Under the Microscope by Jessica Andersen Page A

those companies, along with Jeff Wells.” She glanced at Max. “Anything else?”
    “Get me the names and addresses of the dead women’s next of kin,” Max said. He stood, scooping up one of the two pizza boxes. “We’ll need to conduct interviews and figure out what the women had in common. We need to identify the risk factor connecting them.”
    Irritation flared through Raine. “I’m telling you, Thriller is safe! ”
    He lifted one shoulder. “Whether they were killed by the drug or murder, there has to be a reason those particular women died. There’s some connection there. It’s up to me and Ike to find it.”
    Raine lifted her chin. “And what will I be doing?”
    Ike snorted. “Staying the hell out of my way, hopefully.”
    “We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” Max said. Pizza box in hand, he backed toward the connecting door. “Both of you be ready to roll at 6:00 a.m. We’reregistered under a safe name, but I don’t want to stay put any longer than necessary. Just in case.”
    Raine stood and stalked past him into the other room. “Can I have a word with you?” When he followed, she shut the door. “What in the hell is going on here?”
    He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “I think it’s better this way, don’t you? Besides, with William busy on other cases, I need an info tech to do the computer stuff.”
    She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t need a baby-sitter.”
    “Maybe I do.” The energy between them shifted, gaining an unexpected edge.
    “Oh.” Heat flared, pooling hot and hard in her midsection as he leaned toward her, eyes intent. “I—”
    “Sorry to interrupt, but I think you should see something,” Ike’s voice said from the doorway. Max and Raine froze, then stepped apart as Ike held up a computer disk in a jewel-toned case and raised an eyebrow in Raine’s direction. “Care to explain this?”
    The label read Database Remote Access Software.
     
     

 
    Chapter Seven
     
    “Where did you find that?” Raine demanded, with an edge in her tone that set off all of Max’s warning buzzers.
    “In the pocket of your blazer. You have anything else on you that we should know about?” Ike’s voice carried a similar edge.
    Instincts humming on a faint twist of betrayal, Max crossed the room, took the disk from Ike and scowled at Raine. “This is the disk the computer tech handed you when we walked into your office. Why would he give you the access software?”
    Raine shook her head. “I don’t know. He told me it was a backup copy of the clinical trial database. I didn’t look to make sure. Maybe he just reused the case?”
    “There’s one way to find out.” Ike plucked the disk from Max’s fingers and retreated to the otherroom, where she clucked over her computer, talking to it like a trusted friend.
    Max moved to follow. As he passed Raine, she snapped, “I’m not lying, damn it. What do I have to do to make you take me at my word?”
    He stopped and looked down at her, noticing the purplish smudges beneath her eyes and damning himself for caring that she was exhausted and nearly at the end of her reserves. “To be honest, I’m not sure. But I know it’s going to take more than you telling the easy truth a few times.”
    “Well, this is one of those times,” Ike said from the other room. “She’s right. It’s the clinical trial database.” Moments later, her voice climbed a notch. “Wait a minute. It’s time-stamped this morning.”
    Max was at Ike’s side in an instant, leaning over her shoulder so he could see the laptop screen. “As in, after the data ghosts were uploaded last night, but before the explosion kiboshed the entire system?”
    “If we’re going on the theory that Ms. Montgomery’s home invader inputted the files, then yes.” Ike nodded without looking at him. “And before you ask, yes, I might be able to find the ghosts and backtrack them to their source. Maybe.” She frowned and tapped a few keys before glancing up at him.