“You can probably get that subpoena, right? Seeing as you’re an attorney and all? I feel bad that I can’t help you.”
“It’s okay. I’m sure your adherence to company policy is one of the things that make you such a valued employee. How long have you been in charge here?”
“Almost a year,” he said. “I’m not really in charge. Not yet anyway.”
Kate smiled. “It probably won’t be long until you are. They’ve undoubtedly taken notice of your dedication.”
He stood up and put the brochure rack back on the counter. “You’re a lot nicer than that guy who came in here asking questions,” he blurted.
“Was he rude to you?” Kate’s tone was sympathetic, caring. She leaned against the counter as if she wasn’t in a hurry to leave.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle. I know everything that goes on around here, but I didn’t feel like telling him on account of what a dick he was being to me.”
“What did he want to know?”
“He wanted to know when the FBI had come for Mr. Merrick’s other car. The one he left in the parking lot while he was out driving that cool old car. That’s when I knew he was crazy. They’d barely pulled the body out of the river at that point. Why would the FBI be interested in a car accident, you know? That didn’t make any sense.”
Kate kept her expression neutral. “That does seem a little odd. Was he dressed like me? Maybe he was from the insurance company or something.”
“He was just some punk wearing ripped jeans and a hoodie.”
Her pulse quickened. “A purple one? Vikings fan, maybe?”
“No. Gray I think. Or maybe it was black.”
“Thank you for your time today.” She rested a hand on his arm. “You’ve been very helpful.”
He stood a little taller. “You’re welcome. You can come back if you need anything else. I’m here all the time.”
She smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind. Bye now.”
Kate had never been interested in the rental agreement. There was nothing on it that would help her, nothing she even remotely cared about knowing. She’d just needed an excuse to start a conversation. Because if anyone outside the FBI had shown up, it likely meant Ian’s cover had been blown and there was enough doubt surrounding his death to warrant a visit. And it was any mention of another person who’d been nosing around, especially someone who might have been a hacker, that she’d been after from the start.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Back at her apartment, Kate kicked off her shoes and rubbed her temples.
For my eyes only.
The glasses had definitely been his way of helping her figure out who the messages were from. But the picture itself must have been his way of telling her to use caution regarding their communication. If Ian was contacting her via her dating account, did it mean he’d been hacked? Was this the only secure connection between them? She supposed he could have used the cell phone he’d given her if she hadn’t thrown it in the river.
She thought back to the days leading up to Ian’s death. The way his phone had pinged on the way to lunch. The problem he’d mentioned not being sure how to solve. She remembered how desperate he’d seemed when they’d made love and what he’d said afterward.
Don’t ever lose faith in me.
Maybe she’d misunderstood him. Maybe he’d been trying to prepare her for a future event. Kate began to question things. Why was the tracking turned off on his phone? Why had he taken the Shelby out when he knew the roads would be bad?
She logged on to her dating account and drafted her reply carefully: The glasses do make me feel very smart. I’m able to understand things so much better when I’m wearing them.
She waited thirty seconds and refreshed the screen. A new message appeared, its header bolded to signify it hadn’t been opened yet. Kate clicked on the message.
Smart and beautiful. Promise me you’ll wear the glasses on our date.