Armand stood outside Lucy’s apartment, his hand raised to knock, only to lower it. He’d been angry when he’d left earlier, glad to have the excuse of needing clean clothes to put some distance between them. Having decided to act, it was difficult to witness her hesitation.
He supposed he was getting a taste of his own medicine. After all, he’d done the same thing to her for years. Of course, he’d had his reasons. Having a human as a mate was complicated. The decision he made could have an impact throughout their world. Once she knew his secret, she became part of an elite group of humans who were aware that shifters existed. The trust placed in them was immeasurable. If a union between a human and a shifter failed, if there was bitterness over the break-up and the human shared the secret, it could be disastrous.
Yes, her willingness to return home was key, a sign she was committed to their relationship. He just needed to convince her.
Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. Regardless of the state of their relationship, they had to work together. If Lycan Link’s codes were being shared, they were all potentially in danger.
Lucy opened the door, stepping aside to allow him to enter.
“Armand.”
“Lucy.”
She looked down at the floor and then back up at him. “I’m sorry for sniping at you this morning. I had no right. You’ve been very helpful and kind and…well…it was wrong of me.”
He never had been able to stay upset with her. Reaching out, he took her hands in his. “You’ve been stressed.”
“That’s still not a licence to take it out on those I care about.”
“And do you? Care?” He stroked his thumbs over her knuckles. Her hands were so small and delicate in his. All he wanted to do was care for her and protect her for the rest of her life.
“Do I care?” Her eyes widened. “Of course, I do! You’ve been the one stable person in my life. No matter what, you’ve always been there.” She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
And yet, she’d run from him, left Stump River without a backwards glance. He didn’t voice the words, instead wrapping his arms around her and absorbing the feel of her pressed close to him. It filled him and his bear with contentment and if he could, he would hold her like that all day. Unfortunately, real life demanded they move.
He gently pushed her away and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Come on, let’s get to work making a list of anyone who could possibly own that USB drive.”
“Right.” She gave him a smile. “There’s hot water for your tea and I’ve a pot of coffee for myself. Let’s get to work.”
Roxi soon joined them and it didn’t take long to compose the list which ranged from Jeff the chef to the mugger.
He tapped one of the names on the list. “A random person on the street is highly unlikely. You were walking and the bag would be moving with each stride. The timing for dropping the drive into the bag would have had to have been perfect. The same for someone in the grocery store.”
“It would have been easier to drop it in when I was standing in line to check out.”
Roxi shook her head. “But the potential for the action to be seen was greater if someone was ditching it. And, if they were being followed and trying to hide it, they wouldn’t have been hanging around in the checkout line. As for it being a random act, nope, it doesn’t ring true. People don’t play with those things in the grocery store especially if they hold important information.”
“Correct.” Armand agreed. “The centre and the diner are more likely.” He took a sip of his tea and tried not to make a face. The water hadn’t been brought to a full boil and it was only regular orange pekoe plus there was no honey to sweeten it. He would need to introduce Lucy to the finer points of tea making…when they were not trying to catch spies, that is. “What about the mugger? He might have taken your purse to cover his actions, dropping the USB in your shopping bag and it randomly fell into the box.”
“He could have, but he really seemed to want the purse. If it was just meant as a distraction, wouldn’t it have been a more half-hearted attempt?” Lucy pointed out the flaw in that scenario.
“I still feel we should leave him on the list even though finding him will be difficult. We can concentrate on the other suspects and then return to him if they don’t pan out.” Armand scanned the list again. “What about the group of young men who came to your aid. One of them?”
“Nah.” Roxi got up and began to rummage in the fridge. “They were fixing a car, right? Seems strange they’d suddenly decide they had to hide a flash drive.” She emerged from behind the fridge door with a bunch of grapes in her hand. “However, I’ll sacrifice myself and check them out, how’s that?”
Lucy laughed. “You’re just looking for an excuse to talk to them.”
“Two birds, one stone, right?” She popped a few grapes in her mouth and spoke around them looking rather like a chipmunk with its pouches full. “Listen, I need to get to work. Why don’t you head to the centre and check out that guy, Neil? If I get a chance, I’ll scope out the guys who hang around the corner and then we can compare notes tonight.”
“That’s an excellent idea.” The mention of the man from the drop-in centre had Armand frowning. “He seemed quite concerned that you missed your shift.”
“He was concerned for my well-being.” Lucy countered.
“Or the well-being of his information.” Roxi finished off the grapes and wiped her fingers on her jeans. “And don’t forget the people who use the drop-in centre. They could be suspects, too.”
