Page 20 of Just Now

She set it to run. It might work, but it might not. It depended on factors beyond her control, and that was this programmer’s focus on his own online security. Software development and cybersecurity were different areas of specialization. A programmer wouldn’t always be paranoid about security, and might have a more casual approach.

Footsteps approached, and she hastily lowered her phone. It hadn’t found a way in yet. It had only found a network, and now it was chipping away at the access point.

The door opened, and there stood Gavin Brandon.

He was a tall, slim man with short, curly hair and a guarded expression. Cami picked up a sharp intelligence in his brown eyes, but she didn’t see much kindness there. Although that could be because there were cops on his doorstep.

Connor showed his badge. “FBI. We need to ask you some questions.”

“Me?” Gavin looked surprised. “What’s this about?”

“It’s in connection with a case.”

“A case?” He stared at them, frowning. At least he wasn’t slamming the door in their face. But he still seemed wary.

“Can we come in?” Connor asked.

Gavin hesitated for a moment before nodding and stepping back to let them in. Cami couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes flicked over her as she passed him, taking in her appearance with a strangely intimate stare, as if he was analyzing her vulnerabilities, just as if she was a profile on a dating site. She felt a sudden chill, wondering if he knew why they were really there, and had his strategy already in mind.

Inside, the house was neat and tidy, with a minimalist decor that seemed to match Gavin’s reserved demeanor. This was not the kind of person who liked to make his home feel like a home. The table in the hall was bare of everything. They entered a sparsely furnished living room, with a large-screen TV and a sleek black couch.Cami took note of the stark, modern furnishings and the large computer setup on the desk. This was definitely a tech person’s house.

“What are you here for?” Gavin asked.

“We’re here because you’re a member on a local dating app,” Connor said. “Two women you interacted with have been murdered. We need to know when you last spoke to them, and also a few other pieces of information.”

“Murdered?” Gavin’s voice was loud and shocked. Falsely so? It didn’t seem like real surprise, Cami thought.

“Katie Minnett and Gracie Foster,” Connor said. “You remember the names?”

Gavin’s face paled slightly as he nodded. “Yes, I remember them. I spoke to them a few times, but I never actually met them in person.”

Cami found that hard to believe. Gavin had matched with both women on a dating app, who lived close by to him, and yet he hadn’t been interested enough to meet them in person? It didn’t make sense. Unless the only reason for connecting with them was that he planned to stalk them.

“When was the last time you spoke to them?” Connor asked.

Gavin paused, clearly thinking. “I never really spoke to them outside of the app. We messaged a few times on the app, and that was it. Katie and I were planning on meeting up, but then she stopped replying to my messages. I assumed she lost interest. I never tried to contact either of them again.”

Cami wasn’t convinced by what he said. He was fidgeting now, and looking down. She was sure Connor thought his body language was a red flag, but how were they going to prove he was lying?

There didn’t seem a way to find that proof. At least, not until she looked down at her phone.

She’d gotten in! Her program had worked. Her theory that programmers were not cybersecurity specialists, and had more casual attitudes, had proved to be correct. She felt a thrill of excitement that her app had managed to bypass the fairly basic security that he had in place. Now, she had a route through to his computer. What could she find there? She didn’t see the dating app on his laptop. Would there be anything in his emails?

Unobtrusively, hoping that Connor would keep him talking, she scrolled through the emails, wondering if there was anything to find.

There were reams of work-related emails, so many that she began wondering if this was a total waste of time, because she didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. It seemed like all Gavin used his computer for was work.

Although, what was this folder here? This sub-folder? Perhaps this was where he kept his private emails.

Cami clicked on it and went inside.

Immediately, her eyes widened. Gavin was lying. The emails proved it.

Time to drop the bombshell and see what happened.

CHAPTER TEN

“I never really had anything to do with those two women,” Gavin Brandon repeated to Connor, but now Cami felt as if every lying word was hammering the nails deeper into his coffin.

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