Chapter 29
I’m stopped by Noell before I can step out of the building, and I want nothing more than to run past her judging eyes, but I halt when she calls out my name.
“Can we talk?” she asks, her mouth drawn in a firm, no bullshit kind of way.
I nod, and she inclines her head toward her office door.
I’d never been to Noell’s office, but it’s exactly how I imagined it’d be—minimalistic, organized to the point of obsession, and not a spot of dust to be seen anywhere.
I swivel my head to face her and find her as she always is: meticulously dressed, not a hair out of place.
Her eyes scan me as if she’s sizing me up.
It may be the first time she’s ever actually looked at me.
I’ve never understood her clear dislike of me, but I keep my mouth shut.
“Have a seat, Miss Riley,” she says, motioning toward the chair in front of her desk.
I do as she says, even though I’m itching to get back to work.
She takes her time walking around the desk and sitting in her chair, and I find myself bouncing my leg to stop myself from bolting.
“I assume you know what happened to Mr. Mills?” I ask, trying to get the ball rolling.
Noell nods and narrows her eyes. “It’s why I needed to talk to you. I want to help.”
I cock my head to the side, studying her. She’s clearly loyal to Owen, but she’s also been his father's puppet, so I’m not sure I believe her.
She must notice that in my face. “I know you don’t trust me, and I know I haven’t been all that trustful of you—and rightfully so.” I huff but let her finish. “However, I do think you’re very intelligent, Miss Riley, and I do think that you care for Mr. Mills. Parker told me everything.”
She’s been in cahoots with Parker? This is a new development.
Noell sighs, slumping her shoulders. It’s the most out of sorts I’ve ever seen her. “Is there any evidence I can help with?”
I straighten up, leaning forward. The thought hits me instantly. “Actually, there is something you might be able to help with.”
“Anything.”
“Can you look over all of the financials of the three companies that were acquired? Look for anything out of the ordinary. Money coming and going that seems odd or out of place.”
Noell nods. “I can do that. It might take me a while to comb through everything, but I can do it.”
If she can find any monetary evidence of wrongdoing, it might help our case. I’m not hopeful, though. These people knew what they were doing.
“Don’t do it here. There’s someone who’s been hacking the company's system. I don’t want them to get wind of what we’re up to. Use a personal computer and meet me at my apartment.”
Noell smiles, or almost does. “I’ll be there.”
I stand, and Noell walks me to the door of her office. I stop halfway out the exit and turn to face her.
“Thank you, Noell.”
She gives me a curt nod, and I leave without another word.
I may not fully trust her, but I am not too proud to admit that she could really help us. We’re going to need all the assistance we can get.
Ella and Eagan are at my apartment when I get there. Both sit rigid at the kitchen counter, studying me. I shut the door and quietly walk to the couch and fall onto it.
Ella furrows her brow.
I pinch the bridge of my nose, knowing they’re waiting for me to say something.
“Where do we even start?” I finally say, my voice wavering from exhaustion and defeat.
Ella gives Eagan an encouraging nod.
“I think we start with figuring out who sent the evidence,” Eagan replies, biting his lip.
I sit forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “How?”
Eagan leans over and pulls out a laptop from a grey computer bag sitting next to his feet. He opens it and turns it on, though his eyes never leave mine. “I think I can trace the documents, but I’ll need access to your account.”
Nodding, I stand, blindly following his lead, as if my mind has switched off to prevent overheating.
I sign in to my account on his computer. Ella watches me intently, but she still doesn’t say anything, and I don’t speak to her. I’m not sure what to say. I accused her of sending the evidence, but why would she be helping me now if she did?
Stepping back, I let Eagan sort through my files. By the look on his face, it's obvious almost right away that something’s wrong.
“What is it?” Ella’s voice is laced with worry.
Eagan turns to me, frowning. “Did you put the evidence of illegal wrongdoing of the companies Owen acquired in here?”
“Yes. I put them all in the same file.”
Eagan turns back to the computer screen, rubbing his hand along the stubble on his chin. “It’s not here.”
“What?” Ella shouts.
My palms begin to sweat. I press them together, my heart rate kicking up a notch.
“There’s no other place they could be?” he asks me.
My brain scans through what I may have done with those files, but it comes up blank. They should be there.
I shake my head.
“What does that mean?” Ella asks both of us.
Eagan’s gaze falls on Ella. “It means whoever sent the evidence against Owen also deleted the evidence against the companies.”
“But why?” Ella cries.
“Can we get it back?” I interrupt, and Eagan focuses on me again.
“I backed up all the evidence I sent you, so that isn’t the problem. The problem is: whoever got into your account clearly doesn’t want this evidence out there. Do you know anyone who might have reason to delete this folder?”
I shake my head again.
“Dec desperately wants that case dropped against you,” Ella whispers as if she’s afraid to speak. “And he’s the only other person with access besides me.”
I shake my head a third time. “He wouldn’t do that. He knows my past. He knows how badly I want to take out the assholes in those crime circles.”
“Perhaps he’s doing it so you have a career long enough to actually take them out?” Ella suggests, though she doesn’t sound convinced.
Standing, I pace back and forth. It doesn’t make sense for Declan to do that, and yet, he’s always been super protective of me, and if he found the evidence—other than the whistleblower—he might have been pissed I didn’t tell him.
But he didn’t seem pissed when he took Owen. He seemed devastated.
“This isn’t adding up,” I say, stopping my incessant movement. “Dec wants my case dismissed, but he also knows why I joined the CIA in the first place. He wouldn’t delete the evidence. He’d arrest Owen, but he’d leave the other evidence for later.”
Ella eyes me wearily. “Are you sure?”
No, I’m not, and suddenly I’m going over every interaction I’ve had with Declan over the last few weeks.
“Peyton said there’s a rat. Someone who has been feeding information to whoever is after Owen. Could it be the same person who deleted the evidence against the companies? Or are these two separate incidents?” I ask them, trying to sort through the tangled web of what I know.
“Let’s map it out. Put what we know into each scenario. One where they are connected, and one where they are separate,” Ella suggests.
“If the rat is somehow connected to the evidence leak and the proof of the companies disappearing, then it can’t be Dec,” I offer.
“And if they aren’t related?” Ella asks.
I inhale deeply. “Then Dec is our number one suspect.”
“I’ll try to trace who sent the evidence to Dec’s computer and where they sent it from,” Eagan offers.
“And I’ll pry information out of Peyton, one way or another,” I say.
Ella gives me a concerned look. “What if the rat, or whoever is after Owen, is now after you? With that evidence, they will know you’re involved.”
“This isn’t the first time my mark has turned to targeting me. Remember that assignment in Russia a few years ago?”
Ella shakes her head.
“Well, I not only put the target behind bars but took out the entire operation.”
Ella huffs. “You like to conveniently leave out the parts where you almost die.”
“But I didn’t.” I wink at her.
She tries to laugh, but it sounds desperate. “Nova, don’t leave me out of this, please. Tell me how I can help, because I’m going to, whether you give me something to do or not.”
I don’t want her involved because if this all goes south, she risks jail time, too. But I understand why she wants to assist, and I’ve never been more grateful for a friend like her.
“Talk to Dec for me. Take him out for a drink.” If there’s one thing Ella is good at, it’s listening, and Declan will probably need someone to talk to after what happened with Owen. In fact, I’m counting on it.
Ella nods and beams at me. “Done.”
With our next tasks set up, I head for the door again. “Time to pay Peyton Radd a visit and find our rat.”