by Barb Han
“What are you doing here?” Now he sounded put out. “I walked away from that job.”
“I’d like to ask you a few questions,” Dash said.
“You can start by answering mine.” Sheldon glared at Raina. “What is she doing here?”
The kid didn’t seem scared or guilty. Then again, with an IQ that had him finishing both high school and college a year early, he might be the smartest guy in the room. Duly noted. What the kid had in IQ, Dash had in experience.
Sheldon leaned into the doorjamb and held the door close to his body, effectively blocking their view to the inside of his place.
“You know Raina Andress,” Dash countered. He pulled his badge from his hip clip and showed it to Sheldon.
People reacted one of two ways when they saw that badge: they were either scared or relieved. Sheldon was indifferent. Like Dash had just shown him a test grade that came out to a C in a class like PE.
Sheldon almost looked like he’d been expecting the visit, but Dash must be misreading him. A cocky kid like this would never accept that someone with a lesser IQ than him would catch on to him.
“Did you interact with Layla West during your internship at Baker Financial?” Dash continued, not missing a beat.
“No. Why?” His bland gray eyes suddenly sparked. “Oh. Right. The person who embezzled two million dollars?”
“How do you know about the case?” Dash asked.
“It’s all over the news,” he said with a nonchalant shrug.
Dash took note that Sheldon knew the exact amount of money missing. Of course, two million dollars would seem like a lot of money to most people.
“Can we come in, Mr. Kylo?” Dash didn’t figure the answer would be yes, but it was always worth asking.
“For what?” Sheldon’s face wrinkled like he’d just eaten a pickled prune.
“To ask you a few questions.” Dash studied Sheldon. The kid was cocky. Whoever pulled this stunt was cocky. So he had that in common. Was he smart enough to pull off this kind of job?
“Can’t you ask them with me standing right here?” Sheldon didn’t seem like he was going to budge.
“We’d be more comfortable inside,” Dash pressed.
“I wouldn’t.” Sheldon sounded like a spoiled kid used to getting his way. Geniuses could be like that, and Sheldon seemed to fit the bill. Was he devious too?
A kid like this would pull this kind of stunt just to see if he could get away with it. In college, there was a group of brilliant high school students who had a special dorm and lived on campus rather than at home for their last two years of high school. In turn, they received college credit and most ended up in the Ivys after graduation. They were full-ride kids who got into the best-of-the-best schools without blinking an eye. There was a scandal that brought federal investigators on campus involving those bright kids. If Dash was honest, it was the first time he’d thought about joining the federal ranks. But the brainiacs figured out that vending machines discerned dollar bills by measuring the distance between the president’s eyes. So they made copies of dollar bills and had a weekend full of junk food and endless sodas. Well, endless until the machines emptied.
Two days later, the feds showed up. The kids, still minors, were issued stern warnings and told a file was now open on them that would follow them for the next ten years. He’d heard that one of the kids peed himself during an interview. The agents handled the kids with a mix of authority and kindness, and not one crossed the street without using a crosswalk afterward.
The minute Dash looked up salaries, he’d decided to stick to computer science as a major. But those agents had always stayed with him, and now he was proud to have joined their ranks.
“I don’t have to let you in. I know my rights,” Sheldon said with a pout.
“Why would you go looking up your rights, Mr. Kylo?” Dash figured this was a good time to push a little bit.
“I, um, I just figured it’s always a good thing to know.” The question had shaken Sheldon.
“Really? That’s interesting because I rarely come across innocent people who can spout their rights. In fact, most of the time, they’re cooperative.” Dash issued one of his legendary smiles meant to disarm. “The last interview I was on, the woman I spoke to had fresh brownies from the oven. She practically forced me to sit at her table and eat one. She had the best fresh-brewed coffee in the state.”
“Well, I’m not her.”
“Clearly. She was eager to be a helpful witness,” Dash said. The last word caused Sheldon to perk up a bit.
“What do you want to know? Ask away.” He folded his arms across his chest. His legs were crossed at the ankles. His body language was clear. He shut down faster than a restaurant after a listeria outbreak.
“Why did you leave?” Dash asked.
“Easy. I got a better offer.” Based on the certainty in his voice and the rapid nature of his response, Dash counted that answer as true.
Dash continued down that line of questioning. “What made the offer better?”
“Money. Atmosphere. Those are just the top two reasons.” Sheldon looked proud of himself.
“Tell me about the atmosphere at Baker. Did you like your coworkers?” Dash knew the answer to this question.
“Not really.” Sheldon got bonus points for his honesty in Dash’s book.
“Why not?”
“They weren’t very accepting of me. I didn’t get the impression they liked me,” he quipped.
“What about Layla West? Did she like you?”
“She didn’t have a reason not to,” he answered quickly. He must have thought these answers through in advance—not exactly the action of an innocent person. Or maybe he’d been expecting someone to show up at his door eventually once the news broke.
“How well did you know her?” Dash asked.
