Texas Ranch Target, page 5
“That’s her,” the woman proclaimed. “The woman who was looking for you.” She walked around the desk and spoke to Jaycee. “It’s nice to see you again. I see you found Brett.”
She tried to laugh off the nervousness. “I did. Thank you.”
“This is Trish, our receptionist. Trish, this is Jaycee Richmond. We’re working on something together. I’m going to set her up in the conference room.”
She nodded. “Wilson asked to see you when you arrived. I can show Jaycee the way.”
He hesitated, obviously not wanting to leave her side. Jaycee assured Brett she would be fine. What harm could come to her in a conference room? Besides, she didn’t want to monopolize his time. He still had a business to run.
He transferred the duffel bag, new laptop and bag full of computer parts they’d picked up on the way here to her. “I’ll check on you in a few minutes to see if you need anything.”
“I’ll be fine.”
She walked behind Trish, who led her down a long hallway before pushing open a door. The room had a long table that took up most of the space but it also held a side bar with glasses and water, a few plants, and a large-screen TV on the wall. “Make yourself comfortable,” the woman told her. “No one’s going to bother you in here. The kitchen is right next door. Feel free to help yourself. If you need anything, just press zero on the phone. It’ll connect you right to my desk.”
“Thank you for your help.”
“No problem,” Trish stated before walking out and closing the door behind her.
Jaycee sighed and glanced around the room. She did feel safer now that they were at the security office. No one would bother her in here.
She unpacked the new laptop and the tools she’d purchased to try to reassemble the hard drive she’d found at her apartment, and had no trouble locating an outlet or computer port. It still struck her as odd that she seemed to know what she was doing when it came to computers, yet she couldn’t even remember her cell phone number or her favorite color. The doctor had assured her it might all come back to her, but she was impatient. She didn’t like the feeling of not knowing anything at all about her life. She felt helpless and out of control, two emotions she didn’t have to recover her memories to know she didn’t like.
She pulled out some cords and hooked up the hard drive to her new laptop then started digging into the system.
Most of the files were damaged but she was able to pull up a few and search through them. They were mostly random files she didn’t understand out of context. One was a program to test and determine random-number sequences while another bypassed security alerts in automated systems.
Those seemed like odd things to have on her computer but Jaycee supposed it had something to do with her work. Cybersecurity encompassed a lot of different aspects, from network monitoring to encryption software to analyzing and preventing security breaches.
She needed more information about what exactly she did.
A quick view of her website provided minimal detail. Most of the information contained there was ambiguous and vague computer speak, which made her believe she either did whatever work came her way, or she specialized in something she preferred not to advertise. Either way, it seemed odd for a computer specialist to have a website that provided such little information.
A contact email listed on her website gave her another option for digging into her life however. She took the email address and managed to search for it on the hard drive.
Bingo!
Excitement rushed through her as several email conversations began popping up on her screen. Now, she was getting somewhere.
She read through a number of emails she’d exchanged with a man named Joe Cleveland in which they talked about overriding a security alarm system.
She swallowed hard. Some of the data was missing but she was able to piece together enough of the bits to know she did not like the context of the conversations. They essentially detailed how she had overridden safety protocols to place the security system into sleep mode. Another email with someone named Harry Jackson discussed security protocols at a bank called First United.
Jaycee pulled her hands away from the keyboard. She recognized hacking techniques when she saw them. And she’d performed those acts. She’d hacked into a bank as well as someone’s security system.
She was a criminal.
No wonder her website provided so little detail. It was probably a front for her criminal enterprises to make herself look respectable.
She covered her face with her hands as her mind spun with this new information. She didn’t feel like a thief. But she had definitely bypassed someone’s security protocols and who but a thief would do such a thing?
Had she trashed her own apartment to cover her tracks? The man who’d attacked her had definitely been real. Was he one of her victims trying to exact revenge?
A knock sounded on the door, causing her heart to jump into her throat. She quickly minimized the screen just as Brett poked his head in.
“Find anything?” he asked.
Jaycee gulped at his question, which sounded oddly like an accusation now that she knew what she was. No way was she going to admit to being a criminal, at least not until she knew more about her system and her life. “Nothing yet, but I’m still working.”
“Okay. Keep me posted. My office is just down the hall. It’s after six so most everyone is leaving for the day. It’ll just be us here. I thought I’d order in some supper for us.”
“Sounds good,” she told him even though the thought of food made her stomach roil. She blew out a breath when he closed the door behind him. That had been close. Brett trusted her. He still believed in her. What would he do when he discovered what she truly was? She didn’t even want to think about that.
She stared at the computer screen before bringing the drive window back up. She needed more information. Had this been a once-or-twice kind of thing? Or was she a career criminal? She already knew of at least two hacking incidents.
