Decoding a Criminal

by Barb Han

  “We record who comes in and out of the building. The security footage is always so grainy, though, and we don’t record cubicles,” she supplied. “There are obvious security risks when it comes to trying to record workstations at a financial firm.”

  “Miguel already requested the footage, but I agree that I doubt we’ll find anything there we don’t already know. Always good to be thorough. A few surprises do come up now and then,” he said, thinking one of the biggest surprises for him had to do with his growing feelings for Raina.

  * * *

  RAINA HAD ONE question about Calum’s wife: “Would she have the contacts to pull off the motorcycle stunt?”

  “That’s the part that has been bugging me the most. Where would she find someone to do her bidding, even if she did get my sister’s password?”

  “I doubt Bitty would want to leave a trail that could lead straight back to her. I can’t see her trusting a stranger, and I can’t see her or her family knowing a hit man.” Raina could be wrong. It just didn’t seem to fit the image of privileged people in her head. A private detective? Yes, she could easily see them hiring a firm to follow someone around. But she couldn’t see them going out to the dark web to hire a hit man. Bitty was too smart to put herself in jeopardy. Right?

  Raina could be wrong, but it seemed like Dash agreed with her assessment. Sheldon definitely wouldn’t have the kinds of connections that could produce someone like motorcycle guy. But he was smart enough to find the dark web and hire someone from there. Two million dollars was a lot to protect. There was even more at stake once Dash had gotten involved: Sheldon’s freedom. Would he calculate the possibility he’d get caught once Layla’s brother dug into the case and figure he needed to tilt the scales in his direction? Even the score, so to speak?

  “I keep thinking about Sheldon,” she said. She gave a quick rundown of her thoughts. “But would he be stupid enough to go after a federal officer? He has to know the stakes go up even higher at that point.”

  “True. He’s young and arrogant. Those are the only two reasons I believe he is still a suspect,” he said.

  “That pretty much leaves us with Alec,” she pointed out.

  “I couldn’t get facial recognition to work on the guy he was talking to and actually couldn’t get a good look at the guy’s face anyway. Lip-reading isn’t working, even with our program,” he said. “I turned it over to headquarters to see if they can do anything with it. Waiting is the worst part of any investigation.”

  “How do you keep yourself distracted?” She genuinely wanted to know.

  “It’s just like writing code. I have to take a step back at times, and I accept it as part of the process. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is not think about it at all for an hour or two. I sometimes go to the gym or hit the boxing ring and spar with a partner. Anything to distract me for a little while,” he admitted. “Nine times out of ten, when I’m done, the answer comes to me.”

  “That is like coding, actually.” She would describe her process as very similar, minus the boxing ring. Instead of the gym, she would go for a run. “I’m a runner, so I would just put in an earbud and play some heavy metal and then take off until I couldn’t run anymore. I can’t tell you the number of times I get so lost in my head that I forget to double back and end up taking an Uber home because I just don’t have the legs anymore.”

  He smiled and nodded. It was nice to be around someone who understood her quirks.

  “Are we going to the office now?” she asked. The sun would be going down before they knew it, and the best time to catch Alec would be on his way home from the office. Catching him off guard would be a good thing.

  “I am,” he said and gave her a look of apology. “I’m hoping you’ll agree to stay here in order to protect your job.”

  She issued a sharp sigh. “You’re right. I know it. But that’s hard.”

  “Losing your job now would add to a list of growing problems. After everything that’s happened, I hope you’ll seriously consider stepping back. Your mother is safe, and nothing’s going to happen to her. I can give you a guarantee there. Not on my watch. As long as Talia is out there, this whole situation becomes even more complicated. And, who knows, she could be responsible for all this. The guy on the motorcycle could have been supposed to run us off the road. Hurt us. Not kill me or you. Or he could have been trying to shoot you and got overzealous. We just don’t know, and she would be one of the few people who could pull off something like that. She would have the connections. Believe me.”

  “If his intent was to capture you, it could have been to get rid of me altogether,” she surmised.

  “Even more reason for you to stay back under protection,” he said.

  Raina had to think seriously about it, no matter how much her heart wanted to go with him and fight for Layla. She could be putting his investigation even more at risk.

  “How long do I have to decide?” she asked.

  Dash checked his watch. “I need an answer now.”

  She bit her bottom lip and her heart trilled with awareness when his gaze lingered there.

  Chapter Twenty

  The sun was sinking on the western horizon. Raina had put off making a decision as long as she could. All Dash had to do was catch her gaze, and she knew exactly what he was asking.

  “I think you’re right about me staying back. I can’t risk my job. Not with my mother’s care on the line. And that doesn’t mean Layla isn’t equally important. It’s just my mom only has me, whereas Layla has you and your whole unit behind her.” She put her hands up, palms out, in the surrender position.

