomats in your apartment, Devin lying to you, and now this ad from the hotel you stayed at. Normal people don’t communicate like this.”
“Which is why I think Devin really is working in some kind of intelligence job.”
“What do you think this message means?”
“I think it’s his way of saying he’s okay and that he still loves me.”
“And?” He took a bite of a pickle. “What do you think he expects you to do now? You’ve been here two weeks, but no one has shown up looking for you at the old place.”
“Maybe he can’t come to the US right now, and that’s why he sent me the e-mail,” Grace said, hoping she was right. “He’s supposed to be in Hong Kong through September.”
“That may be cutting it close for when these babies are coming.”
“I’m not due until late December.”
“And you said yourself the doctor told you to be ready for them as early as September,” he reminded her. He took a bite of his sandwich, chewing slowly. “Have you considered going to visit Devin’s parents? Leaving a message with the folks at the old ranch is one thing, but maybe you should give Devin an easier time of finding you.”
“I’m not sure they’ll pass a message on to him. They want me out of his life, and the last thing they’re going to do is help us stay together.”
“I guess that’s true considering how they acted at Devin’s graduation,” he said. “Maybe you need to leave a message with Molly. You said yourself that’s probably who he would contact to find you.”
“You’re right. I’ll have to think about how I can talk to her without making it easy for anyone to find me through her.” She held up a hand. “And, yes, I know I’m being paranoid, but I think that’s another thing Devin wanted me to understand when he sent me this.” She motioned to the printout that now lay on the table between them. “I think he wants me to know that I need to be careful.”
“That may be. And on that note, there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What’s that?”
“I think it’s time I hire someone to come in and help with the housework and the cooking.”
“Grandpa, I’m perfectly fine with cooking. The doctor just said I need to be careful with things like vacuuming and mopping.”
“And I don’t want to take any chances with you or those babies,” he insisted. “Although I was hoping you could help me find someone. I have my hands pretty full getting ready for our first guests this weekend.”
“I really don’t think it’s necessary.” She saw the look on her grandfather’s face that told her he had his mind made up. “But if you want me to help find someone, I’m happy to do whatever I can.”
“Good.” He took another bite and leaned back in his seat. “Now, any idea what you’re going to name these babies?”
Grace let out a sigh. “Not a clue.”
Chapter 26
Devin couldn’t remember the last time he’d visited his dad on a business trip. Two hours at their hotel was all it took for him to remember why he never traveled with his father.
Though they were supposed to meet for a late dinner on Friday night, he had yet to see or hear anything from his dad beyond a message at the front desk that said he was running behind schedule.
Devin had hoped his father would offer to let him share his hotel room, but that would have made things too easy. His luck wasn’t running toward easy. Instead, here he sat in his own hotel room waiting for his dad to call.
He tried watching television, but he ended up pacing the narrow room from one end to the other. He hated everything about this. Spying on his dad, lying about his relationship with Grace, trying to figure out who was working with him and who was working against him.
The very possibility of his father being involved in the intelligence business sent chills through him. His whole life he had known his father to be a workaholic and a frequent traveler, but never had he thought to look beyond the obvious. Now he only hoped that any involvement on his dad’s side would put them on the same team.
The hotel room phone rang, and Devin forced himself to let it ring a second time before he pounced on it. “Hello?”
“Devin. Sorry, but I just got out of my last meeting.”
“Do you want me to meet you in your room, and we can order room service?”
“No, thanks. I already ate.”
“Oh.” His heart sank. He had hoped to get this spy business out of the way early so he could unearth the answers to the many questions burning through him.
“I thought we could meet for breakfast in the morning.”
Devin tried not to think about the fact that his father apparently wasn’t in any hurry to see him. Reminding himself to be patient, he asked, “What time is good for you?”
“I’ll meet you in the hotel restaurant around eight.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.” Devin hung up and paced across the room. He looked at his watch and headed for the door. Time to get some food and find something to distract him from his real purpose for being here. What had ever made him think he could work in the spy business?
* * *
Grace walked out of Dr. Gilmore’s office with a sense of relief. Her new doctor indicated that her babies were growing well, and so far he didn’t see any indications that she would have complications. Though she was barely four months pregnant, her stomach was now too large to hide beneath baggy clothes.
She had made a point to tell the doctor she didn’t want to know the sex of her babies when he had performed the ultrasound. Though she was beyond curious to know what she was having, she simply couldn’t bring herself to find out without Devin with her. Maybe she was being foolish, or maybe she was being optimistic. Either way, the important thing was that everything looked good so far.
