Page 28 of Wired Strong

Sometime later, she heard the screech of the door, and the noise brought her back to the present moment.

“You really need to get those hinges oiled.” Raveaux looked at the folded-up jacket and yoga mat in the corner, then glanced at Sophie’s face. His brows knit together. “You spent the night down here?”

“I’m done copying all of the hard drives,” Sophie said stiffly. “A significant and time-consuming commitment.”

“Sophie did spend the night down here,” Leede said. “And I have already informed her that no one required that level of sacrifice from her or anyone else on this team. I’m certainly not staying up all night to work on the case.”

“I had my reasons.” Sophie swiveled her chair to face them. “And some of them were personal.”

She was relieved not to have to explain further as the door creaked open to admit Paula, burdened with tea and foodstuffs on a large tray. Raveaux hurried to help her, removing a paper bag balanced on the edge of the tray and clearing an area for her to set it down. “It took me a little while to go to the bakery on the corner for the scones,” Paula said.

She set up the food on an empty table against the wall as Raveaux went to the one window in the corner, raised the blind, and brightened the lights. “It may be a basement but we don’t have to sit in the dark.”

“I happen to like the dark.” Sophie pushed back from her chair, satisfied now that her DAVID program would be monitoring the phone taps. “I’m quite hungry. Thank you, Paula.”

“You shouldn’t have spent the night down here,” Paula scolded. “You need your rest, and you have a perfectly comfortable couch upstairs.”

“I know.” Sophie stretched her arms and yawned. “I was just too lazy to keep going up and down.”

“Tell me next time you’re going to stay after hours.” Paula shook a finger at Sophie in mock rebuke. “I’ll make sure you have everything you need.” She left.

Raveaux headed for the food. “I’ll fix you a plate. You need to keep up your strength.”

Leede frowned, clearly confused, and Sophie sighed and met the woman’s eyes. “Everyone’s fussing because I’m pregnant.”

“Congratulations!” Leede arched her brows. “Well, as I said earlier. No more all-nighters on this job, please.”

Raveaux brought Sophie a mug of tea, prepared with honey and a dollop of cream, and a plate piled with scones and cut sandwiches. “Eat everything.”

Sophie rolled her eyes, but bit into a still warm, buttered scone. “Mmm. So good. Ms. Leede, you have to try these. I had Paula get them for you.”

The Englishwoman was still doctoring her tea—she took it with honey and lemon. “Please, call me Heri.”

“All right, Heri.” Sophie finished her bite and set her plate aside; she took a sip of tea; it was perfect. She slanted a grateful glance at Raveaux, and was gratified to see the corner of his mouth tuck in—that almost-smile she could sometimes tease out of him. “You two see all of these computers? I can’t be the only one sifting through them. Besides, I’m not entirely sure what we’re looking for.”

“Certainly.” Leede sipped her beverage, eyeing the computers thoughtfully. “I understand. Pierre can take the original machines back to their owners today. I, however, have to focus on the paper trail, literally. Pierre, you said you had something to do this morning. What was it?”

Sophie glanced over at Raveaux, and was surprised to see him look away, and flush.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Raveaux

Raveaux strokedthe neat goatee on his chin. He avoided eye contact with the two women by taking a sip of his tea, enjoying the rich flavor. “I took Ms. Cho, CEO of Peerless, out to breakfast. I’m building a rapport with her.”

“Excellent work, Pierre!” Leede clapped her hands together, and her rings sparkled as she did so. She reminded him of a child, with her quick enthusiasms. “That woman had a gleam in her eye from the moment she saw you. Did you get anything useful?”

“Not yet. It’s early; these things take time. But I hope to gain her confidence.” Raveaux raised his gaze to meet Leede’s. “I’m playing the ‘my boss is evil’ card. You’re making me do all of this unpleasantness, and I would never suspect her of anything, of course.”

“Of course.” Leede smiled. “And you’re unhappy at home?”

“A widower. Which is the truth,” Raveaux said.

Leede’s face fell. “Oh, Pierre, I’m so sorry.”

“It was a long time ago.”

“Don’t make light of it, Pierre.” Sophie turned to Leede. “Heri, his wife and child were tragically killed in a car bomb as the result of one of his investigations. That’s why he’s here in Hawaii.”

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