Chapter 17: Claire

Monday morning came too soon. I’d spent much of the weekend with Sean, getting to know him better, looking for any hint that he was doing something he shouldn’t have been doing, any sign that he wasn’t the man he was presenting himself to be.

I was starting to think that he was either the best liar in the world or totally innocent of any wrongdoing. Or maybe the truth lay somewhere in between. No matter, I had to find out the truth. That’s why I was there, I kept reminding myself. That was my job.

We had checked into a little roadside motel after checking out his property and spent the rest of the day and night exploring each other’s bodies. Our lovemaking ran the gamut from total abandon to gentle tenderness wet and wild in the shower. I got to know every inch of Sean O’Connor and he got to know every inch of me… well, of Claire Goodman.

He dropped me back at my apartment on Sunday afternoon and gave me permission to come in late on Monday. I accepted his offer not because I was worn out from our sexual Olympics, but because Ed wanted to meet with me before I went to Sean’s office.

Ed showed up at my door before eight o’clock with Robbie the department’s IT guy in tow. He grunted a good morning and handed me a cup of Starbucks coffee.

“Three sugars, no cream,” he said, walking into my living room and sitting down without being invited to do so. He nodded at Robbie, who was carrying a small computer bag. Robbie sat on the couch and set the bag between his feet, then unzipped the bag and started unpacking its contents on the coffee table.

Ed said, “We brought the bugs for you.”

“Thanks,” I said, sitting on the other end of the sofa. I pried the lid off the coffee and took a careful sip. Ed was staring at me. I could tell he was not happy.

“How was your weekend?” he asked.

“Fine. How was yours?”

“Fine,” he took a sip of his coffee and let his eyes drift around the room. “I noticed you were out of the city this weekend.”

My lips froze on the rim of the cup. “How did you…”

“He’s tracking your burner phone,” Robbie said matter-of-factly as he lined up what looked like a dozen small watch batteries on the table in front of him. He picked up one and handed it to me. “There are the bugs, wireless, of course. All you have to do is peel the tape off the back and stick them wherever. Under a desk, behind a lamp, on a picture frame...”

“Behind a headboard,” Ed said, his eyes still avoiding mine.

“Right, just stick them in place and I can remotely activate them,” Robbie said. He carefully took the bug out of my fingers like he thought I might drop it and set it on the table with the others. “Do you have the USB stick?”

My purse was on the floor next to the coffee table. I reached inside to get the tiny USB stick Ed had given me a few days before. I handed it to Robbie.

“Okay, all you have to do is stick this in any computer on the network and type in the code I give you,” he said, holding up the stick between two fingers and shaking it at me. “It takes about thirty seconds to activate and connect after you type in the code, so make sure you give yourself time.”

“Okay,” I said. I held out my hand and Robbie set the stick into my palm. I dropped it back in the purse and picked up the coffee cup. Ed was giving me a hard stare now. I liked it better when he wouldn’t look at me. I didn’t want to get into anything in front of Robbie, so I just shrugged my eyebrows at him.

“That it?” I asked, glancing at my watch. “I need to get ready for work.”

“That’s it,” Ed said, getting to his feet. He waited for Robbie to pack the little bugs into a plastic container and hand them to me. Robbie slipped the computer bag over his shoulder and started toward the door.

Ed followed him, then turned back to me and lowered his voice. “You be careful today.”

“I will,” I said, putting a hand on his arm. “Don’t worry.”

“I am worried,” he said. “I’m worried you are getting too close to the suspect.”

I wanted to tell him to mind his own fucking business, then remembered that Sean was his fucking business.

And so was I.

I gave him a reassuring look.

“I’m getting right where I need to be to nail the mother fucker,” I said, trying to sound convincing even though my head and heart were locked in a battle that had kept me up most of the night.

“I hope that’s the case,” he said as he went through the door.

“Don’t worry, Ed. I will get the job done. You have my word.”