Her doctor, a man in his forties who specialized in high-risk pregnancies, seemed to understand her need for reassurance. She was grateful he had been able to give it to her.
She knew from meeting with her previous physician that many things could change throughout her pregnancy, but knowing that the stress of the past few weeks hadn’t caused any negative effect on her children was exactly what she’d needed to hear today.
What she hadn’t wanted to hear was her doctor’s instructions to start taking it easy. Beyond the many household chores on her banned list, he also didn’t want her lifting anything over ten pounds. So much for sorting through all the boxes in her closet.
She hated knowing she wouldn’t be able to do much physical labor to help her grandfather with the ranch, especially since the first guests were arriving today. He had hired help for many aspects of the new business, but profit margins would be so much healthier if she could take on some of the tasks he planned to pay for. Bringing in household help would take yet ano
ther chunk of profits away from her grandfather’s new venture.
Torn between wanting to help and wanting to do everything she could to protect the two lives growing inside her, Grace drove back to the ranch. The babies won the internal battle with barely a fight.
She pulled into the drive and noticed a car parked next to the bungalow closest to the house. Apparently their first guests had arrived while she’d been in town. She climbed out of her grandfather’s truck and started toward the house when she heard a familiar voice.
“Grace Harrington? Is that you?”
Grace turned, surprised to see Caleb’s friend, Sean Tanner, walking toward her. She hadn’t seen him at all since the night of Caleb and Molly’s wedding. The night of her wedding.
“Sean. What are you doing here?”
“I was about to ask you the same question.” His eyes dropped to her swollen abdomen. Surprise and speculation flickered over his face when his gaze lowered to the rings on her left hand. “It seems a lot has changed since I saw you last.”
“Yes, it has,” Grace agreed. “I gather you’re staying here for the weekend.”
“Yeah. I needed to get out of the heat for a few days.”
“Tired of 115-degree days in Phoenix?”
“You know it.” He motioned to her. “What about you? How long are you in town for?”
“Actually, I’m here for a while. My grandfather owns this place.”
“No way. Your grandfather is Quentin Harrington?”
“Yeah.” Her eyebrows drew together at his familiarity. “Do you know him?”
“All my life. He and my grandpa have been friends since high school. My dad is one of the investors in this place.”
“Really?” Grace thought about the partnership agreement she had looked over just last week. She had never put it together that Clayton Tanner was the same Clayton Tanner who owned car dealerships all over the Phoenix area.
He motioned to her wedding ring. “So who’s the lucky guy? Last time I saw you, sparks were flying between you and Devin Shanahan.”
“Actually, my husband is overseas right now. That’s why I’m staying here with my grandfather for the next couple months.”
“I thought I heard you’d moved to New York.”
“I did. The big-company thing wasn’t for me,” Grace said. “I’m actually starting my own financial planning business here in Colorado.”
“That’s great.” Sean motioned to his bungalow. “I guess I’d better finish unloading. My brother and I are heading out to the lake this afternoon to do some fishing.”
“Have fun. Let me know if you need anything.”
“I will.” He took a step back. “And Grace?”
“Yeah.”
“Congratulations on your new family. Your husband’s a lucky guy.”
“Thanks.” She started for the house, a hollow feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. How lucky could he be if their only means of communication was through a cryptic e-mail?
* * *
Devin fought the urge to fidget as he waited for his father Saturday morning. He had arrived at the restaurant five minutes before eight. That had been thirty minutes ago.
He stood when his father finally appeared at the entrance. As usual, he was dressed in a tailored suit, his shirt freshly pressed. The royal blue handkerchief in his pocket matched his tie, and Devin suspected his haircut and manicure were recent.
“Good to see you, son.” Boyd reached out and shook Devin’s hand as though they were business associates rather than family.
“You too.” Devin waited for his father to take a seat before reclaiming his own. “How has your trip been so far?”
“Busy.” Boyd opened his menu briefly, took a quick study, and set it aside. The moment he did, a waiter appeared. After they ordered, his father asked, “How have things been with you? How is the job?”
“The job is good. I’m learning a lot, and it’s been great to immerse myself in Cantonese again.”
“And the girl? Have you taken care of everything where she is concerned?”
“Things are still in progress, but I expect everything will be sorted out in the next few months.”
“Good.” He gave a satisfied nod. “Glad to hear it.”
Devin fought against the myriad emotions that threatened to surface. He had a job to do, and he couldn’t let his father’s narrow-mindedness get in the way. When he was sure he could speak calmly, he asked, “What do you have planned for today? Do you have time to do some sightseeing with me?”
