“Mr. Tilford,” I said, my hand outstretched as he rose to meet me halfway across the room.
“Mr. Everett.”
Elliott Wallace was lounging on a leather sofa off to one side, looking through a magazine—at least, pretending to. I could feel his eyes on me; I could feel him judging me just as he had at the morning meeting today. He didn’t think I should be on this case, at least in the capacity I was. Even I wasn’t sure I could meet David’s expectations. But I was happy to be given the opportunity to try.
“How do we do this?” Tilford asked.
“Why don’t we have a seat and you can tell me about your current security. Then I’d like to walk around, see how things function.”
“Okay.” Tilford pulled up a couple of chairs and took a seat. “We run a pretty basic system here. Cameras in all the high traffic areas as well as the research vault. All the cameras feed to the monitors downstairs.”
“Do you have monitors up here, too, or does everything go through the security system downstairs?”
“It’s all downstairs.”
“And the vault? Is it locked all the time?”
“Just during the night.”
I gestured for him to continue.
“We have security passes that people must wear to get onto our two floors, including guests. They must check-in downstairs to get the pass. The receptionist checks the passes as they enter one or the other floor. We only allow people on these floors who have appointments and who checked-in downstairs.”
“But sometimes people slip through.”
Tilford shook his head. “Never.”
I spread my arms a little, so he could see I wasn’t wearing in sort of badge. “The security guard wasn’t at his desk when I arrived and the receptionist never asked for a pass.”
Tilford’s face reddened. Elliott cleared his throat, clearly not impressed by my little game. I didn’t acknowledge either. I stood, suggesting we go for a walk.
Tilford led the way, taking me first to the research room where the large, bank-style vault was built into the back corner of the room. We were able to go inside and walk around, touch just about anything that we felt the desire to touch. I even picked up and handled a couple of microchips that probably should have been better contained than just sitting out on a shelf in their plastic holders.
From there, we walked down the main corridors, passing several open office doors with computers and research just laid out open on desks and worktables. On the fourth floor, things were pretty much the same. We weren’t questioned by the receptionist, and we found plenty of open doors and exposed research. I was frankly surprised they hadn’t been robbed before.
Throughout the walk, I said nothing. Elliott repeatedly inserted himself into Tilford’s running commentary, suggesting in the vault that a timed lock be placed on the outer door and pointing out the lack of diligence on the part of the receptionist. It was as though he felt like I hadn’t noticed those things or something. I just let him talk, a little annoyed at his interruption of my line of thought.
When we were back in Tilford’s office, Elliott resumed his seat on the couch, but he didn’t pick up a magazine. He watched as Tilford and I sat across from one another again.
“You’ve been quiet,” Tilford said.
“I have a couple more questions.” I sat back, wondering what Elliott would say to David when this was all done. “The security guard downstairs, is he certified?”
Tilford shook his head. “I wouldn’t know. He’s an employee of the real estate group that owns this building.”
“And the research vault…who has access to it?”
“Everyone who works on this floor.”
I bit my lip, holding back a groan.
“Well…the first thing I would do is rip out all the surveillance cameras on these two floors. And then I’d fire the receptionists and hire actual security personnel—certified personnel—to man the main desks.”
“Excuse me?”
“And then I would have David and his crew come in to install wireless cameras in all the corridors, all the offices, and the elevator that would send real time footage to the reception desks and the server back at our offices. There should also be a card reader installed on the elevator so that visitors would be required to scan their visitor passes through before the elevator would rise to these two floors. And then I would install state-of-the-art sensors in the vault that would tell the security guards at the reception desks when someone removes an item, who removed it, and how long it’s been absent from its place in the vault, that way you will always have record of who touched those items. Then, like a proper bank vault, I would have a timer lock placed on the vault to keep it from opening during the night and a biometric lock that would remain locked throughout the day, allowing access only to those with real business inside that vault.”
“Do you know how expensive all of that would be?”
I looked him in the eye and said, “Less expensive than having four of your most promising research projects stolen out from under you.”
He seemed outraged by the suggestion. His eyes widened and his mouth opened, as if he wanted to argue but couldn’t find the words.
“With the lax security you have around here, it’s like you think you’re running a real estate business rather than a technology company. The things you do here are meant to be kept very quiet until you’re prepared to go public with them. In order for that to happen, you have to have tight security. How do you think our thief found out about the items he stole?”
“How do we know he knew about them before hand?”
“Because he was up here a total of about five minutes. That’s a man who knew exactly what he was going for and exactly where it would be. And you didn’t make it that difficult for him. He was able to get up to the fifth floor and get the vault open in less than two minutes. If you had the upgrades I’m suggesting, it would have taken him at least five minutes to get up to the floor, let alone get the vault open.”
