Saving the Girl Next Door

by Susan Kearney

  “Wow!” Jack glanced at the computer, trying a new angle. The computer case he was eyeing featured a window into the computer’s heart, and neon lighting showed off circuitry. “You’ve got an awesome system. What’s your ping time?” He reached over and started typing on Aaron’s keyboard.

  Aaron leaned down and pressed a button, turning off the power to his system. “I suggest you leave before I call a real cop.”

  “Well, you could do that.” Jack hitched a hip on Aaron’s desk, clearly irritating the entrepreneur. “But we were hoping you might help us out.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Surely you must know something about a computer virus that a student planted in the university computer system back when you attended?” Jack coaxed.

  “Why would I?”

  “Because if you didn’t do it, you probably know who did.”

  Aaron didn’t deny Jack’s accusation. “That was a long time ago.”

  “Something wrong with your memory, dude?” Jack said with just a touch of insult in his tone.

  “I might have known a couple of people capable of pulling off that kind of prank. So what?”

  “Well, we think that prankster might have committed arson to cover up their crime.”

  “There’s been a fire at the university?” Aaron looked puzzled, but a little too pleased with himself. If she’d had him in a police interview room, she would have left to allow her partner to play bad guy and issue a few threats. However, Jack seemed capable of more than holding his own.

  She’d never seen him so intense. He looked like an angry cat, muscles bunched and ready to pounce. And his eyes were such a cool blue that his stare made Aaron shiver.

  “No fire at the university.” Jack spoke calmly but with an edge of granite in his tone. “Just flames at your old professor’s house—but then you knew that, didn’t you?”

  “That’s old news. Of course I knew about the fire. She came here asking me questions about it once before. And I told her I didn’t know anything about it. I still don’t.”

  “But you didn’t tell her what you knew, did you? Hampering an investigation can be considered a crime.”

  Jack was good. He threatened by using innocent words.

  Aaron’s face turned white. “She told me her visit was unofficial. And I read in the paper that she was fired—so I’m assuming this investigation is just as unofficial.”

  “No doubt the arsonist feels safe, since the fire was a while back. Before you built this business. Before you had so much to lose.”

  “Just what the hell are you insinuating?” Aaron shouted, but Piper could smell the fear in him. And his eyes jerked back and forth from her to Jack as if unsure who presented the greater danger.

  “I’m guessing you had the skill to send that virus.”

  “Lots of us did.”

  Aaron didn’t deny he had the skill. A smart move? They would have known if he’d lied and he knew they would know. Most of the criminals she’d dealt with didn’t have half his brains—which made him twice as dangerous.

  “Lots?” Jack prodded.

  “Okay, maybe a handful.” Aaron’s face broke into a sweat. He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and swabbed at his forehead.

  Jack’s voice became conversational. “How about a few names?”

  She marveled at his skill. He could turn his voice from friendly to threatening to casual and back in the blink of an eye. And each mood change could throw Aaron off, possibly cause him to make a mistake and reveal more than he intended.

  Aaron loosened his tie. “I don’t rat out friends.”

  “So now the hacker was a friend of yours?” Jack pressed.

  “Hey, man. I didn’t say that.”

  “Sure you did. You said you knew who had the skill to do it and that you didn’t rat out friends.” Jack folded his arms across his chest. “That could make you an accessory to the crime. Did you help with the arson, too?”

  “No.” Sweat made the glasses slip farther down Aaron’s nose. “I did no such thing. Now, get out. And don’t come back. You have anything else to say to me, you talk to my attorney. Understand?”

  Jack’s voice sank to a dangerous whisper that sent a chill down her spine. “I understand why you are afraid.”

  “Yeah, right.” Aaron tried to play tough, but he looked like a rat running for cover.

  “Because we’re not going to stop until we learn exactly why you are afraid,” Jack promised. He slapped his palm on the desk and stood.

  Aaron flinched and jerked his thumb at the door. “Get out.”

  “We’re going.” Jack’s tone was silky smooth. And then he grinned—like a wolf. “But we’ll be back.”

