****
By the end of the night, she’d managed to create some leads, and Cassie woke up at the crack of dawn to find her cellphone tinkling shrilly in the darkness of her bedroom. She reached for it blindly, upending an empty water jug as her finger unlocked the screen. The time read 5:42, and she realized her blurry eyes were staring at a text message from Eric.
Barbara’s Café? 1 hr?? E.R.
She didn’t remember giving him her number— but she didn’t remember giving him her address either, and after she showered, dressed, and printed all of her work so far, she opened the door to find a package wrapped in an overnight envelope.
What the hell? Cassie looked around the hall, but no one else was moving down the too-bright corridor. She ripped open the envelope slowly, shaking it upside down until a heavy black rectangle fell out into her palm. It was a brand new cell phone, already charged and loaded with her contacts. Anxiety crowded in her chest; the return label showed that it was from Riverston Enterprises. Eric had sent her a phone that was already connected to her personal account—but how had he gotten her login information?
He’s a tech genius, she reminded herself. Assume he knows everything. Assume he’s seen those lingerie pics you posted once and then deleted out of shame.
She didn’t feel any less put off by the time she’d driven to Barbara’s Café, but she wasn’t anxious, either. Eric was clearly trying to be nice, and she would just need to lay down some ground rules.
Cassie pushed into the little café and saw that Eric was already seated at the table they occupied the day before. He turned when she entered, and when he smiled, the leap her heart made in her chest did nothing to comfort her nerves. He was wearing a light blue sweater and khakis, an outfit oddly similar to her blue polo and khaki skirt.
“Cassie, thanks for meeting me on such short notice.”
“No problem,” she said graciously, plunking the phone onto the table. “Thanks for the…what is this? A bonus? A bribe?”
Eric look startled. “What? It’s a phone.”
Cassie let her skepticism show on her face. “Come on, Mr. Riverston. You didn’t give me a cutting-edge phone I just happened to tweet about a few weeks ago as a way to try to speed things up maybe? Can’t wait in line like everyone else?”
Eric’s green eyes were angry at first, but he struggled to reign himself in. “I thought you said you didn’t have bad habits like everyone else. I think you’re a little paranoid, Miss Vine.”
Cassie frowned. “I told you to call me Cassie.”
“And I told you to call me Eric. I also told you that I was impressed by you and was looking forward to seeing your work. I wouldn’t ever try to rush your job. Just like I’m sure you’d never try to dictate mine.”
Cassie fumed silently, but she realized he was right; she’d come in defensive and expecting the worst. She sighed and tightened her caramel ponytail, forcing herself to meet his eyes. “I’m sorry. You’re a big client, and I’m letting that get in the way of how I think.”
Eric’s expression softened. “It’s okay. I only got it for you because I’m afraid someone at my company could be watching me. I can’t chance them finding out about the investigation before I’m ready.” He paused, and his cheeks flamed scarlet. “Wow, now I sound paranoid.”
Cassie shot him a smile. “You’re being smart. This is a good idea. I assume this is a secure line?”
“Yes. Everything you send and receive on that phone will be completely secure.”
Cassie turned the phone over in her hands. “Does this run on a version of your security software?”
“Yes. A simplified version that only I have access to.” His eyes flickered to the folder she’d brought along. “Do you have something for me?”
Cassie opened the folder and explained what she’d found. “Just as you thought, it’s coming from inside your company. It looks like they went through some trouble creating a sort of data signature that shifts, so that it varies between its real source and a host of others, making it harder for them to get caught. I’ve narrowed it down to twelve possibilities…and one is your brother.”
Cassie was ready for the rage Eric responded with. “Excuse me? My brother? My brother would never do something like this to me. Ever. You’re mistaken.”
Cassie kept her face as neutral as possible. “Eric, I understand that you and your brother are close. But if we want to get your software secure, we need to take this seriously. James is a real possibility. I’m sorry, but it’s true. He has a motive.”
Eric was silent, and Cassie could see the anger in his eyes being replaced by the realization that she was right. “I think I knew that,” he admitted. “He’s never stopped making weird jokes about Dad leaving me the stocks that got me where I am today. Even though he’s doing well on his own,” Eric finished defensively.
“But he’s not a tech savior,” Cassie said softy. “He’s not a billionaire. He’s not you.”
He dropped his eyes and stared at his mugful of coffee. “I wish being himself was enough.”
Her heart hurt for him; she could see that their relationship had been more affected than he’d wanted to admit. “I’ll give you daily updates,” she promised. “As soon as I can say for sure who it is—or who it’s not—I’ll let you know. I’m sure I’ll figure out something useful enough to justify billing you for breakfast each morning.”
Eric laughed, and the clouds that had darkened his gaze rolled away. He reached across the table and grabbed her hand again, and Cassie felt her smile widen automatically.
“I can’t thank you enough, Cassie. Are you going to be okay meeting me early like this? Will this work out okay?”
She shrugged, still grinning broadly. “Guess we won’t know until we try. Let’s call it a test.”
And she kept her promise. Every morning they met at Barbara’s and discussed her findings over bacon, eggs, and the strongest coffee Cassie had ever ingested. He’d always text on her new phone, and she’d always zip over to find him already there.
One morning, she surprised him by being there before they opened, and she sat with him in his Mercedes with warm air pouring from its vents. The woman who normally served them didn’t show up for so long that she worried she’d been in an accident.
“Don’t say that,” Eric said, his voice thick with worry. “Oh, great. Now I can’t concentrate.”
Cassie laughed at him. “We can just go someplace else to drown our sorrows in caffeine.”
Eric paused and turned toward her, his green eyes sparkling. “Or how about mimosas?”
Cassie gaped at him. “Champagne at 5:30? Where are we going to find that?”
And that was how Cassie ended up Eric’s apartment for the first time.