“If we’re only slowing him down—”
“We’re not just slowing him down. We’re making it as hard as humanly possible and we’re taking away reliable foreknowledge.” I shook my head. “I know absolutely nothing about technology, but I know that your company has already developed a prototype of a microchip that will make cellphones smarter and more capable of running a dozen apps all at once. And I know that you’re also working on a device that will make virtual reality look like Atari compared to PlayStation 4.”
“How do you—?”
“Because the information was just lying around on your employees’ desks. All I had to do was sift through the papers and read a snippet here and there and I knew all about two of your major projects. How much do you want to bet our thief did the same thing, or knew someone who had?”
Tilford developed this thoughtful look on his face.
“I’m not trying to belittle you, Mr. Tilford,” I said, even though that was kind of what I was doing, “but you have got to make some serious changes to your security if you don’t want something like this to happen again. All that thief had to do was enter a few keystrokes on his computer and he was in and out of here like the things he took never existed.”
“What about the woman?”
“The woman was a decoy. A game he plays. He probably didn’t even need her, but it’s become his thing. He likes to leave a used, bitter woman behind to confuse the police.”
Tilford nodded. “Okay,” he said. “Tell your boss I’d like to talk about getting those things done first thing in the morning.”
I stood and shook his hand. “Thank you for allowing me to advise you.”
Tilford’s eyebrows rose. “You are quite the salesman, Mr. Everett. If you ever think about changing professions, let me know. We could use someone like you down in our PR department.”
I forced a smile—even though that was probably the last thing I’d want to do. “I will.”
I nodded to Elliot
t who was still watching me quite closely from the couch. He didn’t move and didn’t acknowledge my gesture. He just watched as I turned and walked out of the room.
Tilford’s personal assistant smiled at me as I walked past her desk. She was really attractive with this Asian thing going on that reminded me of a woman I met while I was stationed at Pendleton. Sexy. Exciting. Fun. Completely out of my league.
I was almost grateful to be behind the wheel of my SUV and headed back to the compound, my mind already working through the information on the thief I’d gathered with Detective Snider today.
It was a puzzle that my mind was already working to put together. I would figure out who this guy was and what his motivations were. I might even be able to figure out who hired him to steal from Tilford Technology. If I could do it fast enough, I might be able to get the technology back before too much damage had been done. That was the ultimate goal, wasn’t it?
I could do this. I would do this.
Chapter 9
At the Compound
Elliott looked uncomfortable.
“How did it go? Was Tilford open to Nolan’s suggestions?”
“He was.”
David frowned, sensing that Elliott was not pleased with the way the discussion between Nolan and the client went. He came around his desk and leaned against it, watching his operative with open curiosity.
“Did Nolan not conduct himself well?”
“He was quiet. Polite.”
“But not rude?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“He didn’t do things the way I would have done them. Or Ingram. Or Alexander. He was quiet, respectful. He listened carefully to everything Mr. Tilford told him. And then he was honest. Brutally honest without actually losing the polite factor.”
“Sounds like he did a good job.”
Elliott inclined his head. “He did a very good job.”
“Then why do you look like the guy who has to turn in his coworker for insubordination?”
He grinned, one of those shit-eating grins that men get when they have to admit they were wrong. And that’s exactly what he was about to do. The knowledge of that made David want to grin, too, but he held back on it, held it in to save Elliott unnecessary embarrassment.
“I’m still wary about this guy, but I’ll admit when I’m wrong. And I was wrong. He handled the thing like a pro and recommended things that would never have crossed my mind. I’m a little ashamed of myself for not knowing more about security.”
David smiled. He couldn’t help it.
“And the rest of it? How’s the bodyguard duty going?”
“Fine. The man rarely leaves his office.”
“Okay. Go home, Elliott.” David clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t beat yourself up too much. I wouldn’t have given this case to Nolan if I thought he couldn’t handle it.”
“I know. I’m sorry I was rude about it.”
“Don’t worry about it. I only asked you guys to give him a chance—and that’s what you’re doing.”
Elliott got up and headed toward the door. “Tell Ricki we miss having her around down here.”
David’s smile widened. “She’ll love hearing that.”
David straightened up his desk after Elliott left, glancing over the email Matt Tilford had sent him, requesting thousands of dollars of security services. There was a report paper clipped to it from Nolan, too. He’d known for hours what Elliott had come to tell him. But he was glad Elliott had come. He was glad the man knew when to admit he was wrong.
They were all wrong. David knew it from the beginning, and he knew it now. Nolan would prove to be one of their best operatives and, eventually, he would find a way to fit in with the others.
He headed upstairs, exhaustion weighing on his shoulders. It was late, but not as late as it could be. Still, he should have been upstairs more than an hour ago to say goodnight to his son. He felt guilty when he wasn’t able to do things like that, but he had a business to run and weeks of work to catch up on after taking care of both Chase and Ricki from the day of her diagnosis. He was glad to have the help, but worried that having Pepper around was proving to be too difficult for his wife.
