returning there after searching the site of the old ELF station. Honestly, sitting here talking with Alexei was getting us nowhere.
“We’ll talk more later.” I rose. “Or I need you to tell me something specific related to Kayla’s whereabouts now.”
“Eco-Tech hasn’t done what they came here to do, or else you would’ve heard about it and asked me about that instead of Kayla.”
“And what did they come to do?”
“I’m not certain.”
Getting very irritated now. “Alexei, I don’t like these games. If you have something to tell me, tell me. Otherwise I’m leaving to find Kayla.”
“You won’t find her unless I inform you where she is.”
I felt a surge of anger, partly because I believed him, but I tried not to telegraph my feelings. I waited for him to elaborate. When he didn’t, I turned toward the door, then heard him say, “In 2009, Canadian scientists found that the Chinese had hacked into 1,300 computers at embassies around the world.”
Now he had my attention. I faced him one last time.
“The malware they used would turn on the computer’s camera and microphone without letting the user know that they were on, and then it would send the audio and video feeds back to China. The machines had been sending sensitive data back to China for twenty-two months before the researchers uncovered it.”
“So that’s how you did it?”
“Yes.”
I held out Lien-hua’s cell phone. “Both the mic and the camera?”
“Yes.”
That means he had a computer or phone somewhere in the area, a way to receive and view the signal that was sent during the briefing at the motel.
I stepped closer to the bars. “How did you get my email address?”
“I have people that I know.”
Another answer that didn’t answer anything.
I could sense that this interchange was just becoming more and more of a power play to him.
“If you make your phone call in the next half hour,” I said, “use Agent Jiang’s number. Otherwise, call my cell. Do you need the number?”
“No, I’ve got it.”
“I thought you might.” I headed for the door. “Good night, Alexei.”
“I’ll call you on my way out,” he said.
His words gave me pause. After passing Burlman in the hall on his way to the dispatch room, I found Tait at his desk. “Have your officers keep a close eye on him.”
“We will. He’s not going anywhere.”
“And I don’t want Burlman watching him.”
Silence. “Gotcha.”
I had no idea when I would get a chance to go out to the river to retrieve my SIG from the snowbank, so before leaving the sheriff’s department I signed out a Glock from the gun vault. I also stocked up on a few extra magazines for the gun, some plastic cuffs and requisitioned a GPS ankle bracelet. I had a feeling I might be needing them later in the evening.
Procuring one of the cruisers, I left the sheriff’s department to return to the motel to get to my computer, regroup with my team, and evaluate what to do next.
Tessa’s ringing phone woke her up. Lien-hua’s ring tone.
She sat up and fished out her cell. “Hey.”
“It’s me. Patrick.”
“Huh?” It took her a moment to shake the sleep from her head. “Where are you?”
“On my way back over there. Sorry things were rocky between us when I left earlier this afternoon. You doing all right?”
“Yeah.” She held back a residual nap-yawn. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
“No.” A pause. “I’ll see you in a little bit, all right?”
“Sure.”
The brief call ended, and she figured she’d go back to Amber’s room to hang out until Patrick arrived. As she was straightening the bedsheets she noticed a crumpled-up sheet of paper next to the trash can beside the desk.
No surprise there-the room was pretty much a mess.
But the way the page was balled up allowed the girlish handwriting to be visible even from where Tessa stood.
Considering the fact that Agent Jiang had a key to Patrick’s room, Tessa thought at first that the note was probably from her, maybe a love note? But then why would he be throwing it away?
No, Tessa had seen Agent Jiang’s notes to Patrick lots of times, and even from where she stood she could tell this wasn’t Lien-hua’s handwriting.
Whatever. Don’t worry about it. Just go see what’s up with Amber.
She was halfway to the door when it struck her that while they were making up fantasy names, Amber kept mentioning Patrick first, instead of her husband.
Huh.
Naw. It couldn’t be.
They have some sort of history together.
Tessa let her eyes linger on the note.
She picked it up.
Gazed at it.
At last, she dropped it in the trash can and went for the door.
But as she was about to leave the room, her curiosity got the best of her. She returned, snatched up the note, flattened it out on her hand. And read what it said.
64
Tessa stared incredulously at the words.
No way.
Amber was leaving Sean? And she came over to tell Patrick first? To ask a guy who barely knew his brother the best way to break the news to him?
Yeah, right.
Obviously, based on what Amber had written, something had happened between her and Patrick last night that might hurt Patrick’s relationship with Lien-hua.
That was unbelievable, that was seriously Is Patrick cheating on Lien-hua with Amber?
No, that didn’t work. Not at all.
From what the note said, Amber was the one apologizing, and whatever had happened seemed to have been her fault.
Besides, Tessa refused to believe that Patrick would mess around with his brother’s wife. Not only was he in a serious relationship already, she couldn’t imagine him treating his brother-or any guy-like that.
But there was something between Patrick and Amber, wasn’t there? Back in the past, before Amber and Sean got married?
And now she was leaving Sean?
Tessa flumped onto the bed.
This was for Patrick’s eyes only. You were never supposed to see this.
She debated what to do. If she said anything to anyone-Sean, Amber, Patrick-it would probably only make