Lucy pursed her lips and shook her head. “They’re mostly down on their luck or just need someone to talk to. I’d hate to think it was one of them.”
“You can’t be sentimental in this business. Friends will turn on you if there’s enough money involved.” Roxi grabbed her purse and headed for the door. “Don’t do anything too exciting while I’m gone.”
After Roxi left the room, Armand leaned back in his chair. “How well do you know Roxi?”
“We live together so I’d say I know her pretty well.” Lucy shrugged one shoulder, her eyes focused on the list they’d made.
“Do you know her family? Her background?”
“No.” She looked up.
“Have you ever actually seen her at this job she supposedly has?”
“Not really. On the other hand, she’s never seen me at work either.”
“Hmm.” He stroked his neatly trimmed beard missing the wildness of the one he normally sported.
“What are you getting at?”
“Roxi’s always joking but there’s a hint of truth in a lot of what she says. Just now she said, ‘friends will turn on you if there is enough money involved’. Would she turn on you?”
“No! Of course not!” She shook her head. “How could you even think she’s involved in this?”
“She is the one who found the USB, correct? You only have her word that it was in the box. What if she put it there to divert attention from herself?”
“But why? If it’s industrial espionage, she could have sold it or hid it at work or mailed it to herself. There was no need to involve me.”
“Perhaps not.” He sighed. “There’s something about her that bothers me.”
“Well, she had the hots for you when she first saw you so maybe it’s her sexual frustration you’re sensing.”
He raised his brows having never even considered the other woman would find him appealing despite her comment about his abs. She’d been joking… Hadn’t she?
Lucy laughed at his reaction. “With that new hairstyle and stubbly look, you’re a sex symbol so get used to it.”
He made a face. “Enough already. We have work to do.”
She chuckled. “Sure thing…hot stuff.”
He gave her another scowl. His bear was not nearly as affronted.
She is attracted to us and soon she will be ours. Pleased with the turn of events, it settled down for a nap.
As Roxi had suggested, Lucy and Armand headed to the drop-in centre.
“I’ll tell Neil I’m giving you a tour of the place so he doesn’t wonder why I’m there.”
Armand shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded. “I’ll watch him for signs of guilt.”
“I’m sure he’s not guilty. He’s a nice man who has a passing interest in me, that’s all.”
“Have you ever gone out with him?”
She knew what he really wanted to know. Had she slept with Neil? “No. Believe it or not, I’ve not gone out with Neil or anyone else since leaving home.”
“Maybe my kiss ruined you for all others?” The corner of his mouth curled upward into a smirk.
She ignored the comment. “You said you’re going to look for signs of guilt. When did you become a super-sleuth?”
He shrugged. “Working at the bar, I’ve listened and observed as people tell each other tall tales. I know what to watch for.”
She gave him a doubtful look, but it wasn’t worth arguing over. Besides, it was better than her plan which didn’t even exist. How did you get a person to admit they were guilty of something? Did she just show Neil the memory stick? She asked Armand as much.
“We could. Daniel sent me a copy of the real data and replaced what’s on this USB with bogus information. If Neil manages to steal it back from you, it can’t do any harm. And once he has it in his possession again, we’ll know he’s the guilty party.”
“You’re doing a lot of assuming.”
“Perhaps. But a theory remains true until it’s proven wrong.”
She frowned. “There’s a flaw in that logic.”
“No there isn’t. It's an argument that’s often used in science.”
“But what if I had a theory your underwear has cute kittens on it? Is it true, just because you haven’t dropped your pants to prove me wrong?”
The look he gave her had her bursting out laughing. They continued to banter, hands clasped until they reached the centre.
It was an older beige brick building that had once been a store with living quarters above. Since those early days, it had survived a wide variety of transformations before arriving at its current purpose. The front windows that used to display goods for sale now sported security bars and a hand painted sign hung over the door.
She led the way inside, glancing around the waiting room that had chairs lining the wall, and then beyond to where there was a pool table, a few computers and a small library. In the back, a kitchen area could be seen with snacks, a kettle and an array of mismatched mugs. A few partitions had been erected to help define the office spaces, but it was still mostly open concept. The upstairs was used primarily for storage and, quite frankly, gave her the creeps with its cobwebs and stuffy little rooms.
“Hey there, Lou. It’s not your day to work.” The girl at the front desk, Margie, looked up with a cheerful smile.
“I’m just showing a friend around.” She introduced Armand. “Do you mind if I give him the grand tour?”
