Texas Lightning. Gerry Bartlett
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Название: Texas Lightning
Автор: Gerry Bartlett
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Короткие любовные романы
Серия: Lone Star
isbn: 9781516107155
isbn:
“You are in trouble, Anna.” King jumped to his feet and walked with her to the library. “Ron has been busy this morning, even though it’s a Sunday. I asked him last night if there could be anyone inside the company who might be working with the thieves. You know, someone jealous of the attention you and your program are getting. Seems like Ron’s pouring a lot of money into this one project. But he laid off people in another department last fall.”
“I don’t know about that.” Anna thought about it. “I really don’t know many people there. Only four of us came from Boston. Scarlett is in the office and the other two are hardware people. Not my area.” She’d been surrounded by strangers. No one had been particularly welcoming, but not nasty either. “He’s let me work from home a lot. Then he sent me out of town to those special classes. Scarlett said that caused a bit of an uproar in the office. Some of the long-time employees have been asking for special training for years and he never sent anyone else.”
“There you go. Motive. Do you think she can come up with names for Ron? He’s checking out every Zenon employee anyway. Looking for cash payoffs in bank records, expensive purchases, things like that. He’s into it. Playing detective.” King frowned. “Jealousy is a powerful motive. People have done some really bad things in the name of it.”
“Call Ron and tell him to check with his secretary. Mona knows everyone and everything happening at Zenon.” Anna put a hand on her stomach. She’d enjoyed her new role in Texas, happy to be appreciated. It hadn’t occurred to her that someone might think she was getting perks that they deserved. “Do you really think it could be someone at the company who broke in to my place?” Could it be someone she knew? Someone who’d worked side by side with her?
“He just started looking. But he’s hired more security, and I’m going to post someone to watch the boat dock at the back of the house.” King glared out the wide window with the view of the lake like he hated it.
“Seriously? Isn’t that a little extreme?” Anna felt her phone vibrate in her pants pocket and pulled it out. Finally, Scarlett calling her back. She answered. “Hey, pal, you convinced I’m okay now?”
“You may be okay, but your little friend isn’t.” The male voice was deep and had the same Texas drawl King had.
“Who is this? Where’s Scarlett? How did you get her phone?” Anna hit the command for speaker and held the phone so King could hear.
“Think you’re so clever, don’t you, Anna Delaney, with your heavy-duty password and encryption? We got your backpack too. Bet that got your goat, computer gal.”
“I don’t care about that.” Anna’s hand was shaking so hard she would have dropped the phone if King hadn’t grabbed on to hold it steady. “What have you done to Scarlett? Let me talk to her.”
“You want to talk to your gal pal, give us the encryption key for that program of yours.”
“Not until I hear her voice.” Anna swallowed bile. Scarlett, so brave. She’d probably do something to make these people mad. Make things worse. Calm, she had to be the voice of reason here. Anna had a brother in SWAT. This was a hostage negotiation. Oh, God. “Prove to me she’s all right. I want her safe and away from you before you get access to my program.”
“As if we’re letting you call the shots.” The voice was nasty and sent shudders through her. “Here’s your proof of life. For now.”
“Anna! Don’t give these assholes anything!”
“Scarlett!” Anna heard a scream, a clatter, and the phone went dead.
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