Say Goodbye (Romantic Suspense #25) - Karen Rose Page 0,196

second time, but he’d been unable to quiet his mind. All he’d been able to think was that she was going into a hostile situation from which she might not return. And that he’d lose her after just finding her.

So he’d crept from bed, kissing her forehead as she’d burrowed her cheek into his pillow, muttering for him to come back. He’d promised he was just getting a drink of water, but he’d returned to his office.

He had nothing for his trouble except a sleepless night.

A creak in the floorboards had him looking up a second before she appeared in the doorway, holding two cups of coffee.

“Did you sleep at all?” Liza asked.

“No. Is one of those for me?”

She placed the mug next to his keyboard. “You said you were getting up for some water.”

“I couldn’t sleep. I’m sorry.”

She put her cup down and moved to stand at his back. “Lean forward.”

He obeyed, then groaned when her hands did that magical thing to the muscles in his back.

“You’re all tight.”

He groaned again, for a much different reason. “I said that to you last night.”

“Douchebag,” she said fondly. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to get a toehold in Sunnyside’s security network. I still don’t have access to their cameras and alarms.”

“I thought you did,” she said, confused. “You saw the personnel records and patient records.”

He folded his arms on his desk, letting his head fall forward. “They’re on a different network, not connected to the rest. I got into the personnel and patient databases because one of the night nurses clicked on a link in a phishing e-mail. I honestly was shocked that it worked.”

She worked her thumbs into the base of his neck, the way she knew that he liked. “Where did you get the e-mail address for the night nurse?”

“Guessed, mostly. Did an info-at with a bunch of different extensions.”

“But the security network has been harder to breach.”

“Yeah. I’ve sent e-mails to a few others on the list, like the facility accountant and network administrator. All the e-mails have links that will let me in, but nobody’s opened them yet. Today’s a damn holiday.”

She gentled her touch, pressing a kiss to his neck. “Always wanted to do that when I was massaging you.”

“Any time you want.”

“The massage or the kiss?” she asked, amused.

“Either. Both. Just don’t stop.”

She leaned forward to kiss his cheek before returning to his back. “How did you know they were doing background checks on me if you couldn’t see the security network?”

“I’m not going to be able to get anything past you, am I?”

“No, and answer the question.”

“I embedded Trojans in the résumés you and the two FBI agents uploaded with your applications. When the HR manager clicked on your résumés, I got access to her computer. That’s where I got the e-mail addresses for the accountant and network admin.”

“I did not like the HR manager,” Liza muttered. “She was smug, but I guess that’s the least of their sins. You’ll be able to get them for all the others, right?”

“I hope so. The problem is that the warrants only covered information on Pastor and/or DJ. Nothing else I see online or hear through your comm device is usable.”

“What if I see stuff? You know, as a legitimately hired employee? Can I report any illegal activity that I see?”

He looked over his shoulder, his grin sharp. “Take lots of notes.”

“Good. Are we going to Walnut Creek this morning?”

She was dressed, he noted. She’d even put on makeup, which she did not need. “Yes. I’ve been trying to reach Croft for the last hour, but—” His phone began to buzz with an incoming call from Croft. “Speak of the devil.”

Liza stopped her massage, retreating to a chair in the corner. “I won’t eavesdrop.”

Her years in the army had taught her about classified information, and, other than the night when she’d listened in on his conversation with Raeburn, she’d always been hyper-respectful.

“Good morning,” he said to Croft when he answered, keeping her off speaker.

“I saw your calls, but I was in the middle of a crime scene.”

All of the stress that Liza had worked out returned in a blast. “What now?” he asked wearily.

Liza frowned but said nothing.

“I’m at Anthony Ward’s compound in Granite Bay. We’ve got a dead Fed and three more bodies. All male, ranging in age from nineteen to forty-five. Angelina Ward and her children are gone. Their suitcases are gone and there’s no sign of foul play inside the main house. The maid discovered