“I have some meetings this morning, and I need to call Maureen before it gets too late in the US.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t bring your secretary with you.”
“It wasn’t necessary for such a short trip.” He glanced at his watch. “Why don’t we meet back here around one, and we can spend some time in the city. I could use a little downtime after the week I’ve had.”
“That sounds good.” Devin hesitated when their food was served but then asked, “How are Liwei and Jun? I haven’t spoken to either of them lately.”
“Liwei is busy getting ready for some dinner party your mother has planned for next week, but I haven’t seen Jun lately.”
“Have you ever considered bringing Jun back on full-time? It seems she’s there a lot anyway helping out.”
“We really don’t have the need.”
“It just seems odd not having her living at home anymore.”
“Things change,” he said. “Tell me about your place in Hong Kong. I hope it’s bigger than where you lived for your internship.”
“Much.” Devin changed the subject. “How’s work going? You have a client here in Tokyo?”
“Tokyo is a convenient place to meet in this part of the world,” he said. “Your mother asked if you’ll be home for Christmas.”
“That’s five months away. I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
After they finished eating, Devin walked his father back to his hotel room. He wasn’t surprised when his father dismissed him at the door, promising to call when he returned to the hotel.
Devin took note of his father’s room number and made his way back to the lobby. He found a quiet spot in a corner where he could watch the door without being in plain sight. Twenty minutes later, his father left, and Devin returned to his father’s room.
He looked up and down the hall. Once he was sure he was alone, he slid the keycard Ghost had given him into the electronic lock. The seconds ticked by, every one feeling like an eternity. Finally the red light turned green, and Devin pulled the door handle, relieved when it opened.
He slipped inside the dark room, waiting for a moment to make sure he was really alone before flipping on the light.
His search of the room took only three minutes and revealed what he had assumed. His father had taken his laptop with him.
Chapter 27
Every time Devin thought he might get a moment alone with his father’s laptop, his dad did something to make sure it didn’t happen. The man even took it with him to the bathroom rather than leave it alone with Devin for two minutes.
Two minutes was all he needed, but at this rate, he didn’t know how he was going to get even a few seconds with it.
He was running out of time, and the implied threats against Grace continued to haunt him despite Ghost’s assurances. Devin had extended his trip to Tokyo so he would fly out on the same day as his father, but tonight was his last opportunity to complete his mission.
With his father once again at a meeting, his laptop in tow, Devin retreated to his room and pulled out the secure phone he used to contact Ghost.
“Any luck?” Ghost asked the moment he answered.
“No. I don’t know what to do.” Devin explained the events of the weekend and his lack of success. “How am I supposed to plug a flash drive into my dad’s computer if he doesn’t trust me to be alone with it for even a few minutes?”
“I hate to tell you this, but you may
have to resort to drugging him.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Where are you having dinner tonight?”
“We aren’t. He has a business dinner. I’m not supposed to see him until tomorrow morning when we’re headed to the airport.”
“We’re going to have to change that,” Ghost said simply.
“How?”
“You need to run into your father tonight.”
Devin heard the confidence in Ghost’s voice, and his own boosted up a notch. “Sounds like you have a plan.”
“Always.”
* * *
Grace didn’t know what she was going to do. She stared at the numbers on her computer screen, but no matter how hard she tried, she didn’t know how she was going to make ends meet on the minimal salary her grandfather could afford to pay her.
Even with her insurance and room and board provided, the simple truth was that she had spent the majority of her funds buying her way out of her contract in New York, and what little she had remaining was quickly disappearing in the form of maternity clothes and copays.
She also desperately needed her own car. She wasn’t terribly picky when it came to what she drove, but living in Colorado, four-wheel drive was a must.
She didn’t want to think about what it would cost to buy diapers and clothing for two babies, much less the larger items, such as car seats and cribs. After looking over her grandfather’s financials, she knew he didn’t have any extra money to spare right now either. The majority of his liquid cash needed to stay in reserve for unexpected repairs and working capital.
Though her grandfather had insisted she hire someone to help with housework, they had ultimately compromised with settling for a weekly cleaning service, at least until the business was a little more established. If only she could get her own business up and running, but finding clients required her to meet people. So far, the only people she had met in town were her doctor and a few of her grandfather’s employees—not exactly the kind of people who had a lot of money lying around to invest.
She needed another source of income, but who would be willing to hire someone for only a few months? Once the babies came, she didn’t want to be tied to an office job.
Kept Secrets Page 16