“The fuck?”
January stood behind him. “I went out earlier and when I got back, it was like this.”
“It’s almost a repeat of your place.”
She nodded. “I thought the same, and at first I figured they were after me, but they didn’t touch my things.”
Shit, he thought. Were they looking for my code?
One other person knew about the software hidden in his apartment. How convenient Agnes seemed to disappear on the day someone burglarized his place.
I thought it was weird that night she came over and cleaned the place while I was in the shower. Maybe she was just using that as an excuse to dig through my stuff.
The contents of the refrigerator lay scattered across the floor, but the appliance remained flat against the wall. They had not found the thumb drive.
January followed him as he walked into the kitchen. “You know, it doesn’t seem as random as what happened at my place,” she said. “This seems focused, as if they were looking for something in particular.”
Dothan picked up bits of broken glass. “I don’t know what anyone would want in this dump.”
He watched as she collected tufts of foam torn from the cushions. Agnes had called him an idiot for telling January about the code. Could she have caused this chaos in order to cover her search for the software?
Impossible, thought Dothan.
This had Agnes written all over it. January had no reason to betray him over a piece of unfinished software. He walked over to where she stood and embraced her. How could he question her loyalty when he had been screwing Bekkii in the office basement?
Dothan released her and grabbed a small bottle of whiskey spared from destruction. “Do you want a drink?”
January shook her head.
He stepped around the pieces of a broken plate and pulled a plastic tumbler from the sink. After pouring a double shot into the large cup, he drained half.
“God, I needed that.” Dothan walked toward the couch and threw the ripped and shredded cushions back onto its dirty frame.
January followed and sat beside him. “Is it possible this had something to do with Agnes?”
“I’m not sure. What’s weird is she wasn’t at work today and she’s never so much as a minute late.”
“Maybe she was here looking for your software.”
Dothan finished the whiskey. “She knew it was safe, that’s all. I didn’t tell her where it’s hidden.”
“She had every reason if that code is as world changing as you’ve led me to believe.”
“No one, including Agnes, knows where it is, except me.” He walked back to the kitchen and poured more whiskey into the glass.
“So, did they find it, or is it somewhere else?” she asked.
“No, it’s here and it’s still safe.” Dothan drained the glass
and poured another.
January walked to the kitchen and took the tumbler from his hand. She poured the whiskey into the sink and laid her hands on his shoulders. “You’ve had enough. We need to deal with this, not run away from it.”
“Deal with it? I wouldn’t know where to begin. Nothing makes sense.”
“Maybe we should focus on getting your software in front of Conscentiam sooner rather than later. What if there’s another home invasion? What if—”
He pressed his lips against hers. “I don’t want to talk about this shit anymore. I told you the software is safe. I’ve put it where no one else will ever find it. I already told you, first we go after Sibella’s killer, and then we’ll concentrate on my code.”
A soft smile crossed January’s lips. Her tongue traced the outline of his ear and she whispered, “Let’s deal with all this mess in the morning. At least they left the mattress alone.”
He could feel her warm breath against his neck, and her hands moved along his back. As a pointed nail drifted lower, he closed his eyes, but an image of Bekkii’s face brushed across his mind. Stunned by a sudden loss of passion, Dothan pushed January away from him with a gentle shove.
“Can I have a raincheck?” he asked with a half-smile. “It’s been a rough day.”
She sat, watching him in silence.
“It’s not what you think.”
“What am I thinking, Dothan?”
“You think I don’t want you, which is bullshit. I do, more than you’ll ever know, but today’s been a total nightmare. We’ve already got the stress of hunting for your friend’s killer. Now, on top of your attack, my place gets trashed, and we’ve got no idea if any or all of this shit is connected or if it’s just Agnes searching for my software. My head’s a total mess, so I’m sorry I can’t just switch to super-stud in a couple of seconds.”
January stood, her face a mask of fury.
Crap, he thought. Did I really just say that?
“I need to lie down,” she said. “Do whatever you like.”
January entered the bedroom and closed the door. He wanted to follow her but remained on the sofa. If his thoughts were still wrapped up in the basement tryst, it was too big of a risk. It was far better to face her temper in the morning, then to call out the wrong name in a moment of ecstasy.
Why the fuck was I even thinking about Bekkii in the first place?
After retrieving papers and replacing bits of stuffing in the sofa cushions, Dothan swept the glass and porcelain from broken kitchenware and disposed of the debris.
Careful to avoid the now-exposed springs, he dropped onto the couch and pulled his laptop from the backpack. He dug into the dark web, pleased to find VprKlU had been true to his word by providing Dothan with Detective John Barclay’s information. Besides the detective’s password to his email, there was a home address, cellphone data, and credit card details.
Damn, the dude’s thorough.
