Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
Phoebe
My brother was hunched over Dutch’s laptop. I’d personally never seen my brother so focused in my life. He was always laid back and just this side of sloth when he was around me.
Dutch practically vibrated next to me.
I didn’t want to interrupt my brother, but I wanted to tell him everything, but it wasn’t my place.
“Are we worried about banking info here? Or just work files?”
Dutch blew out a breath. “I use an accountant for most of my money details and never log into my banking on my laptop.”
Lance glanced up. “Then why do you have a ten thousand dollar encryption package on your laptop?”
“Ten tho—” I couldn’t even compute that kind of money on a system.
Dutch sat across from him and I stood at his side. “Is it compromised?”
He sounded defeated.
“No.” Lance pounded on the keys with one hand as he reached over into his bag for something that looked like a flash drive.
Dutch stiffened. “What are you doing?”
“Someone has a backdoor way into your system and I can’t figure out why. I’m running a diagnostic.”
“Backdoor?”
“Yeah. I thought it was from the cloud storage, but I don’t think so. Who’s had access to your computer?”
“No one. Not since Bastian loaded LockSure.”
“Did he do it remotely?”
“No, he said it was better if I did it on a closed network.”
“Good. Then this was left over from something else. I made sure there are no ways to get into it right now but I need to get this back to my home office where I have access to all my gear.”
“It doesn’t leave my side.”
He slipped the laptop back into Dutch’s laptop bag and handed it to him. “Then you’re coming to see my house, I guess.” Lance gave me a reassuring smile. “Both of you.”
“I hope it looks better than the last time I was there.”
“Probably. I actually hired a cleaning lady when I got back from that big contract.”
“Thank God.”
Jenna came around the side of her counter, her brows knitted with worry. I gave her a wave as Dutch led me to the door. I grasped his hand, happy to find Mouse laying just outside the café’s door.
“You can go back to the—”
“Absolutely not.” I stared at him. “I’m with you.”
“You have to get back to Heavenly Bite.”
“Nope. I’ll text Romeo and let him know something came up. It’ll be fine.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry Phoebe.”
“Don’t be sorry. We’re going to figure this out. Do you want to check in with your friend who did the original...” I flitted my hands. “Encryption? I don’t know what it is.”
He leaned down and kissed me. Hard. “What the hell would I do without you?” His gray eyes searched mine.
I stroked his cheek. “You’re not going to find out.”
“Okay, gross.” Lance slipped by us. “I’ll meet you at my house.”
Mouse kept right beside us as we crossed the road back toward Pete’s Pizza, then down to Heavenly Bite.
I opened the passenger side of his truck to let the dog inside then ran over to my scaffolding to grab my kit and lock everything up, putting out my warning cones so people stayed away from it.
I dumped everything in the back of my truck and zipped back to Dutch.
“Head toward the library. Lance’s place is just beyond it. Stonehaven Estates.”
He nodded, his face expressionless.
“Maybe it would help to tell Lance. What if it’s not a one-time thing?”
He flexed his fingers on the wheel.
“Dutch, talk to me.”
“I don’t know why he’s doing this.”
“Could it be anyone else?”
He shook his head. “I really don’t think so.”
I reached over the console around Mouse to lay my hand on his arm.
All I could do was let him know I was there.
The drive was quick. Nothing in Haven was all that far apart.
I told him when to turn and finally Lance’s fixer upper came into view.
It was a light blue ranch with a ton of backyard space.
His dark red Mazda was already parked and the door was half open.
Mouse shot out of the truck and went to sniff around the property. “Think he’ll be okay?”
“He’ll stick close.” Dutch grabbed his laptop and met me at the top of the driveway.
I opened the front door. “Lance?”
“Basement,” he called.
I followed his voice down the hallway to the garage door which was opened.
The access stairs to the full basement were tucked away in the garage.
It was markedly cooler down there. The walls outfitted with all the toys and electronics a bachelor could want, but the corner of the room was his computer station.
Lance was already at what could only be called a command center.
He had a wide curving screen that took up the entire desk, two keyboards, and a series of computer towers tucked away. He pushed a smaller rolling desk out. “Put your computer on there. Let’s light her up.”
Dutch hesitated.
“Okay. First off, I think you need to tell me everything. Are you into something?” Lance swung around in his high backed gaming chair.
I lightly circled Dutch’s wrist. “You can trust him.”
Lance pointed to the club chairs. I dragged two over from the octagonal table tricked out for some serious poker nights. I sat down and Dutch stood behind me, he couldn’t seem to settle.
“My best friend is—was—my agent.” He cracked his knuckles and paced the long space behind me between the entertainment area and my brother’s office. “We worked together since my first book was published. He got me my first contract. The whole bit.”
“Okay...” Lance hedged and sat back in his chair, his fingers twirling a fidget spinner.
“Christopher always did a first read on my books. Even after I started writing on spec.”
Lance glanced at me, then back to Dutch. “I’m assuming a different contract?”
“Yeah. I didn’t have to get my outlines or pre-write a book to continue to get contracts with my publisher.”
“And I’m assuming this Christopher gets a cut.”
Dutch stopped behind me, his fingers digging into the cushion of the chair. “Yes. This last contract was the largest one I’ve ever signed. He’s not fucking wanting for cash.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes. He’s got plenty of other authors.”
Lance narrowed his eyes. “How sure are you about that?”
I turned in my seat. “When’s the last time you talked to him?”
“It’s been over a year.”
I got up and went to him. “Have you told anyone what happened?”
When he looked down, I knew my answer. “Dutch, you have to talk to someone about this. It’s your whole career.”
“I’d bet that’s what he’s banking on.” My brother’s voice was quiet. “If he’s your best friend, he knows all your fleshy spots to stick a sword.”
“Lance.” My voice was low and threatening.
“What? Am I lying?” He turned in his chair to bring his screens alive with a shake of his mouse. “What’s this guy’s full name?”
“Christopher Eldritch, based out of Los Angeles.”
“Any other houses?”
“Apartment in Mexico. Not sure exactly where.”
Windows popped up and flicked from one end of the massive screen to the other. Lance kept shouting for information like his birthday and who he worked for. It was all dizzying.
I went to Dutch and lowered my voice. “Did your friend Bastian do a background on him?”
Dutch shook his head. “He asked me if I wanted him to, but I was just so worried about my name getting dragged through the mud that I backed off.”
Lance didn’t look away from his screen. “And why didn’t you go after this guy?”
“Because my reputation is linked to his. One whisper of plagiarism can end my career.”
“And you know the book is being plagiarized? He’s not taking it hostage? Well, fuck. Never mind.”
“What?” Dutch and I went over to look at his screen.
Lance moved over to show a publishing announcement for a multi-million dollar offer for an up-and-coming author.
“Lana,” Dutch whispered.
“You know her?” I glanced up at him. His eyes were flint gray and I was happy to see anger there. Not at himself. Not at the situation, but at the actual culprit.
“It’s Christopher’s girlfriend.”