Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
Cara
With the recent events that have transpired, we’re putting it all on the line, assuming Fred has been careless. That he is as foolish as we think he is and will have the information somewhere in his home.
I know in my gut that I’m right about this. I have to be.
Staring out the front window, I wait for Fred and Brad to come over. I cross my arms and pace in front of it in hopes that one of them will arrive soon.
I’ve set up a whole spread of dishes for them to eat, arranged different types of beers, and we even subscribed to a new channel to get the game. We know that, locally, everyone roots for the Stingrays, a Charleston-based team.
“You don’t have to do this,” Grant says.
My head snaps over to where he waits against the bottom of the staircase. He’s dressed casually in a green, long-sleeved Henley and a pair of dark jeans.
“And you look delicious,” I say.
He smiles briefly, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“I’m serious, Cara. Let me figure out a different way to break into Fred’s. I’m sure I could even convince him to just invite me over.”
I let out a long sigh and stop pacing altogether.
“We’re out of time, Grant. You know this.”
“We can figure it out. I don’t feel right about you going over there. Not with the way Fred’s looked at you and that pie comment.”
“He’s harmless,” I counter.
“But we don’t actually know that. Nothing is what we assumed it would be when we first got here. Look at Aria. Did you see that coming?”
Okay, well, he has a good point there. I didn’t see that one coming.
“Exactly,” he finishes.
“I’ll be gone for only a few minutes. In and out. I won’t search his whole house. I won’t have to. Don’t you see? It’ll be easy.”
“Easy,” he says, drawing it out.
“Yes.”
“I won’t stop you, but I don’t have to like it.”
“We’re so close. As soon as we get the meetup information, this will all be over. The Marlin will be there, and we’ll finally catch whoever it is.”
“At this rate, the Marlin is probably a woman.”
“I don’t even pretend to know who it could be. Like you said, nothing is what it seems here.”
“Okay. I’ll trust you. Please just be careful.”
“I will be. I’m good at my job.”
“I never said you weren’t. I’m allowed to be worried about you.”
“I love you.”
“I love you.” He sighs and then gets a startled look, peering around me through the open window.
“They’re here. You better go out the back.”
I turn around and see Brad and Fred walking up our driveway together. They look like they’re having an intense conversation that no doubt has something to do with next week.
“I’ll be back before you know it, and I’ll keep an eye out for Fred.”
Grant sighs as he walks toward the front door, then pauses next to me.
“Go.”
“I love you,” I repeat.
“And I love you.”
I take off in a sprint through the living room and kitchen to the back patio door. We have a walkway around the side of the house that will lead me in the right direction to Fred’s house.
I pass through a set of tall hedges and pause next to the front porch. I hear Grant welcoming them into the home. Moments go by, and the door is shut.
Looking around the neighborhood, I try to quickly dart across the way to Fred’s. There’s no one out walking right now, which is strange but lucky.
Maybe I am a lucky charm for myself too.
I get to the back of Fred’s house and pull out my lockpick in case I need it. Testing a door handle, I wiggle it, and the door opens. It’s unlocked.
I scan my surroundings and slip inside, shutting the door quietly behind me.
This house has a similar layout to ours, so I know right away which direction I want to go.
The office is on the first floor, off the living room. It’s almost an open concept with large glass doors. Spotting it, I feel a sense of victory that I was right.
In Fred’s office, there’s a huge stack of papers strewn across his desk. Who even prints this much these days?
I get settled in his seat and start going through the documents.
Nothing related to the meetup at the warehouse.
I chew the inside of my mouth as I debate where to go next.
His bedroom or a guest bedroom, perhaps. This house is far too big for a single man to live in. I’m surprised that he hasn’t moved a girlfriend in just to not feel so lonely.
I take the stairs as fast as I can, running on the adrenaline that’s coursing through every inch of me.
I decide to head into one of the spare rooms first.
As I open the door, I’m hit with an overwhelming sense of dread. Inside this room are dozens of computers and various security measures, from the looks of it.
“Fuck,” I mutter.
Scanning the screens on one of the walls, I recognize the inside of this house mainly, but then I spot something that stops me in my tracks. There is live security camera footage from inside the casino.
I’m in shock as I watch these feeds. Only I don’t think Fred has Taby’s permission to do this. This must be why Fred moved to the neighborhood. He’s not in on it all like I thought he might be.