VprKlU attached strict instructions for a project expected in return. Dothan scanned the hacker’s wish list. It might take a while, but it wasn’t beyond his capabilities and well worth the effort. After acknowledging receipt of the information, he agreed to complete the bartered code on time. He had heard enough stories about VprKlU to know he was someone you did not want to disappoint.
Dothan logged into Detective Barclay’s email account, clicked the search box and typed in “Sibella”. The query returned four emails sent from the detective’s work address to his personal one, all containing documents related to the Sibella Gale murder. Maybe January had misjudged the detective. It appeared Barclay was working on the cold case
in his own time.
He opened the first email, surprised to find an attached witness statement entitled “Interview: January Kinsie”. The initial paragraphs, taken a few days after the discovery of Sibella’s body, were almost identical to that which she had shared with him. January told the police she had been at work when Sibella disappeared and had searched for her until kiteboarders found the body along the Nooksack River. She also detailed their long friendship and seemed hostile that the police were doing little to find the killer.
Several of her subsequent answers, though, contained glaring differences. January had dismissed Joseph Harrington’s involvement to Dothan, but told the detectives he was cruel to Sibella, and had often humiliated her in front of co-workers.
She had also said Lucas Gilmore had been nothing more than a casual acquaintance. Her statement to the police told how the lawyer had abused Sibella to the point of physical harm and continued stalking her when she ended their relationship.
Okay, now it makes sense why she was so determined to find Gilmore, he thought, but why lie to me about the lawyer being a total asshole to Sibella?
The next two emails contained the autopsy, police reports, and timelines, none of which held anything unusual. The fourth and last, though, set out the names of several people and their personal information under the heading “Prime Suspects
”. He had underlined January’s name at the top of the list, underneath which were the names of Lucas Gilmore, Joseph Harrington, and Althea Harrington.
Detective Barclay had added a notation that, while each of the witnesses were no longer considered suspects by the department, he wanted to pursue further investigation.
Dothan clenched his jaw. This guy was out of his mind. How dare he suspect January? Maybe she was mixed up about a few things, but if she was guilty, why was she still trying to find the killer after Barclay’s case fell flat?
He downloaded the detective’s emails and attachments to his phone, and considered how to move forward with the information. Despite his desperation to ask January about the discrepancies in her interview with the police, it was best to keep his discovery of Barclay’s investigation to himself. She had been stressed to the breaking point, and it could only get worse if he told her she was one of Barclay’s prime suspects in Sibella’s case.
What if he shared the optogram with Barclay? Not only would he be able to clear January, he could use the detective to hunt for the table in Sibella’s retinal scan, and when they found the killer, it would give his software the credibility to make it a success.
With no outside connection between him and January, it would be easy to hide their relationship, but to avoid Barclay checking up on him, it was better to stay anonymous. Dothan set up a dummy email account using an alias and wrote to the detective.
Email from: George Franklin
To: Det. John Barclay, Seattle Homicide
Subject: Sibella Gale
Dear Detective Barclay,
I have information regarding Sibella Gale's murder which could be important to your investigation. I wonder if we can meet somewhere private to talk about it?
His finger hesitated over the Send button for a moment, but he pushed aside the hovering doubt and sent the email.
It was time to get serious if he was going to find Sibella’s killer through the table in her optogram. He composed an email to Bekkii, explaining his aunt had collapsed and died in Oregon, and with the sudden demise came a storm of preparations. He apologized to her, saying, because of the chaos, he was certain they would not be in contact until he returned. To be sure she said or did nothing stupid, he sent her a small bouquet of summer roses and promised to contact her as soon as he was home.
He also wrote to Nilesh, repeating what he told Bekkii about the supposed death. To protect the shreds of his internship, he offered his mentor a gentle reminder of the improvement to his timekeeping against the deadlines, and guaranteed he would make up any lost time upon his return in a few days.
Dothan put aside his laptop and cleared away the last of the broken bits still littering the rooms. The more he considered it, the less sense it made that Agnes could be the one behind the break-in of his place. This level of destruction would have required someone much younger and stronger. Besides, the old bat might want the software, but she would never tear his place apart to search for it.
Had someone else at Dunlevy found out about the software? He dismissed the idea. Outside of Agnes, the only two people he spoke to were Bekkii and Nilesh, and neither had the smarts needed to plan this kind of thing.
He shut off the lights and went into the bedroom. January’s dark eyes were bright as she lay awake watching him. He stripped and slid between the sheets, wrapping her in his arms. After kissing her neck, his hand ran over the silken skin of her bare arm.
I must have been fucking insane to have thought of Bekkii while I was holding a woman like this.
“I’m so sorry about earlier. It was just a stupid meltdown from the stress. You’re sacred to me and I worship you. I want, more than anything, for us to be together.”
“Dothan, I—”
He kissed her and whispered, “Don’t. I just needed to say the words.”
As he stretched out his hand to caress her silhouette, illuminated silvery-white in the brilliant moonlight, she slapped his hands away.
“Tonight,” she purred, “I’m in control.”
