Multiple lines.
Repeatedly.
I clear my throat, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible even though my arms are crossed and my skin is crawling with unease. “I was also wondering if there’s a way to…hack into her phone. Be able to hear what she’s talking about, activate her phone camera, and all that.”
Micah spins back to his desk. “Easy peasy,” he says, clicking away on his computer screen. It crosses my mind that this is his work computer, and in addition to the fact that he so easily has access to hacking and stalking capabilities, he also appears to have no qualms about using his professional tools to utilize it all. “What’s her phone number?”
I give it to him, and watch as lines of numbers that mean nothing to me run across his screen. He stays silent while he works, until he turns and asks for my phone. He plugs it into his computer where it stays for less than a minute before he hands it back to me with a smile on his face.
“You won’t be able to tap into her phone calls or anything, but this,” he leans forward and clicks on the app he just downloaded onto my phone, “will activate her Bluetooth from your end, allowing you to hear everything that’s happening on her end. You can also activate her camera, which, you know, will obviously show you what she’s doing at any given moment.” He pauses, watching me process. “You’ll have to get within twenty feet of her phone to initiate activation, and then you’re golden.”
I nod slowly, staring at the phone in my hand. “And if I do want to hear her phone calls?”
Micah’s face splits into a smile. “I don’t think you’re ready for that, detective.”
My brows pinch together, his words throwing me off. “What do you mean?”
There’s the briefest flash of a blush under the ink across his neck that’s gone as quickly as it appeared, and he shakes his head, the smile on his face never faltering. “I just mean, women, you know. Sometimes us men don’t need to hear all the shit they talk about.”
I stare at him for a moment before agreeing that he’s probably right. Besides, I can hear at least one side of her phone conversations as long as they happen in her house near one of the cameras.
“Thanks,” I tell Micah, lifting my phone into the air.
“Anytime, detective.” He winks at me as I stay standing at his desk, assessing him and wondering if I should ask him what I’ve been curious to know this whole time.
“How do you know how to do all this? Is there someone you’re…”stalking, I don’t say.
His smile grows wider as he leans back in his chair again, not at all fazed by my line of questioning. “Do you really want to know?”
I think about it, and even though as a detective I probably should, I really don’t. I have enough shit to worry about.
I grunt and nod, pulling myself away and giving him one last thanks before I retreat from his office and meet Alex downstairs.
Captain Barrett did say that I was not active in this investigation, but he didnotexplicitly say that I couldn’t accompany Alex to interview Grayson’s wife. And I have a feeling knowing where she was while her husband was being murdered will bring me one step closer to confirming that Chloe’s connected to all this, and I’m going to find out how.
10
Chloe
“You seriously sucked his dick?” Stella eyes me from her spot on the couch next to Stone, trying very hard—and failing—to keep the judgment out of her tone.
I avoid her stare and tap my phone screen until the music flicks on, and the familiar tunes of my mother’s favorite classic rock songs begin flowing through the speakers. If we’re talking about Colin, I need some background noise to drown out Stella’s berating—as well intentioned as I think she is. “I plan to do a lot more than that, babe.”
She rolls her eyes, crossing her arms and leaning back into the couch with a huff. “You realize you’re basically asking to get caught at this point, right?”
I stay quiet this time. Not because I feel judged, but because getting caught has always been part of the plan—at least getting caught by Colin. I just have expectations besides a jail cell at the end of it all.
Maybe I am deluding myself with the idea that Colin will accept me for who I am once he understands my motives. But look athim,pretending tobe a good person while he goes around, breaking into my house, following me, and spewing threats. I am not without fault here, but his honor is dimpled with indecency, too.
“He’s not going to love you once he finds out who you are, Chloe. He’s going to put you in prison, just like he’s been promising to do this whole time. I don’t know what other endgame you’ve conjured up in that mind of yours, but it’s not going to happen.” Stone gives her thigh a gentle squeeze, urging her to settle down, and I give him a grateful but that’s-not-necessary smile.
Stella has a right to be upset. It’s not just myself that I’m putting in the crosshairs of Colin’s sights by wanting to win him over. We all might end up going down in the end, and I’d be stupid to think I was being unselfish in my pursuit of him.
I take the edge of my lip between my teeth, staying quiet, willing the softly playing music to calm me, but it seems to do the opposite. My limbs tingle with uncertainty. I wish Maeve were here to jump to my defense.
When I hear Stella speak like this, it makes total sense, and I agree with her completely. How could I expect someone like him to love someone like me? A cop and a murderer? There’s not a worse match to be made.
But when he’s around me, when he shows up in force over and over again, when he can’t keep his hands off me and can’t resist drawing his lips close to mine, it’s not hatred formethat I see reflected in his eyes. He’s afraid to admit he’s drawn to me by more than just a desire to take me down, and he might hatehimselffor it.
