An hour later, Shelby calls my desk phone.
“The eagle has landed. The eagle has landed.”
“What?” I ask, thoroughly confused.
“The board has adjourned, and Charlie is back at his desk.”
Now’s my chance to pounce. I have to ensure him that I have no idea how Bauer got the file.
“Thanks, Shelby.”
I rush from my office, practically running down the hall to Charles’s office.
“I didn’t do it,” I say, storming into Charles’s office.
He’s been gone for two days, and it looks like he went to war in that time.
“What?” Charles asks.
“I didn’t leak the information to Bauer. I’d never do that.”
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
I take a step forward. “If that’s what you really think of me, you don’t know me at all because I would never do that to you, Charles. I wouldn’t do it to this company either. I just want you to know that. And...”
But I don’t get a chance to finish. Charles holds up his hand to stop me.
“God, I know you didn’t do it, Raven. I would never think that. But I must be honest with you—the board of directors thinks it is your fault. They’ve somehow figured out a connection between you and Asher. They think Bauer placed you here as a mole.”
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” I snap.
“For what it’s worth, I told them it wasn’t you. But they’re skeptical. The email sent to Bauer was traced back to your computer.”
“That’s impossible because I didn’t send it.”
“We checked your computer. It definitely came from the company computer.”
“But it wasn’t me, Charles. I swear.”
“I know. You don’t have to prove anything to me. But this doesn’t make you look good. Who would do something like this to us?”
I think for a moment, trying to make a list of suspects, but nobody stands out. Shelby would never, and nobody else has access to my office.
“Charles, what about cameras?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are there surveillance cameras here? Is there any way we can find out who got onto my computer?”
I watch his facial expressions change from confusion to elation.
“Fuck. Brilliant. I forgot about the cameras.” He grabs my hand. “Come on, let’s go see the security team. They can show us.”
We run down to the security room to find a slovenly man sitting behind a computer, munching on Doritos.
“Ryan,” Charles calls out.
The man levitates off his seat, chips flying everywhere, but it doesn’t stop Charles.