  “There’s nothing to feel bad about here. You’re making the right call for your mother, for you and for Layla. At the end of the day, my sister would be heartbroken if you lost your job and ability to provide for your mother over your association with the investigation. She knows how much you care about her. That’s not in question.”

  “Thank you because I feel like the worst friend in the world for making the call to stand down,” she admitted.

  He brought his hand up to her chin and lifted it so her eyes would meet his. “You couldn’t be a bad friend if you tried. Besides, you’re one of the strongest people I know.”

  Those words touched her in a deep place—a place she kept locked away for fear one more major hurt might actually break her.

  Now, she realized she wasn’t giving herself nearly enough credit. She might get knocked down, but she would rise back up. She might get hurt, but she would pick herself up off the floor and keep moving. She might get the wind punched out of her, but she would breathe again. One step at a time. One breath at a time. She would rebuild.

  “It means a lot to hear you say that, Dash,” she said, locking gazes. Her heart took a hit when he rewarded her with one of his devastating smiles.

  “I better head out,” he finally said.

  “Yes.” She didn’t want him to miss Alec. “I have Liam here if I need anything.”

  “Hang tight until I get back.” Something passed behind Dash’s eyes she couldn’t quite pinpoint but hoped was jealousy.

  “Be careful,” she said.

  “Done.” The casual smile that followed almost convinced her. It wasn’t like he was heading to the store to buy milk. He was going out where they’d been chased and shot at. He changed into a spare pair of joggers and a T-shirt he’d left at his sister’s.

  Raina expected a full-scale panic to hit as he put on his holster and was surprised when it didn’t. In fact, she was breathing easier than she had in longer than she could remember. Learning to let go of everything outside her control was freeing. She had to trust that Dash would be okay. She had to trust his training, his skills and his judgment.

  And if that failed him, she had to trust that she would figure out a way to be okay. Because not ever knowing him would be far more tragic, she thoug
ht as he put on a jacket and then slipped out the door. Not ever being with someone who could make her heart beat wildly in her chest was settling.

  She was done settling even if it meant heartbreak down the line. Would she be able to convince her best friend that Raina could handle both?

  * * *

  DASH FIGURED ALEC would bolt if he caught sight of him. So he turned his back to the entrance of Layla’s building and studied his new cell. Again, he’d turned around the camera lens to “selfie” mode.

  The sun was setting on another warm late-summer day. Soon enough, there would be a near-constant mist over the city and cooler temperatures. Now, Dash enjoyed the sun on his back.

  Patience was the key to surveillance and so much more. It unlocked investigations more often than not. So waiting for a half hour without seeing Alec wasn’t a problem for Dash. A thought struck that Alec had left work already. Nothing would surprise Dash at this point. He reached in his pocket and grabbed the now-crumpled paper with Jenny’s number on it.

  He blocked his number from her caller ID and then made the call.

  She picked up on the second ring.

  “Hello?” Her voice was hushed, so he figured using her personal cell phone at work was frowned upon.

  “Jenny, this is Dash from y—”

  “Oh, yes,” she said, her voice perking up considerably. “I remember you. I’m actually surprised you called.”

  “This is a business-related question. Has your boss left work yet?” He hoped she’d give him a pass.

  “He never came in today. Can you believe he called in sick? I can count on one hand the number of times that man has called in to work sick in his entire career.” She didn’t mask her displeasure this wasn’t a social call.

  “No, I can’t believe it. I hope it’s nothing contagious,” he said, trying to lighten the mood and redirect.

  “Oh, no. Nothing like that. Said he has a sinus infection and will be working from home. Might be out for the next few days Do you want me to let him know you’re trying to reach him?” she asked, all business now.

  “No. I know where to find him. In fact, would you mind doing me a favor?” He pulled on all his charm if he had any. At this point, it was a fifty-fifty toss-up as to how she would respond. He’d upset her with a business question straight out of the gate. And yet she was still on the line. If she had been truly offended, she would have told him where to go by now. No. There was still hope that he would ask her out. Maybe not today but at some point during the investigation. He hated to disappoint her, but he had bigger issues at hand.

  “Depends on what it is.” Her voice was sultry, and he thought about how she’d let her hips sway back and forth on the way to the elevator. She was pretty, and she had a figure that would drive most men wild.

  The problem—and it was a big one—was that she wasn’t Raina. Raina had a natural beauty that was unsurpassed. She had just enough curves to go with those mile-long legs. Those were just her external qualities. Where she hit it home was the depth to those sky-blue eyes. Her compassion and loyalty to her mother and his sister enhanced her beautiful package. He’d met far too many women who had a beautiful outer shell. Five minutes into dinner was all it usually took for him to know just how unpleasant the dinner conversation was going to be. And that was only if they met at the restaurant. Generally, he knew how the date was going to go in the first three minutes of conversation.

  “How about you keep this conversation between the two of us.” He could use his badge and tell her it was a confidential conversation for government reasons, but he figured she might feel obligated to tell her boss. This way, he appealed to her on a personal level.

