Shane chuckled. It was a damn good plan. “Not a bad thought, but as far as I know, the mayor wasn’t up to anything shady. At least at his office. There’s no investigation into the mayor or his activities. City Hall has officially hired a cybersecurity company to shore up their defenses and lock down all the computers.”
Quinn slumped in his chair, looking a little disappointed for the first time. “Case closed then. The big guys in white hats have got it under control. What do you need me for?”
“Because we weren’t hired by City Hall. We were hired by the mayor, personally.”
Throwing up his hands, Quinn groaned. “Okay, fine. You’ve got my attention. Why did the mayor hire you?”
“Us. You’re in this now.”
“Whatever.” The sullen tone had reappeared, but it sounded a little more forced. He’d managed to intrigue Quinn.
Shane grinned. “The hacker has gone after the mayor personally. He says that his home computers haven’t been hacked yet, and he’s taken steps to increase his security there, but he admitted that one of his personal bank accounts was drained of roughly $25,000.”
“He didn’t report that shit to the cops?”
“No.”
“You’re joking.”
Shane shook his head. “There was a note sent the same day the money was transferred to a new account. It was signed by his dead wife.”
A smile passed over Quinn’s lips, and Shane had trouble dragging his eyes from that gorgeous mouth.
“So the hacker is actually the ghost of the mayor’s dead wife, and she’s trying to ruin his campaign? That’s a new one.”
Shane cleared his throat, forcing his thoughts back to the case. “Not quite.”
Reaching over to the edge of his desk, he picked up the dark blue folder he was using for the mayor’s case and pulled out the letter left by the hacker. He slid it across the desk so that Quinn could read it.I will make you pay. The world will know what you’ve done.
You will lose your precious position in the community.
You will lose all your money.
And you will lose our children.
They will know the truth at last. And they will never forgive you.This is only the beginning.
Brenda Montgomery Spring“Whoa,” Quinn said on an exhale as he sat back in his chair. “I can see the need for confidentiality. I’m guessing the mayor says that he has no idea what the letter is referring to.”
“No clue. He says that it could be any one of a number of people out to sink his campaign.”
“And you don’t think he’s guilty of something?”
Shane shrugged. “I don’t know. The letter is incredibly vague. There are zero hints as to what this person knows, which means that they could be fishing. The hacker hits on what are likely his three most vulnerable points: work, finances, and family. And using the wife less than a year after her death was another pain point. Could he have done something? Sure. But that’s not why we’ve been hired.”
Quinn continued to stare at the letter, frowning, until Shane slid it back into his folder. “Look, it could be something,” Shane said, folding his hands on the top of his desk, “but we have to consider that he could also be an innocent man who’s being dragged through the mud using a bit of fake news to ruin his career because they don’t like his politics. He’s got two kids—ages twelve and fourteen—and he doesn’t want them hurt by something that’s not true.”
Shoving out of his chair, Quinn paced away from Shane’s desk, his hands piled on top of his head. Shane watched the nervous pacing, the way his clothes shifted and clung to his lean frame, showing the hint of biceps and a flat stomach under the fabric. Surprised, he looked down at his desk. This was not where his mind needed to be. Not when he was discussing a case. He needed some time off, a few drinks, and a new fuck buddy to blow off some steam. Quinn was not an option.
“At the very least, we look at it as we’re protecting some innocent kids and a dead woman’s memory,” he added.
“Yeah, that’s true.” Quinn turned back and stood by his chair. “And the mayor hired you to identify the hacker?”
“Hired us.”
“No, he hired you. Hackers are rarely caught, because it’s just too damn hard. If they’re caught, then it’s because they’re sloppy and they suck. This person doesn’t strike me as sucking all that bad. Cybersecurity companies don’t try to catch the hackers. They just try to stop them from getting in a second time. That’s it.”
“Are you telling me that Rowe didn’t give me the best person for this job?”
All humor drained from Quinn’s face, and his bright eyes narrowed to thin slits behind his glasses. Shane hardened under that angry gaze, making him grateful that he was still behind the damn desk. What the fuck? Yeah, Quinn was rocking a nerdy sexy that had never done it for him in the past, but that little flash of temper instantly revved his engine, making him wonder if he could nudge him a little bit further.