She swallowed hard, uncertain she wanted to know the answer.
She turned back to the computer and continued her search, relieved when she spotted a file containing invoices for her services. The name on one invoice was Joe Cleveland, the same name she’d traded emails with about hacking into a security system. Was this man her partner? No, he wouldn’t have paid her if he was. And what kind of criminal sent invoices for their services?
From what she could piece together from this data, she’d been hired by Joe Cleveland to hack into his business and bypass security measures. Maybe she wasn’t a thief, then, but certainly a hacker for hire for unscrupulous business owners. That wasn’t much better.
She needed to find out more about this man and why he’d needed her hacking skills.
She pulled up file after file on the damaged drive but found each one more corrupt than the next. She managed to pull together bits and bytes of email conversations and data files, but little else.
Then she spotted a name that sank her.
B&W Security.
That was this company. Brett’s security firm.
The pieces suddenly clicked into place.
She’d hacked into Brett’s security system.
And she’d gone to a lot of trouble to specifically track Brett down. Was this the reason?
Panic suddenly gripped her. Brett was being blamed for letting a killer murder Whitney Warren.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she searched for dates of when this job she’d been hired to do had taken place.
Could it be?
No, no, no...
Please don’t let the dates match!
She checked the date on the invoice then pulled up a celebrity news website and skimmed through a story about Whitney Warren’s murder.
Tears filled her eyes when she realized the dates were a perfect match.
She pushed to her feet and pressed her hand against her mouth to keep from crying out at the realization of what she’d done.
She’d infiltrated Brett’s security system the same date Whitney was killed.
She’d been the one to bring down his security systems.
Brett wasn’t responsible for Whitney’s death.
She was.
FOUR
Jaycee’s hands shook as she approached the door to Brett’s office the next morning. He’d arranged for her to spend the night in a hotel but sleep hadn’t come easily as her mind had continued to run through the information she’d uncovered. She’d double checked her findings again this morning only to discover she hadn’t been wrong. Everything she’d recovered pointed to her hacking into a B&W security system on the night Whitney had been murdered.
She’d printed off the pieces of recovered data that showed her hacking into a bank system and transferring money, and the one showing her involvement in breaching B&W’s security measures and putting the system on sleep mode while Whitney was being killed.
She couldn’t hold on to this information. She had to come clean to Brett. He deserved to know the truth about the night Whitney died. She just wished she didn’t have to be the one to tell him. He was the only person she remembered who’d been on her side. Who’d stood up for her.
Once he knew the truth of her involvement, she wasn’t so sure that would continue.
Open the door, Jaycee. The truth will set you free.
Where had she heard that nonsense before? In this case, the truth would send her right out the door.
She spun around and headed for the conference room. She couldn’t do it. But she knew in her soul that she had to.
She turned back to his office and nearly knocked him down when Brett opened the door and stepped out.
“Jaycee, did you find something?”
The anticipation in his face defeated her. “I did find something.” Her hand shook as she handed him the invoice she’d uncovered from Joe Cleveland. “It’s a payment for a job I did.”
His face clouded as he read the paper. “This says you were hired to hack into one of the security systems of B&W. Our security systems that we provide for our clients’ safety?”
She nodded. “And look at the date, Brett.”
His jaw clenched. “The night Whitney died.”
She took a deep breath as his eyes bore into hers.
“You hacked into one of our security systems the night Whitney was killed.”
Tears pressed against her eyes but she forced them back. Now wasn’t the time to fall apart in front of him. It might elicit some kind of sympathy and she didn’t deserve that. “It’s my fault that Whitney died. I was the one who bypassed your system.”
He walked into his office. He tossed the sheet of paper onto his desk then ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t believe this is happening.” He picked up the paper again. “Someone paid you to do this? Why would you take that job?” He stared at her like he was legitimately expecting an answer.
“I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
His tone turned hard and scornful. “Well, that’s very convenient.”
She bristled at the implied accusation. “It’s not a lie, Brett. You know I’ve lost my memory. Do you think I would have gone through all of this if I hadn’t? You had no reason to doubt me earlier.”
“That’s because I didn’t know that you’d hacked into my system and gotten a friend of mine killed.” He blew out a breath and turned away from her.
She sank into a chair. Tears welling, she choked them back. He was right. She was responsible for the death of that woman.
She folded her hands together and put forth an effort to keep her composure. “I don’t expect any sympathy from you. I can’t believe what I did. I wish I could remember why I did it, but I don’t.” She stood to face him. “You don’t have to worry about me any longer. I’ll gather my things and get out of your hair for good.”