“Not very well. She wasn’t in my department.”
“How long did you intern?” Dash continued.
“The summer,” he supplied.
“Isn’t the whole reason for an internship to get a job offer at the end of the term?” Unless things had changed, that was the way they did it in Dash’s day. Of course, he’d been out of school almost a decade, and it seemed like times had changed overnight.
“Kind of.” Sheldon pursed his lips and narrowed his gaze. “That’s a narrow viewpoint, though.”
“Educate me.”
“Internships are a way for a candidate to get to know a company and vice versa. I was checking to see if the company was a good fit for me as much as they were seeing if I had the right skill set. Obviously, I didn’t want to work with a group of people who thought it was funny to pour plant water in my bottle of Coke the minute I left my cubicle unattended.” Sheldon glared at Raina now. “I had a motion-activated camera set up on my laptop.”
“I can’t speak for the others, but I had nothing to do with that,” she said. “And if you truly had a camera set up, I don’t have to tell you that I wasn’t involved.”
Sheldon didn’t seem to care. He lumped everyone into the same category... Jerk. He was also making a case for motive: revenge.
“Sounds like the team underestimated you,” Dash said.
“Darn right they did. But I got them back.” Sheldon seemed exceptionally proud of himself. He was immature and that had Dash wondering if he would slash someone’s tires, not steal two million bucks to prove a point.
“How did you do that, Mr. Kylo?” Dash leaned in. “By getting revenge on the whole company?”
“No. Why would I do that?” Sheldon’s face twisted up. “I gave the footage to HR on my way out and told them to ask the department why I refused to work there.”
The kid was angry. He was brilliant. The question was, how far would he go?
“Are you aware there was a breach of security recently at the
firm?” Dash figured he’d throw it out there and see how the kid reacted. “It would take someone with inside knowledge of how the system worked to pull off a stunt like that.”
Recognition dawned and Sheldon immediately started backpedaling. “Hey, I had nothing to do with stealing money.”
“Why don’t you try and convince me? Because right now, I’m about to read you your rights and take you for a drive.” Dash wouldn’t, but part of being a good investigator was knowing when to push and when to retreat. This was the time to push. The kid had been knocked off the pedestal he’d put himself on.
“I should get an attorney,” Sheldon threatened in a voice that sounded like the equivalent of tattling on the playground.
Dash crossed his arms over his chest. “You certainly have that right.”
Sheldon stood there for a moment, looking like he was debating his next actions carefully.
Dash decided it was time to push. “In my experience, innocent people don’t usually resort to calling an attorney over answering a few questions to clear up a misunderstanding or help with an investigation.”
“Well, I just want to make sure what you’re doing is legal,” Sheldon defended.
“Oh, rest assured, I would never break the law.”
* * *
“BUT YOU WOULD violate company policy without blinking an eye, which proves you’re not opposed to bending the rules.” Raina had heard enough from Sheldon. She wasn’t convinced of his innocence, and he was acting like a spoiled jerk.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Spying on your coworkers, Sheldon? Are you trying to tell me that’s ethical? I can promise you it’s a violation of the employee handbook, and I happen to know you were provided a copy of the rules,” she shot back.
Dash rocked back on his heels. “A jury wouldn’t take lightly to information like that.”
“Hold on a minute...” There was a wild quality to his eyes. If this jerk was the reason her best friend was behind bars, Raina was going to lose it right then and there. He couldn’t hide behind that laissez-faire attitude for long when she knew a scared kid was behind the holier-than-thou arrogance.
“Why? You’re acting guilty. You seem like you’re guilty. Case closed.” She was goading him for a reaction. “Do you really think they won’t figure out you hacked into the system? We did. It’s why we’re here in the first place. Do you know how fast a guy like you will be eaten up in prison? Seriously, Sheldon. You think what my colleagues did to you was bad? Just wait.”
“But I didn’t do anything,” he whined. She was clearly getting to him now. His demeanor shifted from cocky to deflated.
“Prove it,” was all she said.
“I saw your code, man. I know it was you who hacked into the system a few days before the money disappeared.” Dash chose that moment to pull zip cuffs from his back pocket. It was brilliant teamwork. He started spouting Miranda rights to Sheldon.
“Come inside.” Sheldon walked away, leaving the door open.
Chapter Fourteen
“After you.”
Raina took a couple of steps ahead of Dash and inside Sheldon’s apartment. The place wasn’t much bigger than the picture window to the right of the door. A black sofa was pushed up against the wall, and a small fridge/freezer combo was beside it. There were three racks above it. On the bottom one sat a microwave.
With Dash’s wingspan, he could probably face the couch, extend his hands as far as they could go and touch opposite walls with his fingertips.
There was a makeshift table with two folding chairs on the other side of the room, along with a stove and more of those racks set up for clothing. The laptop sitting on top of the table probably cost more than all the furniture combined, probably the appliances too. There were three stacks of pennies on the table next to his laptop.
