“Not your fault, sweetheart. You were right. This would have been easier. This isn’t the first time these guys have hacked in and changed databases. It wouldn’t surprise me if Larry Wade was erased from this one.”
“If they were able to accomplish that, they were probably able to get into that school’s library and destroy the pertinent yearbooks.”
“Yes, probably.” Would we ever be able to get this information? Seemed like they were always one step ahead of us.
My phone buzzed. Damn, not another text from my stalker.
But no, it was a phone call, from a Grand Junction number I didn’t recognize.
Chapter Twenty–Three
Melanie
Jonah put the phone to his ear. “Jonah Steel.”
He was silent for what seemed like forever but was only several seconds.
“I see. And how can you do that?”
I had no idea what he was talking about or to whom he was speaking. Probably work related.
“Won’t that get you into trouble?”
More silence.
“I’m near Snow Creek. How soon can you get here?”
Now I was curious.
He rattled off the editions of the yearbooks we needed from Tejon Prep School, and my curiosity piqued again.
“Thank you. You’re a lifesaver. I’ll make sure you’re well compensated.” He clicked off his phone.
“What was all that about?” I asked.
“You won’t believe this. That was my admirer, Jordan Hayes, the receptionist at Tejon. She’s going to sneak into the school archives and get the books we need. We’ll meet her at Murphy’s in an hour.”
“What?” I let the words sink into my head. “You must have made more of an impression on her than you realized.”
He smiled. “I guess it’s not just you women who can use your looks to get what you want.”
I gave him a loving smack. “I don’t do that.”
“No, I’m betting you don’t.” He smiled. “You’re too classy for that.”
“How did she get your number?”
“I handed her a business card while we were there. Maybe you didn’t see me.”
Then I remembered. He had handed her the card when he introduced himself. He hadn’t introduced me. Perhaps he’d had the idea in his head the whole time to flirt his way into what he wanted. That was neither here nor there. If we could get the information that had been deleted from the website and possibly from the library, this was a good thi
ng.
“I suppose you’re going to want to go alone to meet her at the bar. If I tag along, you won’t be able to work her as well.”
“No, Melanie. I want you to go. You have a way of reading people that I don’t. She’ll just have to get used to the fact that she’s not getting anywhere near this body.”
I smiled. “You did say you would compensate her handsomely.”