Mad, Bad and Blonde - Cathie Linz [30]
Faith couldn’t believe it. Maria actually blushed. And was that a giggle? Surely not.
Caine held his car door open for Faith. “The faster you and your wings get in, the faster we can get going.”
Faith got in. She was determined to prove to him that he didn’t intimidate her.
She was equally determined not to let him bend her fairy wings out of whack . . . or any further out of whack.
Caine hopped in and smiled at her. “Where to, Sunshine?”
“My condo.”
“Not taking your wings to your new job?”
“They aren’t necessary there.”
“Only one day on the job, and you already know that?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know. Props can come in handy in investigative work. Like that sun hat in Italy. Smart move on your part.”
She glanced over at him, checking his profile for any sign of mockery.
“What?” he said. “You can’t accept a compliment?”
“From you? I find it a little hard to believe. As in nearly impossible.”
“A flaw you’ll have to work on.”
“It’s not a flaw. It’s based on past experience. You just missed our turn.”
“I know a shortcut.”
“I’ll bet you do.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That I was an idiot to ever get in this car with you. Stop right now.”
“Why? We’re only two blocks from your condo.”
“I’ll walk.”
“With those?”
“If I have to.”
“You don’t have to. Just stay calm. Don’t panic.”
“I don’t panic.”
“Right. See, here we are. At your front door.”
Yuri stepped up and opened the car door. “Good morning, Ms. West.” If he was surprised at finding her with Caine, he hid it well. Having a pair of glitter-encrusted wings thrust at him didn’t faze him either. “Having a good day?”
“Just peachy.” She stepped out of the Mustang.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Yuri’s face was blank, but there was a hint of laughter in his voice.
By the time she regained possession of her wings from Yuri and turned to grudgingly thank Caine for the lift, he’d already driven away without saying a word.
“Your friend Caine isn’t big on formalities.” And he never had told her why he was standing outside the library just when she needed a ride. The man had an uncanny knack of turning up when she needed him.
Wrong. She didn’t need him. And it wasn’t a knack. He was stalking her because he thought she was a link to getting revenge against her father.
Yet Caine had shown flashes of kindness and humor, not to mention that damn sexiness.
Caine was still stuck in her mind when Faith got to work. Seeing him made her want to know more about his father’s case. So as soon as she got to her cubicle, she started searching through the system.
It took some digging, but she found it. On the surface it looked like an open-and-shut case. Dr. Karl Hunter was a chemist working for the American Research Corporation on a project to develop an affordable biofuel. He was in charge of the project. There were only three other people directly involved in it. Details were sold to a rival company. A large amount of money showed up in an offshore account in Karl Hunter’s name.
But something niggled at her. She couldn’t put a finger on what it was exactly. So she copied the file onto a small thumb drive she kept in her purse—a break in company policy and protocol. She discreetly slid the drive into her pocket.
“Looking at old cases?” Abs said, leaning over Faith’s shoulder to view the computer screen.
“I thought I could learn something from studying some previously solved cases.”
“I remember that one. It was a big deal. I didn’t work on it personally, but I heard the buzz about it. I mean, the guy ended up offing himself. Committed suicide.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Kinda sad, I guess.”
“Yes.”
“Faith, your father would like to speak to you,” Gloria joined them to say.
Faith cleared the computer screen and headed for her dad’s office. “You wanted to see me?”
“Why didn’t you move into the office I provided for you?”
“I didn’t think it was fair to move someone else out just so the boss’s daughter could move in.”
“Hmmm. Well, I’ve got a new assignment for you today. You said you wanted to do more than just sit in front of the computer screen, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good.