She headed for the door, already wondering where she would go. Back to her apartment, she guessed, although she didn’t know how safe it would be there. That didn’t matter. She was on her own now.
“Wait,” Brett said as she reached the door.
She turned back to face him. He was holding the paper she’d given him. “This is an invoice, which means someone paid you to do this. Who?”
“From what I was able to find, the client’s name was Joe Cleveland. I tried looking him up, but it seems like the address and phone number he gave me were fake.”
“You don’t check these things before you hack into someone’s system and endanger other people’s lives?”
She did her best to keep her cool. “I do. I know I do.” She had no proof of that, but it was a gut feeling. “I dug through my records. He mentioned that someone I know recommended me to him.”
He pulled out his chair and took a seat then turned on his computer. “We’ll find him and ask him why he wanted you to do this. What was his name again?”
She walked around the desk to look over his shoulder as he opened up the database his company used to gather information. “Joe Cleveland.”
He typed in the name but nothing came up.
Jaycee looked through her notes again. “So many of my files are missing but this was the address and phone number he gave me.” She called them out and Brett searched through the database once more.
Again, he came up empty. “What about the client that referred him?”
“His name was Harry Jackson.” She didn’t tell him that she’d also discovered that name in connection with the bank system she’d hacked into. That information could wait until later.
Brett keyed in the name Harry Jackson and his image popped up on the computer screen along with his driver’s license photo and employment and credit details. “Says here he’s worked at First United Bank for twelve years.”
Her heart dropped. Now, he had to know. Where did the madness end? “I also found some data that suggests I hacked into the system at First United.”
Anger brimmed in his eyes as he looked at her then turned back to the computer to focus on Harry Jackson. “No outstanding warrants or legal troubles, but his credit score has recently taken a nosedive.” He pressed a few more keys and more information popped up. “Looks like Harry’s been hemorrhaging money over the past year. All his credits cards are maxed out and, until a few weeks ago, he was four months behind on his mortgage. He recently made large payments to cover his debts.”
As she stared at the photo on the screen, a vague memory of Harry popped up. He’d always seemed to be a decent guy. “I wonder what we were up to?” Had they robbed that bank together? Or had she duped him?
Brett stood and clicked off his computer. “We’ll go ask him first thing tomorrow. Someone may have paid him big to recommend Joe Cleveland to you. Or else he’s in on it, too, and can provide me some answers.”
So he wasn’t kicking her out. He still needed her...at least for now. The relief of that nearly did her in. “Can you give me a minute to freshen up?”
He nodded and pointed to a door on the inner wall. “Use my private bathroom. I’ll be waiting for you up front at the reception desk.”
She washed her face and did her best to make sure her eyes weren’t red. She felt better having gotten the truth out there but she still didn’t know why she’d taken such risks. Was it really all about the money? She stared at herself in the mirror. Was she so greedy that she would endanger a woman’s life for a payday?
Oh how she wished she could remember!
She would uncover the truth one way or another, although she wasn’t so certain she would like what she discovered about herself once it was all said and done.
* * *
Brett struggled to keep his cool as he waited for Jaycee. He hated how he’d reacted to her revelation. That wasn’t the type of person he wanted to be. Discovering she was a hacker wasn’t the way he’d imagined this scenario playing out, but if she couldn’t remember doing it, did it really make her a bad person?
What he couldn’t get past was the fact that someone had paid her to do this, paid her to dig into his systems and undermine Whitney’s protections. He needed to know who that person was. People in Whitney’s business would have had the money to pull off this elaborate plan. He wondered briefly if he should contact Detective Hennessy with this new information.
Ultimately, he decided he would wait to contact the detective after they went to question this Harry Jackson. Perhaps their evidence, including Jaycee’s involvement, could finally bring Whitney the justice she deserved.
Her eyes were red when she emerged from the bathroom. He felt like a heel. He needed to direct his anger toward someone else. He didn’t know Jaycee that well, but what he knew of her so far, she didn’t seem like the type of person who would be part of a conspiracy to murder someone. Yet she had, and then she’d tried to find him afterward.
Why?
Maybe this bank manager could shed some light on that question.
They climbed into his Charger and drove to the downtown headquarters of First United Bank. He ushered Jaycee inside then asked to see Harry Jackson. The receptionist picked up the phone and made a call. A moment later, Brett saw a man walk out of an office, spot them then hurry back inside and shut the door.
He took Jaycee’s elbow. “There.”
The receptionist called to them to wait but Brett’s attention had been piqued. The name on the door was Harry Jackson. Brett pushed open the door and stepped inside as Jaycee followed.
Harry Jackson stood in the corner of his office, sweating in his expensive suit. He turned to look at Jaycee and his face paled. “No, you can’t be here again. You both need to leave right now.”
