No. No, I’m bad at relationships. Commitment. I’m not capable of loving someone like that. I never learned how.
Beer in hand, I head back to my desk and sit down. If I can’t fix what I had with Rae, I have to at least get to the bottom of whatever bullshit Dane Wabash cooked up. It’s taken me too long to unravel this mystery. The guy isn’t all that smart. What the hell am I missing, dammit?
I can only blame myself for this getting as out of hand as it has. I got distracted. Carrying on with Rae was the most unprofessional thing I’ve ever done. Hands down. I crossed a line, both professionally and personally, and this project has only suffered from it. I’ll let Dorothy know I’m resigning. Recommend a few colleagues to take over from me.
As I pull up my laptop to type my resignation letter, an email from Dorothy pops up. She finally received the so-called data breach details from Dane and has forwarded it on. It is, according to his message, just a sample of the user information he found on the dark web.
My pulse picks up as I look over the sample. I recognize this data. I know this data. Hell, I planted this data myself. And I know exactly where. It makes no goddamn sense that the data got out, unless…
I turn and look through my side window, straight into Dorothy and Malika’s place. I’ve been there enough times to know that my desk points right at Dorothy’s home office. Even now, the monitor’s glow is visible through their curtains.
This is it. I know it.
I grab my phone, glad that the lamps are still on next door. I start to send her a text but then call instead.
“Evening, neighbor.”
“Saw your email.”
Her only response is an angry hum.
“I’ve got a question for you. Well, a couple.”
“Shoot.”
“That computer you have at home. The one in your office?”
“Yeah. You need to use it?”
“Nope. Thanks. No, but… it wouldn’t happen to be a work computer, would it?”
“What do you…? Oh. Oooooooh.”
“Can you access the office intranet from that machine? From home?” This could be something. I’m buzzing with that familiar tingle that tells me I’m about to close a case.
“Of course.”
“Please tell me it’s password protected.”
“It is.”
“A decent password. Like I taught you.”
“Well, I haven’t changed it recently, but it’s good. It’s Rachel’s birthday and her middle name.”
“Rachel? Your daughter, Rachel? The Rachel who’s married to Dane Wabash? The guy who’s after your company?” I inhale in an effort to control my annoyance. “You know, Dorothy, I’ll bet Dane knows her birthday.”
“Oh, shit.”
Bingo. This is it. I’m on the right path. Now I just have to prove the asshole did it himself.
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
Rae
“THIS STUFF IS DISGUSTING.” Hannah pours herself another watermelon vodka and settles back into the blanket fort Otty built in my house. It’s actually pretty cool. You can go from the sofa to the bed without being seen. I’m impressed.
“You wanted vodka.”
