“Think he got the message?”Jake asks.
“Oh, yeah,” Nick says, finally putting down his beer bottle.“He got it.That beer was terrible.”
“Where’d you dig up the straw from?”I put the car back in drive.
Nick snorts.“I took it from the bar.”
“Megan’s going to kill us, you know,” I sigh.
Jake settles his arms behind his head.“You mean she’s going to killyou.This was your idea.We were just bystanders.Right, Nick?”
“What he said.”Nick nods.
I glance at Nick through the rearview mirror, and he’s grinning.It’s been a very long time since he’s looked so relaxed.I know Megan’s going to lose her shit with me over this, but at least Nick got his mind off his domestic troubles.
That’s something.
“How’s the investigation going?”Jake asks as I stop the car by a local diner.
“Terrible.”I get out of the car, locking it once the others are out.“I don’t know what was taken from the office.Both Eve and Joshua’s desks came up empty.”
“What investigation?”Nick looks between the two of us.As Jake fills him in, I order us burgers.
“I’m thinking it’s a homemade jammer,” I tell Nick as Jake shows him the video.
“It’s close-range,” Nick muses.“See how he steps closer to the cameras?Definitely homemade.You’re looking at someone with very good engineering and IT skills.”
“Ethan’s already checked the resumes of everyone involved.Nobody has an engineering background in the department.He’s checking in the other divisions as well.”
“Why isn’t Natalie checking?”Nick looks between the two of us.
Jake winces.“The doctor has told her to stay away from any form of excitement.Ethan wants her to go on maternity leave.He doesn’t want her involved in any of this.So he’s having her assistant Layla pull the files he wants.”
“Tell Ethan to email me the video in high resolution.I’ll take a screenshot and see if I can figure out what kind of jammer it is.Normally, close-range jammers are homemade devices, but I recommended Ethan some very high-grade surveillance cameras.It’s not that easy to use a jammer to mess with them.I’ll check it out.”
I make a note to pass Nick’s message to Ethan as the food arrives.When I came on board to help Ethan, I hadn’t been expecting things like people sneaking into the office late in the night with high-tech equipment.
But for now, I’m more interested in eating.
* * *
There isradio silence from my sister over the next couple of days.The weekend passes by without so much as a phone call.That never bodes well, but I have my own worries.
My hair shedding situation has begun to drive me insane, and it always seems to happen when Eve is around to mock me about it.I never considered myself to be vain, but now the idea of possibly losing my hair is terrifying.
At home over the weekend, when I don’t notice any of the shedding that has been my constant companion over this past week, I attribute it to work stress and begin to relax.
A little too soon.
Monday morning starts like any other day until my email pings twice in rapid succession.I glance at my inbox and freeze.
‘Don’t Let Hair Loss Control Your Life - Premium Transplant Solutions!’
‘Regain Your Confidence with Our Revolutionary Follicle Treatment!’
“What the hell?”I mutter, clicking on the first email.It’s from some hair restoration clinic I’ve never heard of, complete with before-and-after photos and testimonials from ‘satisfied customers.’
“Oh, good.”Eve’s voice comes from directly over my shoulder, making me jump.“I’m glad you’re finally addressing the problem.”