Chapter Twelve
What a night.
January had been insatiable. He had never experienced such wanton, unrestrained pleasure with a woman. If this was her idea of punishment, he might piss her off on a regular basis.
Sausage biscuits rattled in their white bag as Dothan hurried to his apartment. The fast-food breakfast was his self-imposed penance for the stupidity of the previous night. He would have to humble himself for a while due to his big mouth, but at least January had not discovered his infidelity. If he avoided Bekkii, and he was careful, he could pretend the entire mess never happened.
He looked forward to the days ahead. Without the constraints of their respective jobs, they could concentrate on the hunt for Sibella’s killer, and use the time together to build their relationship. He had little doubt their investigation would prove fruitful and there would come a time he would have everything, including the unending love and gratitude of January.
He climbed the metal stairs and unlocked the door. As he entered the living room, he found January staring at his phone.
“What’s up?” he asked, puzzled.
January extended the phone toward him. “Who’s Bekkii?”
Shit. Why didn’t I take that thing with me?
With a calm expression, Dothan took the black case and scrolled through the many notifications, thanking him for the flowers and begging him to call.
He shut off his phone. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re digging through my stuff?”
“I was trying to put the coffeemaker back together, but your phone started buzzing. I thought it might be important and had a look. It was quite a surprise to find all these texts and a receipt for flowers.”
Dothan laughed. “Are you jealous?”
She huffed. “I just assumed you would have told me if we weren’t exclusive.”
His smile broadened. “Cool. We’re exclusive?” He walked to the kitchen and tried to embrace her.
January crossed her arms and turned her back.
“Bekkii watches out for problems at work for me,” he said. “We were going to have lunch today since it’s her birthday, but I’m not going in, so I sent her flowers. How is it my fault if she’s crushing on me?”
“Her birthday?”
“Yeah. It just never crossed my mind she would get stupid about it.”
She turned to face him. “I don’t get why you don’t tell me these things before you do them.”
Thank god she believed it.
Dothan placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, and you’re right. I should have mentioned I sent those flowers. Are we good now?”
January nodded. “I want to take a shower before we eat.” She touched his face and said, “It might save the environment if you joined me.”
“I’m all for reversing climate change, but I remembered something I needed to tell Nilesh while I was out getting breakfast.” Dothan lifted the white bag stained with grease spots. “I hope you like sausage biscuits.”
January shrugged. “Your loss, and I love them. Since your fan-girl interrupted me, can you make the coffee?”
“Right.”
As January closed the bathroom door, he pulled out his phone. He scrolled through the many messages from Bekkii, saying how much she loved her flowers, offering condolences, and wondering if he had heard from Agnes. There was also a text from Nilesh requesting a one-to-one meeting with Dothan upon his return to work.
Fuck Nilesh. I guess I should be glad Bekkii didn’t mention yesterday in those texts. I’ve got to turn off these stupid notifications after I check on my stash.
Dothan grabbed his laptop and jumped into the dark web. The package of pills he had requested were ready for delivery with the cost in crypto-currency. As he went to a hidden wallet app to convert the funds, it occurred t
o him the cravings had almost disappeared over the last few days.
He was desperate for the dependence on the drugs to be over, and he believed January gave him that chance. As a mixed sense of determination and terror washed over him, Dothan replied to the dealer there would be no need for the package and closed the browser.
A plinking sound on his phone notified him of incoming email. Something had arrived in the dummy account he created the previous night. Dothan strained to listen for January’s movement in the bathroom. When he was sure the shower was still flowing, he clicked the icon. Detective John Barclay had replied.
The message was brief. Barclay provided the number to his cellphone and said if the information Dothan had was worth his time, he would meet him.
The bathroom door opened and Dothan shut off his phone. Wrapped in a robe, January walked into the living room and settled on his lap. Her hair hung in tight curls around her face, and the floral scent of her shampoo mixed with her musky soap produced an instant effect on him.
Dothan kissed her, reveling in the fragrance of her breath.
“You’re impossible,” he said.
“Why? Because I can’t keep my hands off of you?” She opened her robe and took his hand, guiding it over her perfect curves.
He laughed and nuzzled her neck. “I wish you could stay glued to my body all day and night, but we’ve only got a week and a fuckload to do. So, while I’m in total disbelief I’m even saying this, we’ll have to limit playtime to the evenings for a while.”
She licked the tip of his nose. “Spoilsport. I’ll get dressed.”
Dothan followed her into the bedroom. “It’s a beautiful day. How about we head out to that little coffee place up the road? We can sit on the patio and work.”
“That sounds great, but what about my biscuit?”
“I’ll treat you to a fresh pastry. By the time we eat these things, they’ll need a blowtorch just to melt all that lard. I’m not sure my microwave is up to it.”
“Okay, I won’t be a minute.” January ran her fingers through her damp hair and put on her makeup.
The Optogram Page 13