maintenance?”
“Damn. That’s right. You did schedule that. Sometimes your efficiency is unnerving.”
Marcia smiled. “That’s why you pay me the big bucks.”
“Then I better get going.”
“Aren’t you going to feel foolish if this is nothing?”
“No, because I’ll just tell her that I love her. That’s important.”
Marcia laughed. “You really have it bad. I didn’t think I’d see this day.”
He glared at his assistant, who was enjoying his discomfort more than he liked. “Have my car brought around.”
“No sports car?”
“It’s all the way at home. I’m really worried, Marcia.”
“Then go. I’ll call your driver.”
Dirk shut down his computer then arrived in the garage below his building minutes later. His heart beat fast in his chest. Maybe this was nothing, but he couldn’t imagine his life without Riley. He had to keep her safe. She was in danger because of him. That left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Traffic in Manhattan was especially bad today. Probably someone important was in town and roads were blocked. He wanted to hit something, but this wasn’t anyone’s fault. He’d just have to be patient.
He could call Luzy. Maybe she knew something. Or would his calling tip her off if Luzy was doing something nefarious?
Dirk’s phone rang before he made a decision. Joan.
“Hello, Joan.”
“I tried calling and texting Riley. No answer. Now I’m worried. Should we call the police?”
“And tell them what? That my sister is holding my girlfriend hostage, I think?”
“When you say it out loud it does sound stupid.”
“For all we know she’s in a dead zone.”
“I don’t think there are too many of those in New Jersey. At least not where she is,” Joan said.
She had a point, but Dirk could still hope that this was all a misunderstanding.
Chapter Thirteen
Chad had tied Riley to a chair. He might be good at programming, but he wasn’t good at tying knots. She’d be free in a few minutes. She just had to distract him from what she was trying behind her back. He paced, not really looking at her anyway.
Tuck was still out for the count on the floor. Chad had tied the man’s hands. That was it. She’d bet if Tuck came to, he’d sort out the situation, but she wasn’t counting on that. She had to get out of this herself.
“Why are you doing this, Chad?”
“Shut up, I’m thinking.”
He continued pacing. Riley guessed that their poking had done its job. Chad was worried that they were on to him. He still had a gun. Not trained at her, but still. He had a good grip on it. She’d surveyed the scene. There was a door behind her. Three steps away after she spun. The door in front of her was all the way across the room. She didn’t know if the door was locked.
The doorway behind her was the best bet. She would have to catch him when he was turning. He wouldn’t initially see her. Riley could not believe how calm she was. Guess staring at death made you figure out just what you could accomplish.
“You had to meddle,” Chad said finally.
“I was hired to meddle.”
“No, you were hired to find the leak. You found one.”
“It was too easy.”
“You aren’t that smart.”
She was, but Chad could never handle that. Or agree. As much as she was the one tied up, Chad was desperate. He wasn’t a criminal in the sense that he could be face to face with his crime. He sat in an office and wrote code. He only saw the results secondhand.
She didn’t think he was desperate enough to pull the trigger on her. Then he’d have to hide the body, and someone might hear the gunshot. This wasn’t a rural hunting area where no one thought twice about a shot. Someone would wonder. The cops would be called.
At least if he did kill her, he wouldn’t get away with it.
“Why?”
“Why what?” he said.
“Why did you do it?”
“Do you have siblings?”
“No. I’m an only child.”
“Lucky
“Damn. That’s right. You did schedule that. Sometimes your efficiency is unnerving.”
Marcia smiled. “That’s why you pay me the big bucks.”
“Then I better get going.”
“Aren’t you going to feel foolish if this is nothing?”
“No, because I’ll just tell her that I love her. That’s important.”
Marcia laughed. “You really have it bad. I didn’t think I’d see this day.”
He glared at his assistant, who was enjoying his discomfort more than he liked. “Have my car brought around.”
“No sports car?”
“It’s all the way at home. I’m really worried, Marcia.”
“Then go. I’ll call your driver.”
Dirk shut down his computer then arrived in the garage below his building minutes later. His heart beat fast in his chest. Maybe this was nothing, but he couldn’t imagine his life without Riley. He had to keep her safe. She was in danger because of him. That left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Traffic in Manhattan was especially bad today. Probably someone important was in town and roads were blocked. He wanted to hit something, but this wasn’t anyone’s fault. He’d just have to be patient.
He could call Luzy. Maybe she knew something. Or would his calling tip her off if Luzy was doing something nefarious?
Dirk’s phone rang before he made a decision. Joan.
“Hello, Joan.”
“I tried calling and texting Riley. No answer. Now I’m worried. Should we call the police?”
“And tell them what? That my sister is holding my girlfriend hostage, I think?”
“When you say it out loud it does sound stupid.”
“For all we know she’s in a dead zone.”
“I don’t think there are too many of those in New Jersey. At least not where she is,” Joan said.
She had a point, but Dirk could still hope that this was all a misunderstanding.
Chapter Thirteen
Chad had tied Riley to a chair. He might be good at programming, but he wasn’t good at tying knots. She’d be free in a few minutes. She just had to distract him from what she was trying behind her back. He paced, not really looking at her anyway.
Tuck was still out for the count on the floor. Chad had tied the man’s hands. That was it. She’d bet if Tuck came to, he’d sort out the situation, but she wasn’t counting on that. She had to get out of this herself.
“Why are you doing this, Chad?”
“Shut up, I’m thinking.”
He continued pacing. Riley guessed that their poking had done its job. Chad was worried that they were on to him. He still had a gun. Not trained at her, but still. He had a good grip on it. She’d surveyed the scene. There was a door behind her. Three steps away after she spun. The door in front of her was all the way across the room. She didn’t know if the door was locked.
The doorway behind her was the best bet. She would have to catch him when he was turning. He wouldn’t initially see her. Riley could not believe how calm she was. Guess staring at death made you figure out just what you could accomplish.
“You had to meddle,” Chad said finally.
“I was hired to meddle.”
“No, you were hired to find the leak. You found one.”
“It was too easy.”
“You aren’t that smart.”
She was, but Chad could never handle that. Or agree. As much as she was the one tied up, Chad was desperate. He wasn’t a criminal in the sense that he could be face to face with his crime. He sat in an office and wrote code. He only saw the results secondhand.
She didn’t think he was desperate enough to pull the trigger on her. Then he’d have to hide the body, and someone might hear the gunshot. This wasn’t a rural hunting area where no one thought twice about a shot. Someone would wonder. The cops would be called.
At least if he did kill her, he wouldn’t get away with it.
“Why?”
“Why what?” he said.
“Why did you do it?”
“Do you have siblings?”
“No. I’m an only child.”
“Lucky
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