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Agent Marks of the FBI watched me, taking another sip from his burnt-smelling coffee. “But you haven’t told me what you were looking for. Or why your boyfriend turned himself in for doing the things you’re claiming that you did.”
I’d gone in that morning and asked to speak to the detective about Gabe, but instead, Agent Marks had intercepted me and locked me in this room for over an hour. I hadn’t even notified my attorney that I was here. She was going to have an absolute fit. I rubbed my temples. The agent, his acrid-smelling coffee, his buzz cut, and his impeccable gray suit were starting to annoy me.
The only thing I’d learned from him was that Clive Warren had indeed turned himself in for self-proclaimed tax evasion. His electronic equipment had been seized. However, Agent Marks had made no mention of Jiàn Innovations. I kept quiet on that subject for the moment, until I could figure out my next move.
“I was looking for evidence that Clive was testing the technology he stole from me—or that he’d sold it,” I said. “When I heard that Clive had been arrested, I knew it was only a matter of time before my activity came to light. I wanted to be forthcoming, and I was about to call the police. Gabe turned himself in because he was trying to protect me.”
Gabe. Just saying his name made my heart lurch. He’d spent the previous night in jail, awaiting his arraignment. I was wild to see him, to make sure he was okay. He was in a holding cell in the building somewhere. He’d been arrested for multiple things, including Internet fraud and unauthorized computer use a
nd access.
“Why didn’t you just go to the police—or better yet, the FBI—when you found out you’d been hacked?” the agent asked. “Why all the secrecy? Why’d you break the law too?”
I nodded at him. He had a valid point. “I had to keep my secret technology safe. I didn’t want it to come under outside scrutiny, so close to coming to market. It’s protected as a trade secret, and divulging information about it to anyone—even to the authorities—causes it to lose its secret status. That’s my only excuse, but it’s a real one.”
Agent Marks crossed his arms over his chest and looked at me. “Ms. Taylor, I know you went to MIT and you’re a CEO and all, but do you understand that particular excuse is not a legal defense?”
“Of course I understand that.” I tried not to lose patience with him. “But my technology has the potential to benefit millions of people. I have a duty to protect it. I made my decisions based on what I felt was for the greater good.”
“You know that we could have helped you, right? If the FBI and the National Security Agency had gotten out in front of this, you might not be in this situation right now.”
I swallowed hard. “That was a risk I wasn’t willing to take—that if.”
The agent raised his dark eyebrows at me as if he thought I might be a little crazy. Maybe he was right. The longer I stared at his face, the more his eyebrows looked like hairy caterpillars. Woolly bears were what my sister and I called them. The kind Hannah used to collect and build habitats for when we were kids.
“I’m going to need a signed statement from you,” Agent Marks said.
Great. “Of course.” I tried to sound agreeable. “But my attorney needs to review the statement before I sign it. And I need to know what’s happening with Gabe.”
Agent Marks nodded at me on his way out. “I’ll send his attorney in to talk to you. She’s waiting outside. And you can call your lawyer too. I’ll get the paperwork processed. But this is just the beginning, Ms. Taylor. We’ll be coming to Paragon soon for a preliminary investigation into this matter. We’re officially involved now.”
Double great. As soon as the door closed, I put my face in my hands. I refused to cry, but I did want to take a moment to fully comprehend what a truly fucked-up situation I was in.
Gabe was in jail. He was in jail because he’d confessed to crimes I’d committed, including wiretapping and hacking Warren Technologies. As far as I knew, he hadn’t yet been charged with the crimes I’d merely asked him to commit for me, which included having armed guards conduct illegal surveillance on Clive Warren. Not to mention physically threatening him.
Clive Warren was also in jail. He’d confessed to tax evasion, which seemed out of place amidst the various other crimes he’d committed recently. As far as I knew, he’d said nothing about hacking into Paragon or selling my technology to Jiàn Innovations. Now that Gabe and I had come forward, the FBI knew that he’d hacked me—for better or for worse.
At least the Chinese criminals he was working for couldn’t get to Clive in jail.
Neither could Gabe, for that matter. He was going to have to keep waiting to bash Clive in the face.
My patch was on track to win FDA approval soon. Of course, I had to get out of the police department and get back to work in order for that to happen.
My phone buzzed. It was a text from Stephanie, my assistant. Board has called an emergency meeting for today at three. Can you make it?
The board was going to have questions about Clive Warren’s arrest, and why the CEO of our new partner company, Dynamica, was currently in jail. I had a lot to answer for. Having the conversation wouldn’t be pleasant, but I would at least be able to cross yet another unpleasant thing off of my to-do list.
Yes, I texted back. Then I fired off a quick text to my personal attorney, Bethany O’Donnell, letting her know that I would need to speak with her soon. I tossed my phone onto the table and made myself sit up straight. This was not the time to be weak or overcome with dread. I had serious business to take care of, and I needed to keep my wits about me. That was my best—my only—defense.
After what seemed like forever, there was a brief knock on the door and an attractive woman came through. Her brown hair shimmered with tawny highlights, her makeup was carefully done, and she wore a blue skirt suit. As it was a Saturday morning and most professionals in Silicon Valley favored T-shirts and jeans, I figured she must be Gabe’s lawyer.
I jumped up. “I’m Lauren Taylor. Is Gabe okay? Have you seen him?” The questions tumbled out of me, one on top of another, but all I wanted to hear was that Gabe was all right.
“Kami Robards.” She held out her hand.
Instead of shaking it, I just sort of clung to it.
“I’m Gabe’s attorney. He wants you to know he’s fine. He wanted me to tell you that first thing.” She motioned for us to sit down. “I was just with him. They’re canceling his arraignment, and he’s going to be released shortly. The charges are being dropped.”