He arrived only months before we did, but the way Brad talked to him made me feel like he was a bigger player in the operation. Now I’m not so sure.
Why would he be doing this unless he had an ulterior motive of some kind? I won’t even pretend to know what that could be.
Stepping forward to one particular screen, I see Taby and Cordelia lounging at a table inside Taby’s private quarters.
Taby definitely doesn’t know that Fred has this on her. There’s no way she would allow this with all the security measures she has in place at the casino. Fred might be part of her organization, but there’s no way that he’s this involved to have access to her this way.
Reaching for my cell phone, I take photos of the monitors first and then the computers. There’s data on them that must be important to Taby.
There’s a tablet on the table that has a passcode on it. I try a few typical codes but don’t get in.
“There has to be something here,” I say to myself.
While looking for any sign of a password, my eyes land on a picture of Fred from high school or college. He and his three friends are all holding up a sign for something. A fraternity, perhaps.
2006.
The year he graduated college.
I enter it into his tablet, and it opens up. Scrolling through it, I find a note icon and click it. I scan through the notes and see they’re labeled by dates. I open each one for next week to try and find the answers we’re looking for.
One last one to try, I open the note.
Milton Warehouse District.
Fourth and Third.
8 p.m.
The note date is only a couple of days away.
I’m filled with relief for successfully finding the information we need.
Putting the tablet back in its place, I take a photo of the note before turning it off completely.
I quietly walk past the computer monitors and open up one of the laptops. I need to find a way to shut off and erase any record that I’ve been here.
Thankfully, I find access immediately and erase everything from the past fifteen minutes. Then I take a deep breath and shut off the cameras.
I have no time at all to get out of here. Hopefully, Fred won’t notice since he’s watching the game at my house.
I slip out of the office and slowly shut the door behind me so there’s no proof I was there. Feeling accomplished, I smile at all my findings.
Suddenly, a rough hand is at my throat, and I’m dying to find air. I struggle against the person’s hold as my eyes sting with water from the way he’s holding onto my neck.
“Well, well, well, look at what we have here,” the man says.
His tone is laced with menace and desire as he continues to hold me tight.
“What are you doing in my house, baby?”
My eyes clear, and I realize it’s Fred. He must have left my house. Only there’s no way Grant knows because he would have come with him to warn me.
Fred releases his hand from around my neck, and I gasp for air.
“I asked you a question.”
I grip my neck as I try to inhale as much air as I can. Fred is strong, much stronger than I assumed he would be. I’m beginning to realize there’s a lot I don’t know about Fred Jones.
“I-I…” I stutter.
I didn’t anticipate being caught in the act by him. I’ve rarely been in this situation with some of the worst criminals in the world.
“Oh, baby, looks like you found out my secret,” he says.
The camera room.
“What am I going to do with you now?”
“I swear, I wasn’t in there. I came over to find out a few things that you like for Grant. He wanted to surprise you since your birthday is coming up. Have a party with friends,” I lie.
Fred takes a step back and examines me. The way his deep-blue eyes try to peer into mine is alarming. I’ve never taken a good look at Fred before, but his tall, broad frame is powerful next to mine. The way his tattoos travel up the length of his arms tells a story I don’t think I want to know.
“What did you see? Don’t lie to me,” he says. It comes out harshly, as though he’s worried about whether to believe me or not.
“Nothing. Just technology. But I mean, everyone has computers?”
Fred crosses his arms and leans against his staircase railing.
“You’ve come snooping in another man’s home looking like you wanted to be caught.”
I look down at my attire, and confusion fills me. I’m not in anything sexy, not that it would be my fault if I did choose to dress that way. He needs to be able to keep it in his pants, even if I were wearing underwear over here.
“I’m wearing leather pants and a shirt?”
“Your tits are basically popping out of your shirt, baby. You come here dressed like that, looking around my bedrooms. Makes me feel like you want something you aren’t getting at home.”
I stand tall yet pretend to be bashful as he tries to come onto me. A meek little housewife who needs attention from her neighbor.
Fred uncrosses his arms and stalks forward. He reaches for me and gently starts caressing my neck with his fingers. It’s no where near the roughness as before.
“What are you doing?” I whisper.
“Can you keep a secret?” he huskily asks.