  “And?”

  “Were you expecting more?” he asked, knowing full well she wanted a reward.

  “I’d like more, if that’s what you’re offering,” she said in a hushed tone. “I have information about my boss you could probably use.”

  Well, now he really was interested in where this was going. “How about you share it now?”

  “I’d rather not while I’m at work. I could, say, over cocktails,” she said.

  “How about coffee instead?” he asked. “Right now.”

  “I think I could get away. With Mr. Kingsley out of the office, he wouldn’t know if I routed the office phone to my cell.” She seemed to be thinking out loud, so he didn’t interrupt her.

  Patience.

  “Okay. Where would you like to meet?” she asked.

  For a split second, he wondered if this was a setup. Taking her to his private coffee spot wasn’t ideal. “I’ll text you an address in two minutes.”

  “Okay.” There was more than a hint of excitement in her voice now. The second thing he wondered was if this was a ploy to get him out for a drink. Either way, he’d find out soon enough, and his leads had dried up for the moment. Getting Alec’s address would be easy, but Miguel would want to send a surveillance team.

  Miguel would be right. Plus, Dash needed to visit his sister today. He wanted to get clearance to show her the picture of Alec and the mystery person to see if she recognized him, something he should have been sharp enough to do yesterday. It might be a stretch, trying to ID someone from the back, but it was worth a try. In investigations, he was always looking for the key. Was it Alec?

  “I’ll hold tight,” Jenny said before they ended the call.

  He checked the map function of his phone. Luckily, there was a coffee shop every few blocks. He settled on the second-closest one and then sent the address.

  Then he sent a text to update the team about Alec not showing up for work before letting them know he was about to meet with the man’s admin.

  Dash walked the couple of blocks to scout the coffee shop. He wasn’t familiar with this one and wanted to scope out the layout. Being outside, the sun warmed his face. There was something about the warmth from the sun that gave him peace. Or was it Raina?

  Having spent the past day and a half around her had him rethinking a few aspects of his life. He wanted to help her and her mother. He wanted to give her a place to stay while her apartment was rebuilt. Once they squared his sister away, and he couldn’t think of any other option at this point. He couldn’t let himself go down the path mentally that Layla would be sent to prison. He’d volunteer to go himself before he’d allow that to happen.

  Dash’s mind snapped to his parents. All he could think was that he wanted to honor their memories by taking care of Layla. The ironic bit was that Layla could take care of herself in more ways than she couldn’t. But he was seeing that she needed him to step up more for her, and he wanted to be the kind of brother she could go to for anything. Not the guy she withheld information from, because he’d had no idea who she was dating, where or when. Could he have talked some sense into her if he’d known? Would it have changed anything?

  Maybe not. She had to experience life on her own terms and she’d been clear about keeping working in one bucket, her relationships in another and family separate still. He could only guess at this point and hope that she might have yielded to his experience. He had plenty to draw from. And yet, strangely, all his thoughts recently had centered around one person: Raina.

  He wanted to be there for her. He wanted to help make her life easier in any way she would allow. He wanted to take the next step and see where a relationship could go.

  Would she be willing to take the next step with him?

  Forcing his thoughts back to the investigation, he realized he’d walked the couple of blocks and was across the street from the café where he was to meet Jenny. The front window was a wall of glass. It was one of those bright and airy spots where there were only a half dozen tables needed because most of the business came through mobile orders.

  From across the street, he could see all the way to the restroom sign. A public place like this would send the right message to Jenny
. This wasn’t a date.

  Dash counted a cashier and two baristas. After observing for a couple of minutes, he could see that one was dedicated to mobile orders. There was a steady stream of people coming through for a late afternoon pick-me-up. Only one table was occupied by a youngish guy, maybe early twenties, with a headset on and his gaze glued to his laptop.

  There was an exit in the back of the building near the restrooms and glass double doors for an entrance. Overall, the place looked copacetic. The constant foot traffic kept the place from feeling too personal.

  All in all, this turned out to be the perfect spot for the meetup.

  Dash surveyed the area and pinpointed all the places someone could watch him from. That part was less secure. He would pick the table closest to the restrooms where the line would block an outsider’s view.

  The real threat was from Talia. Had she snapped? Was she behind all this? If she wanted revenge, she would strip him of everyone he cared about before she’d take him out. She would want him to suffer first. She’d covered her vengeful nature early on, but like anything else, an act could only be held up for so long before a break in character showed. The break was the first real peek inside. Dash had been smitten with her. Physically, she was a knockout. She was smart. The disconnect came when he’d realized she was also manipulative.

  He’d been infatuated with her and missed a couple of key early warning signs. Again, he was reminded how incredible it was not to have to keep his guard up around Raina. For the first time, he could truly be himself. It was a foreign concept to him—one he could get used to, because he was done with putting on airs.