  And then Jack took Piper’s arm and they calmly strode from the office. She held back a nervous chuckle by holding her breath and didn’t release the air until they’d reached the parking lot. “Jack, you missed your calling.”

  “I did?”

  “Yeah. You play a great good-guy/bad-guy combo all by your lonesome. That was impressive.”

  “Thanks.”

  She cast a glance at him. “But now that I’ve spent more time with you getting to know you better, I’ve realized that your interviewing skill is not the only thing about you that’s impressive.”

  “You don’t stop, do you?”

  She slid her hand down his chest to let her fingers toy lightly at his waistband. “Stop? Not a chance. Not until I get what I want.”

  JACK GRITTED HIS TEETH and tried to ignore the seam of his jeans pressing into his erection. The physical discomfort, as bad as it was, couldn’t compare to the psychological wounds she was inflicting. For him, sex had always been easy and plentiful and nothing to get himself into a lather over. But Piper seemed determined to create a new record of how many times she could arouse him in one day. She’d raised being a pest to a new level. And at the same time that she was challenging him to make love, she was raising protective instincts that cut him off at the knees.

  He ought to just do it and be done. With any other woman, he would have found the nearest motel and worked her out of his system. They’d both have a good time, burn up the lust over a three-day sexfest, say a friendly goodbye…and never see one another again.

  But he couldn’t behave that way with Piper. Not when he’d known her all his life. First and foremost, no matter how much she teased and taunted him, he knew she wasn’t the kind of woman to have a fling and not look back.

  But damn, she looked so fine with her innocent eyes and her sassy mouth that he really, really longed to taste. He had a yen to give her a measure of his lust right this minute, just pull to the side of the road and ravage her mouth, except he wasn’t sure he would be able to stop. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d wanted to kiss a woman so badly. No doubt about it—she had his guts tied up in knots. And he didn’t dare cut loose. Not with Piper—because she had no idea what she was toying with. No idea that the simmering innuendos she kept making were nowhere near as hot and explosive as the ones in his head.

  He’d turned up the stereo’s volume so that he couldn’t hear her teasing. But he could smell her fresh clean hair, the minty aroma of her breath and just a hint of vanilla from either soap or a light perfume.

  Keep your eyes on the road.

  He refused to look at her cascade of long auburn hair with shimmering golden highlights or her deep-green eyes twinkling with amusement.

  As if knowing of his determination not to look at her, she licked her bottom lip, then smoothed the deep-pink gloss with the tip of her pinkie. Damn, he wanted—

  Don’t look at her.

  She fingered the top button of her blouse, unbuttoned it. Then she pulled her shirt from her skin as if she was way too warm. And the loose material allowed him to see the shadow between her breasts, the slight curve where her lacy bra cupped her, and he swallowed hard.

  Don’t look.

  “There.” She raised her arm and pointed to a two-story brick bu
ilding with the sign American Breast Cancer Society.

  Jack parked the car, but he had a problem. His jeans were so tight that walking was going to be painful. He had no idea if Piper guessed his difficulty, but she grabbed her purse, opened the door and stepped out while he sat behind the wheel, gritting his teeth.

  “Would you mind if I go on ahead and use the rest room? I’ll meet you in the lobby, okay?”

  “Sure.” Jack slowly released his seat belt and let out the air he’d been holding. This state of affairs couldn’t go on for much longer.

  After she left, he reviewed his interview with Aaron. And one thing bothered him. Aaron hadn’t tried to sell him a system. According to both Piper and her father, Aaron never lost an opportunity to make a sale. But he hadn’t even tried. And he’d been damned nervous about Jack seeing his equipment. You could tell a lot about a man from his gear. And Aaron had a custom-built little box from Alienware, a hot CPU and video card, lots of fans to remove heat, a silver case with unique logo, a twenty-two-inch NEC monitor, high-end Audigy sound card from Creative Labs and Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 speakers. Not too shabby.