“Fine by me.” Margie nodded, eyeing Armand who was studying a hand-painted wall mural. “It’s not that grand. Neil’s hoping to get a grant soon, so we can fix things up a bit.”
“Is Neil here?” She took another look around the place. There were only a few clients in the building that she could see; two using the computers and one in the kitchen area.
“He’s trying to repair the back door. It’s sticking, and the fire inspector said it has to be fixed to meet code or they’ll shut us down.” Margie reached for the phone that was ringing. “Back to work!”
Lou gave her a wave and led Armand to the rear of the building.
“That’s an impressive mural.” He tilted his head towards the artwork.
“It’s pretty good, isn’t it? One of the guys who used to come here painted it about a year ago. Neil managed to get him a scholarship to study art.”
“Hmph.”
She held back a smile. Armand didn’t want a reason to like Neil. And, speaking of him, there he was tugging on a door that was determined not to move.
“Hi Neil. Having any luck?”
Neil looked up, his sweaty face brightening. “Oh, hi Lou. I stopped by the diner to check on you this morning, wondering if you were over that bug.” His gaze drifted to Armand and then back to her. “They said you weren’t there.”
She gave her explanation and made introductions. Neither man extended a hand in greeting, instead sizing each other up. It was comical but flattering. Trying to keep things congenial, she gave the door a bit of a push. “Still sticking, I see.”
“Yep. It opens so far and then it won’t budge. Fine for us because we know how to squeeze around it. The fire inspector, however, wasn’t impressed.”
Armand made a disparaging sound. “Of course he wasn’t. Having multiple means of escape is basic safety.” He examined the door. “These old floorboards have lifted and, with the humidity, the door’s expanded so it’s catching along the bottom.” Armand pressed down on the floor near the door and the wood, creaking under the pressure, shifted enough that the door opened wider.
“Well, now it’s open but that won’t help when we have to lock up at night.” Minimally grateful, Neil folded his arms.
“I have a relative, Matthias Bendov, who could fix this. He works in construction.” Armand experimentally moved the door again.
Neil shook his head. “No money in the budget for repairs.”
“I’m sure he’d do it for nothing.” Armand stepped back and hooked his thumbs in his belt loop. “It’s a simple fix if you have the proper tools. A drop-in centre is a good thing and he likes to support such causes. Plus, he has an affinity for old buildings.”
“He’d do it for nothing?” Neil’s expression brightened.
Lou silently laughed at the exchange. ‘Free’ was a word that was close to Neil’s heart. The centre was always short on money and… Her smile faded as a thought occurred to her. Neil was devoted to the centre; how far would he go to get the money he needed? She felt around in her pocket and withdrew the memory stick. “Neil, I found this the other day. It is yours?”
He glanced at the item in her hand but made no move to take it. “Nope. I don’t have one that looks like that. Ask Margie, it could be hers.”
“Oh. Okay.” Disappointed at his quick dismissal of the object, she tucked it back in her pocket. Not that she wanted him to be guilty, it was just that she’d been sure she’d found a perfect motive for him to be the one they were after. “Yeah, I’ll check with her on the way out.”
“Is your friend hanging around town for long?” Neil glanced at Armand and then must have realized it was an odd question for he tacked on an explanation. “Just wondering if you’ll be able to work tomorrow or not.”
“I…” She opened her mouth to answer but didn’t get the chance.
“If she needs to be here, I’ll bring her and then escort her home.” Armand announced as he shot a hard stare at Neil.
Escort her home? She pressed her lips tightly together. Armand seemed fixated on the idea that she was some delicate female despite his assertions that she was strong and courageous. Of course, given recent events, she wasn’t too eager to be traipsing around on her own. Having Armand as back up might be a good idea.
Armand glanced at his watch and she took that as a sign he was done assessing Neil’s guilt, or lack thereof.
She tugged at his arm. “We have to keep moving. There’s a lot more to show you around the city.”
Once outside, they walked a block beyond the centre and stopped in a shady spot beside a store.
“Well, what’s the verdict? Did Neil seem guilty to you?”
“He’s hiding something but I don’t think he owns the USB.”
“Hiding what?”
“An affection for you, perhaps?”
She rolled her eyes. “We are not even going to go there. What about Margie?” They’d stopped on the way out and shown her the memory stick.
“She seemed genuinely puzzled.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.” Her cell phone buzzed and she pulled it from her purse, read the message, and then chuckled softly. It was from Neil, asking her to remind Armand about his cousin doing the repairs for free. Apparently, Neil’s devotion to the centre trumped his dislike of Armand!