Dutch sat across from him and I stood at his side. “Is it compromised?”
He sounded defeated.
“No.” Lance pounded on the keys with one hand as he reached over into his bag for something that looked like a flash drive.
Dutch stiffened. “What are you doing?”
“Someone has a backdoor way into your system and I can’t figure out why. I’m running a diagnostic.”
“Backdoor?”
“Yeah. I thought it was from the cloud storage, but I don’t think so. Who’s had access to your computer?”
“No one. Not since Bastian loaded LockSure.”
“Did he do it remotely?”
“No, he said it was better if I did it on a closed network.”
“Good. Then this was left over from something else. I made sure there are no ways to get into it right now but I need to get this back to my home office where I have access to all my gear.”
“It doesn’t leave my side.”
He slipped the laptop back into Dutch’s laptop bag and handed it to him. “Then you’re coming to see my house, I guess.” Lance gave me a reassuring smile. “Both of you.”
“I hope it looks better than the last time I was there.”
“Probably. I actually hired a cleaning lady when I got back from that big contract.”
“Thank God.”
Jenna came around the side of her counter, her brows knitted with worry. I gave her a wave as Dutch led me to the door.I grasped his hand, happy to find Mouse laying just outside the café’s door.
“You can go back to the?—”
“Absolutely not.” I stared at him. “I’m with you.”
“You have to get back to Heavenly Bite.”
“Nope. I’ll text Romeo and let him know something came up. It’ll be fine.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry Phoebe.”
“Don’t be sorry. We’re going to figure this out. Do you want to check in with your friend who did the original...” I flitted my hands. “Encryption? I don’t know what it is.”
He leaned down and kissed me. Hard. “What the hell would I do without you?” His gray eyes searched mine.
I stroked his cheek. “You’re not going to find out.”
“Okay, gross.” Lance slipped by us. “I’ll meet you at my house.”
Mouse kept right beside us as we crossed the road back toward Pete’s Pizza, then down to Heavenly Bite. I opened the passenger side of his truck to let the dog inside then ran over to my scaffolding to grab my kit and lock everything up, putting out my warning cones so people stayed away from it. I dumped everything in the back of my truck and zipped back to Dutch.
“Head toward the library. Lance’s place is just beyond it. Stonehaven Estates.”
He nodded, his face expressionless.
“Maybe it would help to tell Lance. What if it’s not a one-time thing?”