  The dude had bucks and technical knowledge. The picture on the wall of him wearing military fatigues could mean he might have access to mercenary soldiers who for a fee would kill civilians like Vince Edwards. And Aaron disliked cops. But that didn’t make him a criminal. They needed to find out what else he might be hiding.

  Ten minutes later Jack had himself back under control and met Piper in the lobby. She’d freshened her makeup and done something to her hair, sweeping it up off her neck. But tendrils escaped and twisted and curled in the humidity, softening the look. He wanted to explore the graceful lines of her neck with his lips.

  Don’t go there.

  Danna Mudd wasn’t the nerd Piper’s father had led them to believe she was. Tall and slender, she wore a navy suit that emphasized the long lean lines of her toned body. Her black hair was styled in a wispy cut that flattered her long face and straight nose. She looked up from her typing the moment they entered her office, but her fingers never stopped flying across the keys.

  “Come in, please. Have a seat and I’ll just be a moment.”

  Her office was neat, yet warm with personal touches like a picture of her with her arms around a man, and a coffee mug decorated with a pink elephant, its nose curled around a string holding balloons.

  Danna hit the save key, then looked at them with a friendly smile. “Sorry, I had to finish the thought before I lost it. What can I do for you folks?”

  Her friendly attitude, so in contrast to that of Aaron Hodges, wouldn’t deter Jack from asking his questions, but he took his cue from the suspect and responded in kind. “I’m Jack Donovan, and this is Piper Payne.”

  “We once spoke briefly over the phone, right?” Without hesitation Danna shook their hands.

  “You probably remember Piper’s father, too.” Jack wanted to pace instead of sitting beside Piper on the love seat, but he didn’t want Danna to feel as though she was being attacked. So he sat, trying not to let any part of his body come into contact with any part of Piper’s.

  “Professor Payne taught one of my computer science classes at the university.” Danna’s expression was one of fondness. “He was one of my favorite teachers. In fact, I had a crush on him for a short time.”

  At Piper’s raised eyebrows, Danna chuckled. “Oh, nothing ever came of my infatuation. Professor Payne would have been horrified if he’d known I fantasized about him. Well, that’s probably way more than you wanted to know, but I assure you he never had a clue—and I was much too naive to even speak up in class, never mind in any kind of personal way.”

  Jack filed the information away. Danna might be telling the truth. Or she might have had a sizzling-hot affair with Professor Payne and figured that admitting to a crush might sweep away any deeper suspicions. Still, knowing Piper’s dad, Jack couldn’t picture the man cheating on his wife.

  “We were hoping you might help us,” Piper said. “Do you recall a computer virus a few years ago that shut down the university’s systems for a day or two?”

  “Vaguely. Why?”

  “Well, my dad was in charge of investigating the virus. And he kept information about his search at home. Last year an arsonist burned Dad and Mom’s house to the ground.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Danna frowned. “You think whoever started the fire might have done it to burn up the evidence your father collected about the virus?”

  “It’s just a theory,” Piper admitted. She didn’t go into how she’d been framed and lost her job on the police force. “I’m trying to talk to Dad’s old students to see if any of them knew who had written the virus.”

  Danna shook her head. “I was never into hacking. I think that’s a challenge that appeals more to the male gender.”

  “Can you remember any students who were into that kind of thing?” Jack asked.

  “Well, let me think.” Danna closed her eyes, then opened them and stared at Jack. “There’s Aaron Hodges. He used to brag about how he could get into the Defense Department, although I doubt it was true.”

  “Why?” Piper asked.

  Danna shrugged. “Just a feeling. He seemed all talk and no action, but I could be wrong.”

  “Can you think of anyone else?” Jack prodded.

  “Well, there was Easy As Pie. I never knew his real name, but the guy was quite a character. And let me tell you, he gave me the willies. Always wore black. Black shirt, black pants and black trench coat. And he was secretive. Wouldn’t look me in the eye.”

  “Have you any idea where we might find him?”

