“No.” But she couldn’t help wondering what the woman had to do with Tione. Was she an ex? Jealousy gripped her, shocking in its intensity. Of course he’d have exes though. What grown man wouldn’t?
“Who is she?”
“She’s the person who’s dead because of him.”
The words fell like bombs in the silence between them, each one of them detonating in her head and piercing her like shrapnel.
She pressed a fist to her mouth. “No. No, no, no. You must be wrong. Tell me you’re having me on, Mark. This is some sick joke.”
He sighed. “I wish I could, but it’s true. He’s the reason a woman is dead.”
“But… but…” Head spinning, she lowered herself fully onto the bed. “If that were true, he’d be in prison.”
“Not if he made a deal with the prosecutor.” Mark sounded disgusted. “I’m sorry to tell you this over the phone. God, I wish I was there with you.”
“Wait. Hold on.” She tried to make sense of what he’d said and came up short. “He killed someone?”
“Not directly, but he was responsible for it.”
“How?” She needed to know. “I don’t understand any of this. Can you start at the beginning?”
“Yeah, okay. If that’s what you need.” She heard him moving around at the other end, probably making himself comfortable. Meanwhile, she felt like she’d never be comfortable again. She wanted to crawl out of her skin. She just couldn’t fathom the idea of Tione as a killer—it was wrong. It had to be wrong. He may be gruff, but he was gentle and kind. He wouldn’t hurt anyone… Would he?
“Here’s the rundown. A few years ago, he lived in Silicon Valley. While he was over there, he designed an app that sold for a lot of money. We’re talking multi-millions. It was basically blind dating for dogs. You enter in your dog’s details and they’re matched with others in the area for play dates.”
Well, that was cute, but what did it have to do with a woman’s murder? Besides, they were talking about a technophobe here. His phone was ancient, and he didn’t have a single piece of computer-based technology in his cabin. The thought that he was a sophisticated software developer was, frankly, ridiculous, and so was the idea that he had millions of dollars stashed in the bank. He was up at dawn every morning, seven days a week, to work. Why would a Silicon Valley tech millionaire be making sandwiches in a lodge in Haven Bay?
“That can’t be right,” she said.
“I’m sorry, but it is. Here’s where it gets worse.”
She swallowed a lump of fear, not wanting to hear whatever turn his story was about to take. She wanted to hang up and pretend they’d never had this crazy conversation, but she needed to listen to everything he had to say before going to Tione, who’d no doubt tell her he was mistaken.
“Tione wasn’t only a software designer. He was also a hacker for hire.”
The other shoe dropped. “You’re having me on.” Relief hit her with enough force to knock the air from her lungs. “Not cool, Mark. There are times when it’s okay to joke around, but now isn’t one of them.” She patted her chest, feeling it decompress as she managed to breathe again. “I can’t believe you did that.”
“I’m serious.”
She scoffed. “Yeah, sure. Tione—the man who probably doesn’t even know what Bluetooth is—used to be a hacker for hire. A likely story. I can’t believe you’d make up something like this. I don’t need this kind of crap right now. Just because you don’t approve of him—”
“I’m telling the truth,” he snapped.
She shook her head. Screw him. How dare he mess with her emotions right now.
“Mark—”
“Just listen,” he interrupted. “He was hired by a tech company CEO to report on his wife Michele’s activities. Shortly after Tione hacked into her accounts, she was murdered. He testified against her husband in court in exchange for immunity, but he chose to leave the country after the case closed and the husband was convicted.” He paused, as if waiting for her to say something, but she couldn’t. Her throat was tight, and her eyes prickled with tears. Why was he doing this to her? It couldn’t possibly be right. It had to be lies. All of it. Otherwise, she was a stupid fool with monumentally poor taste in men.
“Meg,” he said cautiously, “the guy is bad news. You can’t trust him. He may not have killed that woman, but he certainly played a central role in her death. Please come home. Move in with me and Clarissa. Let us take care of you.”
“No.” Pressure sat heavy on her chest. “Stop messing around. It’s not funny.”
“I’m not messing around.” His tone was somber. “I wish I didn’t have to do this—”
“Then don’t,” she retorted. “I don’t believe you. It can’t be true. That’s not the man I know.” She had to talk to Tione. To hear him say Mark was mistaken. “I have to go. We’ll talk later.”
“But—”