Chapter Nineteen
Dwayne
I spent twelve hours doing nothing but staring at the computer monitor, switching back and forth between the cameras until I could barely keep my eyes open. Then I started drinking coffee, cup after cup, until my hands were shaking. I must’ve gone over three days worth of video, but it wasn’t enough. I had to find out who was trying to sabotage the security system.
I had found a new reason to keep going: Fred needed me. I needed to keep my job and the people that worked at the office needed me to keep them safe. This wasn’t just petty vandalism. Whoever was doing this was trying to get into the building without being seen, and they had good reason to do so.
Adams Tower wasn’t just an office building. It was the base of operations for some of the most successful stock brokers in the city and home to the largest financial databases in the state. If the records got out, thousands of people would have their information stolen.
When I got downstairs and started locking up, all I could think about was getting home, taking a shower, and going to bed. I walked out into the back lot and saw Gillian waiting by my car. “Gillian, what are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d surprise you.” She held out a bag for me to take. “Lexie and I stopped at this curry place for dinner, and I brought you a plate. I thought you might be hungry.”
“I’m starving.” I took the bag and gave her a peck. “It’s not safe here, though. Somebody tried to break into the building, and we’re still trying to find out what’s going on.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m glad you came. It’s nice being surprised like this.”
“I have an idea,” she announced.
“What’s that?”
“We have a dance recital this weekend, and I was wondering if you’d like to be my date. I know it’s ballet, and you’re a big strong man, but I thought it would be kind of fun for you to see the studio.”
“I’d love to.”
“Really?” She jumped up, wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. Her lips tasted like strawberries. “I got to go, but I’ll give you a call.”
“Alright.” I bit my bottom lip and looked her over. “I’ll see you then.”
Halfway home, my phone started ringing. “Hello?”
“Dwayne, it’s your mother. The one you never call.”
“Oh, that mother. I thought it was the one that understood that her boy had a life.”
“Very funny. I miss you. Come see us.”
“I don’t know when I can, what with work and all. Things are kind of hectic here.”
“Are you happy?”
“Yeah, Mom. I am. I like it here a lot.”
“That’s what matters. I was worried that you wouldn’t be able to acclimate to things and that you would be lonely.”
“I’m not.”
“I didn’t just call to harass you about coming to see us. Your brothers got a gig in town at this dive bar on the edge of the city. I was thinking that maybe you might like to go down and see it.”
“When is it?”
“Next Friday. Are you busy?”
“No, it sounds fun. I haven’t seen Jesse play in a while.”
“You’d better not forget about me down here. Your father’s on this marinara kick, and he’s trying to get me to try to his sauces every few minutes. It’s driving me crazy, and I need a distraction.”
“Unplug the stove and pretend you don’t know what’s wrong with it.”
She laughed. “I love you, sweetie. I’ll talk to you later.”
I could barely keep my eyes open when I got home. When I got in bed, my phone started ringing. The number was private, but I answered anyway. “Hello?”
There was no response.
“Hello?” I waited.
“Quit Granger,” a mechanical voice said.
I shot up. “Who is this?” The line went dead.
I was too tired, and I had too many questions. How did they get my number? Why did they want me to quit? Was I a threat to these people? How did they even know who I was? I lay back, still holding my phone. Fred had to know what happened. If things were going to escalate, he had to be ready.
I called him. “Dwayne, what are you doing? That place is closed.”
“I know, but I had to tell you what happened. Some guy just called my phone and told me in a masked voice that I should quit the company.”
“Do you think it had anything to do with the guy that shut off the cameras?”
“Probably.”
“They’re connected to you somehow.”
“They might be, and they might not be. There’s way to get people’s cell phone numbers. All I’m saying is that I think things are going to get worse and you should be ready.”
I heard him cursing in the background. “I’m going to skin them alive,” he came back to the phone.
“You get one half, I’ll get the other.”
Fred laughed. “I’m glad I hired you, Dwayne. You’re a solid man. That’s rare.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
When I lay back down in bed, my thoughts took over, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t turn them off. I had to know what these people were planning before they did it. I decided that when I went into work, I’d take some time and go over the building again. Maybe I could find something useful.