  “Nope.” Danna grinned. “But I can give you a lead. A few months ago I went bowling with the girls over at Clearwater Lanes. And I saw the guy on the end two alleys. He had one of those custom balls, all black sparkles.”

  “Did you talk to him?” Jack asked.

  “No. He still wears black, and he had a military tattoo on his arm.”

  “You recognized the tattoo?” Jack asked.

  “My brother was in the military.” A fleeting look of pain crossed her face. “Anyway, when I returned my rental shoes, I mentioned Easy As Pie to the clerk, who said he’s there all the time. Never talks to anyone. Creepy.”

  “Thanks.” Jack appreciated Danna’s help; however, he wondered if she’d been just a little too helpful, especially just happening to mention the military tattoo. He suspected that she might know much more than she was saying.

  Jack and Piper left the building. “Let’s head over to Clearwater Lanes and talk to the shoe clerk. Maybe he’ll remember more.”

  “Okay.” Piper batted her eyelashes at him and he steeled himself for another of her blatant come-ons. Sure enough, she didn’t disappoint him. “But bowling wasn’t exactly the kind of recreational activity I had on my mind.”

  LEROY HAD his instructions. And he’d better follow them like a good little soldier. Time was running out for taking care of this little problem and closing the deal.

  The Cayman bank account was set to go. The information was ready and the buyer was salivating to make the purchase. But the buyer was cagey, watching, not willing to take any chances.

  Today the bait was set. Payne and Donovan couldn’t help but nibble. And one nibble would be all it took to finish them off.

  The Shey Group and the police department might suspect foul play, but by the time they put the pieces together, their suspect would be long gone. Living the good life on the French Riviera. Or maybe in Rio. Ah, yes. A hot beach, lots of sunshine. And no more nightmares over a stubborn female cop and her mysterious boyfriend.

  This plan was practically foolproof. Because surely today they would die.

  Chapter Nine

  “We’ve picked up a tail.” Jack had spotted the green sedan almost immediately after leaving the American Breast Cancer Society. But he’d waited a few minutes to be sure of the driver’s identity before speaking.

  Piper sighed. �
�Jack, if you want me to take my clothes off again, you don’t have to pretend that I’ve picked up another bug.”

  He supposed her assumption was his fault. He’d spoken in a conversational tone. And apparently she’d picked up on his laid-back attitude and had followed that to her own conclusions.

  “Look in your mirror at the green sedan. That’s Leroy following us.”

  “Green? I wonder if his paint might match the scrape marks on Vince’s car?” Piper sat up straighter to check the mirror. “Maybe we should stop and have a conversation.”

  “There are lots of green cars on the road.” Jack knew she was itching to face the man who’d accused her of bribery. In her position he’d probably have felt the same way. However, he had to consider all the angles. “It’s odd that he didn’t follow us after we left Venus, but picked us up since our talk with Danna.”

  Piper peered at Jack over the rim of her sunglasses. “Maybe he followed us from Venus’s house, and you missed him.”

  “You have a way of distracting me, Pest—”

  “I’m not a pest.”

  “But I’d have to be comatose—”

  “That could be arranged.”

  “—to miss a tail as inept as he is.”

  Piper scowled at him. “Okay, okay. If you think I’m going to believe that I’m not woman enough to distract the great tail spotter—”

  “You do have a nice one,” he commented, figuring to give her a little payback.

  “Nice what?”

  “A nice tail. Firm. Shapely. The kind a man likes to wrap his hands around.”

  “Jack, don’t you dare put suggestions in my head that you don’t intend to follow through on.” She might be complaining, but he saw the corner of her mouth quirk up at his compliment. In fact, she looked way too pleased with herself. No doubt because he was heating up all over again.

  She pressed the sunglasses back onto the bridge of her nose. “If you don’t want to talk to Leroy, are you going to lose him?”

  “Not yet. Let’s see what he does next.”

  She fluffed her hair, using that as an excuse to check the mirror again. “How did he pick us up at Danna’s office? We didn’t mention our next destination to Venus, did we?”