A floor lamp in one corner was the main light source.
Sheldon motioned toward the table. Raina moved over to it and sat in one of the folding chairs. Dash leaned against the wall next to the door, so Sheldon took the vacant seat. He slumped forward and put his face in his hands.
He issued a sharp breath, and when he looked up at Raina, guilt was written all over his face. “Okay. Here’s what happened.” Sheldon looked like he was fighting back tears. “I’ve been following the story because I did something I probably shouldn’t have, and I was scared something like this would happen.” The anguish on his face was palpable. “I didn’t mean to do anything bad, and I never expected to be able to hack into the system. I swear that I didn’t do anything with the social security numbers or the accounts.”
“Why should I believe you?” Dash was scrutinizing Sheldon, and the kid looked like he was about to break down. This was a far cry from the overconfident jerk who’d opened the door. Raina wondered if the kid could turn his emotions on and off on a dime.
“Because I’m telling the truth.” His mouth twisted and his chin quivered. He was definitely holding back tears at this point.
“Go on,” Dash urged, his voice a study in calm.
“Like I said, I never expected to be able to get into the system,” he said.
“Then why do it at all?” Dash would already know the answer to that question. Raina did, as well. It was for the thrill.
“Because I could. To show them I could still keep tabs on them if I wanted to.” His gaze bounced from Dash to Raina and back.
“What else did you do while you were there? Leave a back door open?” Dash asked.
“No. They closed it. I can’t get back in,” he admitted.
Dash stood there for a long moment before finally pushing off the wall using his shoulder. “Don’t leave town. I’ll be keeping a close eye on you, and my boss will most likely want to bring you in for questioning at a later time.”
“Breaking into the system just because you can will land you behind bars, Sheldon. I may not have gotten to know you while you were interning, but that doesn’t mean I want you to make a stupid mistake,” Raina said.
“Does that mean I’m in the clear?” he asked.
“Not exactly,” Dash said. “For now, you’re classified as a witness. The firm will most likely come after you for damages once we report our findings. They might scream for an indictment. You’ll just have to wait and see on that one.” Dash stopped at the door and then turned back. “It’s a good idea for you to get a lawyer at this point.”
That comment started the waterworks that had been brimming. “I swear I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
“Maybe a judge will go easy on you. You’re young,” Dash said. “Or the judge might decide to make an example out of you. Keep your nose clean in the meantime. It’ll help your case in the long run.”
Outside, Raina immediately noticed the tires on Dash’s expensive sports car had been slashed.
Dash muttered a few choice words as he walked the perimeter of his vehicle. “They got all four in—” he checked his watch “—less than fifteen minutes.”
Whoever did this had followed them. Raina had almost thought they made it to their destination a little too easily after the motorcycle incident. Was this Talia’s handiwork?
Dash made a quick phone call to a tow truck and then to Liam, asking for a ride. “Did you leave anything inside the car?”
“No. My purse is right here, and my cell has been in my hand the whole time.” She held it up as if he needed proof.
“What’s that on the passenger seat, then?” One of his dark eyebrows arched as he made his way over to the side where she’d been sitting.
More of those curse words flew as he immediately surveyed the area, moving to put his body in between hers and the street.
“What is it?” Raina asked. He must’ve seen something to rattle him to this degree.
“A black rose,” he said. “It’s from her.”
So, it was Talia. A cold chill raced down Raina’s spine, gripping her with icy fingers. “Are you sure?”
“She used to threaten that if I got into a serious relationship with someone, she would know and she would make me suffer. A black rose is the way I would know it was her,” he said.
“Could she have been responsible for the motorcycle incident?” Incident was a light way of putting what had happened, but it was the only word that came to mind.
“It’s possible but I doubt it.”
“How can you be so certain?” she asked.
He gave her a look of apology before saying, “Because the shooter was going after me. She would never do that. She said that I would be around to watch and suffer.”
Part of her—and maybe it was that wishful-thinking piece—wondered if that played into his decision to walk out after their amazing night together. It was probably just her ego talking, but she wondered if he believed he’d be placing her in the line of fire if he let their relationship continue.
Taking down Layla would be the ultimate punishment for Dash. Anyone who knew him for more than five minutes knew how much he loved his sister. Talia would know that too. She’d been out of prison for six months. She’d been circling Dash, no doubt keeping tabs on his every move. Biding her time.
Talia was smart, according to Dash. She had coding skills. She could have used the back door Sheldon had created when he hacked into the system. She could have taken advantage of the hole he had created.
But one question remained, and it was a very big question: Where was the two million dollars?
Here were the facts: they’d had a break-in at work. The person had used Layla’s password to move money. The trail had gone cold as soon as the money left the accounts. How had two million dollars just vanished into thin air?
Sheldon was guilty of hacking into the system, but he was shaking in his boots once serious questioning started and he realized how much trouble he could get in. Hacking into the system was going to have a consequence if the company decided to press charges. This information would have to go in Dash’s report.