Robert Dennison was not a good man. Yes, he married a woman with two small children, taking them into his home without hesitation. But his motivations were not completely unselfish. Ricki rarely talked about it, but when she did, this dark sludge would slide over David’s soul, making him angry and sick and disgusted not only with this man, but with the entire male race. No child should have to endure the things Ricki did. Was it any wonder she didn’t trust him when they first met, that she only took him into her bed because he was in a wheelchair and couldn’t dominate her? Was it any surprise that when he underwent surgery that restored his ability to walk that she ran away, disappeared from his life for more than six months before he finally convinced her with a romantic proposal that he was still the same man, just a little taller?
It took a long time for Ricki to trust him. And now he’d brought this woman into their lives who reminded her of all the reasons why she didn’t trust him all those years ago. Was that a mistake? Maybe.
She was a curled up against her pile of pillows when he slipped into the bedroom. He moved as quietly as he could, jumping into the shower before crawling into bed behind her. She shifted when she felt the weight of his body move the bed.
“What time is it?” she asked groggily.
“A little after eleven.”
She groaned. “I feel like I sleep all the time now.”
“You’re growing a human being. You’re allowed to sleep as much as you want.”
She rolled toward him, her swollen belly following her movements. “I’m a freaking whale. I don’t remember gaining this much weight with Chase.”
David ran his hand over her swollen belly, chuckling softly when the baby shifted under his hand.
“I think you’re beautiful,” he said with his lips a breath from her cheek.
She touched his face, her thumb sliding over his bottom lip. “I love you.”
“I know.”
She laughed. “That’s some answer.”
He kissed her. “I love you, too.”
She moaned softly as she rolled into him. “I miss you. I wish you could be here all day long, just lying here in bed with me.”
“I know, babe. But we have this pesky thing called a business to run.”
“Can’t we just put it on hold until the baby comes?”
“Sure. We’ll just pay the operatives, the analysts, Annie, and Kipling out of our personal accounts.”
“We can afford it.”
That was true. Between the sale of her website and his family money…but it wasn’t really an option.
“How’s it been with Pepper?”
She groaned. “She has suggested that we no longer talk to each other.”
“That sounds productive.”
Ricki shrugged. “When we talk, we tend to fight. And she made it pretty clear that she’s only here because she wants to know Chase, anyway.”
“Do you think that’s the real reason why she came? Because she wanted to meet him?”
Ricki was quiet for a long moment. “I don’t know,” she finally said. “I think she’s here because she’s in trouble. That’s what my brother pretty much said, too. He told me she never goes to see him unless she needs some sort of help, even if it’s just a place to stay for a while.”
“That doesn’t mean that’s why she’s here.”
“Then why is she here? Why won’t she just say it?”
He ran his hand over her belly, letting it linger as he struggled to say what he wanted to say in as kindly as he could.
“You were important to her once upon a time. She was very young when you left, probably too young to really understand why you left. Maybe she sought you out to find out why.”
Ricki shook her head. “She’s a smart gi
rl. I’m sure she understands perfectly well.”
“You don’t know what happened in that house after you left.”
“I have a pretty good idea.”
“He got sick and died. You’ve known that a long time.”
“Yes, but there were a good four, five years between my leaving and his getting sick. And I know there were multiple police reports filed against him, all of which produced nothing because my mother always refused to press charges. Why she ever called the police, I’ll never understand.”
“He was a drunk. He was violent.”
“Yes. And she was the same age I was when my mother married him. I know what he did and she probably blames me for it. That’s why she’s really here, to get revenge for what I left her to.”
“You don’t know that.”
“He was cruel, David. You have no idea how bad it was. I went to my mother, told her what he was doing, and she refused to listen to me. She actually had the gall to set me down and tell me that we were in a good place and I was threatening it all with my false accusations.”
“I know, babe,” he said, pulling her a little closer, trying to soften the blows he knew were still raining on her all these years later. “I hate that she would do that, but she did and there’s nothing we can do to change it.”
“But I bet she didn’t do the same thing to her.”
“Ricki—”
“Everyone loved Pepper so much! They treated her like she was a princess or something. She actually had this little tiara she wore around the house all the time. Everyone wanted to be close to her, wanted to be the one to take care of her. And she chose me most of the time.”
“She adored you.”
“And I left her to that monster, to a mother who was useless when it came to protecting her children. I left her to suffer. And now she comes to find me? Now, after seventeen years? You really think that’s a coincidence?”
“So, either she’s in trouble, or she’s come to make trouble?”
“What other reason could there be?”
“Maybe she just wanted to see her sister.” David ran his hand over her belly again, smiling once again when the baby kicked his palm. “I know this has been hard, that her presence here has conjured up bad memories. But you have to give her the benefit of the doubt or you’ll drive yourself crazy.”
CHASING PEPPER (Gray Wolf Security, Texas Book 5) Page 6