Page 42 of A Simple Mistake
“So do we,” Frazer said.“Speaking of.There was something I’ve been meaning to run past Jack first, but since he’s not here….”
“Frazer.Jack pulled you into this project because it needed three distinct specialities.Jack doesn’t fiddle with the finances.He leaves that to Janet.He handed investigating the players to you, because that’s what you’re good at.What I’m getting at here is that you make the calls on your work, Frazer.You don’t need a nod from anybody else, none of you.”
Frazer’s face was pink, but he didn’t argue.He took a deep breath and blew it out.“Here’s the thing,” he said.“Ronald Nancarrow hasn’t used his company-issued laptop in months.I have a sneaky suspicion he lost it or had it stolen.He didn’t even log out, you know?He got swept out of the system.”
Gareth knew about the program that cut off any user who stayed logged on too long.“And did he log back in after that?”
“No.”
“When exactly did he last use it?”
“At the November shareholder meeting.”
And three months later, their projects had competition.“You think this is our leak.”
“It’s possible.I’m checking through the backups to see what was on the machine at the time it was last used,” Frazer said.
“Keep doing that.And Janet, keep after the money.I’m now doubly curious about the competition.”
Gareth was done with the week.Daniel and Nico had six weeks of holidays to look forward to, and the weather was perfect for dinner in the garden.Gareth had come home to a tray of steaks marinading in a mix of sliced onion, beer, and spices alongside tubs of coleslaw and potato salad from Rachel’s deli—and the sight had cheered him no end.While Nico and Daniel played badminton on the lawn, Gareth watched over the glowing coals, brushed soot off the grill tray, and wiped down the bars, enjoying a near-perfect start to the weekend.
When his phone rang, he picked it up with the very tips of his fingers.“Hi.”
“You sound funny.”Jack’s voice came from the tiny speaker.
“My hands are filthy,” Gareth mumbled, trying for diction while he balanced the phone between cheek and shoulder.Fortunately, Jack got it in one.His breathy chuckle sent heat down Gareth’s back.
“Thanks for that visual.Don’t hurt your back contorting yourself.We don’t need both of us to be cranky.”
“Then wait a mo.”Gareth found the dishcloth where he’d dropped it earlier and wiped his dirty hands.Then he clapped the phone back to his ear.“You’re cranky?What’s wrong?”
“I wanna duct tape Conrad’s nuts to the fridge,” Jack told him.“Come to think of it, I’d be just as happy if you did it for me.”
“Revenge by proxy isn’t your thing.”
“It is today.I ran into someone I know.Two someones, but the hacker is a friend.”
Gareth checked his phone, relieved when he saw they were on a secure line.Not that Jack would be so careless.He waited, let Jack work out how best to vent his spleen.They did that for each other without thought these days, a level of intimacy that had crept up on them while they settled into their new house.
“Are you in danger?”Gareth asked, when the silence on the line suggested Jack didn’t know where to start or what to say.“Physical or otherwise?”
“Could be.Last time we met, I was stuck on a fucking roof with a rifle, in a country where that’s severely frowned upon.I mind that.”
“And so you should.”Gareth made his voice deep and soothing, glad when the performance drew a tiny huff of a laugh.“Need me to come over there and kick arse?”
“Nah.I just needed to vent.And get my head on straight.I can’t even guess why Conrad thought sending me here was a good idea.”
“Was it a bad idea?”
“Don’t know that either.”
Jack sounded more like himself, and Gareth relaxed.“Then you’d better find out.”
“I will.”
“What is it over there now?Midnight?”
“Gone one.No use trying to sleep, though, since I’m still on English summertime.You getting the grill ready?”
