past weekend. We’re at Dirk’s parents’ house for a party. His brother Chad corners me in a pantry and…tries to rape me. Dirk finds out and is now convinced I’m playing him.”
“Oh my God, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She waved off her friend’s concern, unable to even think properly about what had happened to her. “I’m not even that hot for two men to want me that badly,” Riley said.
Joan smiled. “You’re way hotter than you think.”
Riley dismissed Joan’s words. “Doesn’t matter. He’s pissed at me, and I get to work with a pissed customer until I find the leak in his company. I’ve been waiting for a call from our boss that I’m off the case, but they have no one else. Lucky me.”
“Did you try to talk to him?”
“He was not interested in listening to me.”
“What about now? He’s had time to cool down.”
“I’ve decided I don’t care anymore,” Riley said. She did, but she didn’t want to, so it was the same thing in her mind. Dirk could screw himself for all she cared. That problem wasn’t her present one anyway. “Do you have an answer on that code?”
“Yes, it is code that tracks the flow of information in and out of the firewall.”
Riley sat back in her chair, tapping her chin. “Why would someone put that in?”
“Because they want to know what’s going in and out?”
“I get that, but why? Did someone else know that there was a leak? This code isn’t amateur stuff.”
Joan shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you. There wasn’t a note about the motive of the coder.”
Riley laughed, but it came out sardonic. The more she dug the more complicated this whole case became. To complicate matters more, part of her missed Dirk. She hadn’t done anything other than get lost, and he blamed her. The whole situation chafed at her. She wasn’t a cheater, and this was a job, so it was that much more important.
Riley chose not to tell Joan about the e-mail from Zeke. He wanted to meet her. He knew about Dirk’s investigation and had information. Why so cloak and dagger? She didn’t trust him, but she wanted this case over. The sooner the better.
“You need to get out. Get away from the computer,” Joan said.
“Probably, but I want to figure this out.”
“Let’s have a girls’ night out. The problem will still be here in a couple of hours. No worries.”
Easy for her to say. She didn’t have feelings for a client. Riley did. That made it more important that she solve this soon. She wanted Dirk out of her life.
“Yeah, I know, but I’m feeling like a dog with a bone. I want to figure this out. I don’t want to let it go.”
Joan eyed her, and Riley was afraid to make eye contact. She didn’t want Joan to realize what her real problem was. Dirk. And her feelings for him.
“Come on, Ri. You’re a boring girl, and I need a night out. Maybe pick up a guy.”
Riley contemplated it. As long as she wasn’t seen with another guy to blow her cover, she should be fine going out. “Okay, but I don’t want to stay out late. I have to meet someone tomorrow.”
“Something I should know about?”
“No. Nothing to do with the case,” Riley lied.
Joan cocked her head. “I think you’re lying, but I’ll let it go. I need a margarita and to dance.”
“I need a shower. Meet me back here in an hour?”
“Okay.”
Joan left, and Riley went back to looking at the e-mail from Zeke. She puzzled over it. Why was he contacting her? How did he know about the investigation? How had he gotten her e-mail? Was it really Zeke?
She’d have to meet him to find out.
She typed. “I’m free tomorrow.”
Riley waited a few minutes then picked out an outfit. She returned to the computer, hoping for an answer. “Damn.”
Showering, she was sure he was going to toy with her. When Riley was about to leave, she heard the beep on her computer. It was Zeke answering her e-mail.
“We can meet tomorrow afternoon.”
He gave her an address for a
“Oh my God, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She waved off her friend’s concern, unable to even think properly about what had happened to her. “I’m not even that hot for two men to want me that badly,” Riley said.
Joan smiled. “You’re way hotter than you think.”
Riley dismissed Joan’s words. “Doesn’t matter. He’s pissed at me, and I get to work with a pissed customer until I find the leak in his company. I’ve been waiting for a call from our boss that I’m off the case, but they have no one else. Lucky me.”
“Did you try to talk to him?”
“He was not interested in listening to me.”
“What about now? He’s had time to cool down.”
“I’ve decided I don’t care anymore,” Riley said. She did, but she didn’t want to, so it was the same thing in her mind. Dirk could screw himself for all she cared. That problem wasn’t her present one anyway. “Do you have an answer on that code?”
“Yes, it is code that tracks the flow of information in and out of the firewall.”
Riley sat back in her chair, tapping her chin. “Why would someone put that in?”
“Because they want to know what’s going in and out?”
“I get that, but why? Did someone else know that there was a leak? This code isn’t amateur stuff.”
Joan shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you. There wasn’t a note about the motive of the coder.”
Riley laughed, but it came out sardonic. The more she dug the more complicated this whole case became. To complicate matters more, part of her missed Dirk. She hadn’t done anything other than get lost, and he blamed her. The whole situation chafed at her. She wasn’t a cheater, and this was a job, so it was that much more important.
Riley chose not to tell Joan about the e-mail from Zeke. He wanted to meet her. He knew about Dirk’s investigation and had information. Why so cloak and dagger? She didn’t trust him, but she wanted this case over. The sooner the better.
“You need to get out. Get away from the computer,” Joan said.
“Probably, but I want to figure this out.”
“Let’s have a girls’ night out. The problem will still be here in a couple of hours. No worries.”
Easy for her to say. She didn’t have feelings for a client. Riley did. That made it more important that she solve this soon. She wanted Dirk out of her life.
“Yeah, I know, but I’m feeling like a dog with a bone. I want to figure this out. I don’t want to let it go.”
Joan eyed her, and Riley was afraid to make eye contact. She didn’t want Joan to realize what her real problem was. Dirk. And her feelings for him.
“Come on, Ri. You’re a boring girl, and I need a night out. Maybe pick up a guy.”
Riley contemplated it. As long as she wasn’t seen with another guy to blow her cover, she should be fine going out. “Okay, but I don’t want to stay out late. I have to meet someone tomorrow.”
“Something I should know about?”
“No. Nothing to do with the case,” Riley lied.
Joan cocked her head. “I think you’re lying, but I’ll let it go. I need a margarita and to dance.”
“I need a shower. Meet me back here in an hour?”
“Okay.”
Joan left, and Riley went back to looking at the e-mail from Zeke. She puzzled over it. Why was he contacting her? How did he know about the investigation? How had he gotten her e-mail? Was it really Zeke?
She’d have to meet him to find out.
She typed. “I’m free tomorrow.”
Riley waited a few minutes then picked out an outfit. She returned to the computer, hoping for an answer. “Damn.”
Showering, she was sure he was going to toy with her. When Riley was about to leave, she heard the beep on her computer. It was Zeke answering her e-mail.
“We can meet tomorrow afternoon.”
He gave her an address for a
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