The Veiled Cage (Lady Lawyer Series Romantic Suspense Novels Book 1) (28 page)

“
All settled in. I told you I work fast. Impressed
?
”

“
Maybe if you let me take your drone for a spin . .
.
”

“
Done
.”
He sprang from his chair and grabbed his briefcase.

“
How are you so bouncy without caffeine
?
”

“
Adequate nutrition, Rubina
.
”

“
Rubina? Who spilled
?
”

“
My source prefers anonymity. He or she also told me adequate nutrition is something you could use more of
.
”

“
That does
n’
t narrow down my suspect list
.
”

“
Good. Here,
I’
ve programmed this for you
.”
He dashed to the FastFare
.“
Jacques, prepare one Rubina Special, please
.”
When a plate and cup emerged, he said
,“
Go ahead, take it
.
”

“
What is it
?
”

“
What does it look like
?
”

“
Coffee and a cinnamon roll
.
”

“
Precisely. Try it
.
”

Ruby eyed him warily over the rim as she sipped
.“
This is great coffee
,”
she admitted.

“
Yes, yes. Try the roll
.
”

She took a tiny bite, and followed it with a large one as her taste buds danced in glee
.“
That is . . . Wow
.
”

“
Best roll yo
u’
ve ever had, no
?
”

“
Do
n’
t tell Anton. Can I have another
?
”

“
Absolutely
.
”

“
Wait a minute. Were
n’
t you harping on me for my eating habits? Now yo
u’
re offering me junk food. Wha
t’
s the catch
?
”

“
The
y’
re fortified. Coffee is the real deal, loaded with antioxidants. And I combined it with the latest in supplementation to rival the nutrition of a GreenPower smoothie
.
”

Ruby started backing away, shaking her head.

Emilio was too excited to notice
.“
Its patent is pending. And that is
n’
t an ordinary cinnamon roll. I
t’
s made with a sweetener I had to hike through the rainforests in Jamaica to acquire. Has a zero glycemic impact on your body. The flour is from coconuts, but not just any coconuts
.
”

“
From the rare Kirkawack tree found on the island of Tikiluau
.
”

He cocked his head
.“
No, do
n’
t be silly. From the palms of Bora Bora
.
”

“
Stop the madness. Stop the madness right now
.”
Ruby forced herself to set the roll and coffee down
.“
I ca
n’
t believe it.
I’
m surrounded.
I’
ve gone and hired another one
.
”

“
Another what
?
”

“
Health freak.
I’
m outnumbered. I
t’
s only a matter of time before
I’
m drinking glowing goo and talking about the benefits of some obscure berry
.
”

“
It would
n’
t be the worst thing, Rubina
.
”

“
Do
n’
t mess with my caffeine and sugar
.
”

“
Would it help if I told you this was a cinnamon roll like any other
?”
He held it out as a peace offering.

“
Yes
.”
She accepted it, and repeated
,
“
I
t’
s just another cinnamon roll
.”
She finished it off
.“
A damn good one, I have to admit
.
”

“
How about a compromise? I wo
n’
t tell you when i
t’
s fortified food
.
”

“I’
d rather not know. Deal. And if I can tell that yo
u’
ve tinkered with it, i
t’
s not getting past these taste buds. The
y’
re finely honed and difficult to trick
.
”

“I’
ve already made it past them once
.
”

“
Beginne
r’
s luck. Get anything done besides make your freaky FastFare
?
”

Emilio moved behind her at his desk and caressed her arm.

She bolted up and skirted around the desk.

“
You could have asked me to give you your chair
.
”

“
I could have, yes
.”
His eyes glinted.

“
Stop looking at me that way
.
”

“
What way
?
”

“
Like you want to jump me on this desk
.
”

“
As you wish
.”
He turned his attention to his PSC
.“
Juan, display on-screen
.
”

“
You unearthed a working screen
.
”

“
Who said it worked
?
”

“
It appears one ma
n’
s e-graveyard is another ma
n’s
—”

“
Tech center. Yes, I told you
.”
He gestured to the screen
.“
I tracked down the transmission destination for the surveillance equipment found in Susa
n’
s kitchen and bedroom
.
”

“
You do work fast
.
”

“
Ther
e’
s more. I swept Susa
n’
s phone, and found spyware encrypted and buried
.
”

“
So did Kottke
.
”

“
Yes, and he did well. Stalker applications are common, but hard to detect, particularly ones with this level of encryption. I tracked down the source
.
”

“
Now
I’
m impressed
.
”

“
My heart flutters at winning the favor of a worthy woman
,”
he said, exaggerating his accent.

“
Knock it off
.”
She bit her lip to hold back a laugh.

“
Yo
u’
re not after me for my accent? Spanish is a romance language, Rubina
.
”

“I’
m not after you, period
.
”

“
I cannot say the same, Rubina
.”
He said, and turned his attention back to the screen
.“
The source device is a cell registered to one Jerald Combes
.
”

“
As we expected
.
”

“
Yes, I was as unsurprised by that as much as I was surprised by this. Ask me the last time the surveillance equipment was activated
.
”

“
When
?
”

“
Friday evening, at six-fifty-eight
.
”

“
Tha
t’
s around the murder
.
”

“
What does it mean
?
”

“
It does
n’
t in and of itself disprove the stat
e’
s theory. Wife takes Husban
d’
s cell after the kill and finds out h
e’
s been watching her. Wher
e’
s the cell
?
”

“
I
t’
s still active. Signal triangulates t
o
—”

“
Fifty-nine-oh-two Whittaker Roa
d—
the farm property. Yes
!”
Ruby exclaimed
.“
Now that not only disproves the stat
e’
s theory, but it supports mine. No way is Susan transmitting from jail. Excellent work, really
.
”

Unable to resist the joy radiating from her green eyes, he captured her mouth in a searing kiss before releasing her.

Confusion swirled in her eyes. Shaking her head to clear it, she stepped away. Her throat went dry. She broke his gaze
.“
Knock that off. W
e’
re working
.
”

“
Colin received a celebratory kiss for his discovery. As any other team member,
I’
d like the same treatment
.
”

“
Tha
t’
s not. That was
n’
t . .
.”
She ran her hand through her hair and turned away.

“
Yo
u’
re adorable when yo
u’
re flustered
.
”

She whirled
.“
Call me adorable again and yo
u’
ll see my karate training in action
.
”

“
Ah, a wonderful contact sport. I enjoy sparring myself. Yo
u’
d be a formidable partner, I imagine. Yes,
I’
d enjoy that immensely.
I’
m picturing it right now
.”
He reposed with his fist on his chin as if deep in thought.

“
Yo
u’
re impossible to work with
.
”

“
We both know that had nothing to do with work. And before that,
I’
d say we made good progress. You and I have an efficient rhythm
.
”

“
Stop with your innuendos
.
”

He raised an eyebrow
.“
That was purely for pleasure, Rubina. Do you have something against it
?”
He sent her a heated gaze.

“
There you go again
.
”

“
What, Rubina
?
”

“
Looking at me like you want to ravage me on your desk
.
”

“
Ther
e’
s more to the emotional spectrum than lust. Yo
u’
ve grabbed hold of me, Rubina. You have
n’
t meant to, yo
u’
ve made that clear.
I’
m no more comfortable with it than you are, but ther
e’
s the truth. You need only tell me yo
u’
re disinterested
.
”