Discover Love(16)

Chuckling, his fingers poised over the keys wondering if he was about to mess up their unusual partnership. Oh, hell, go for it! Any chance you will tell me your name?

 

 

 

        

          

        

         

 

A long pause had Luke rethinking about asking. Damn, I shouldn't have pushed. Just as he was about to type an apology for asking, a response came back.

 

Charlie.

 

Stunned that he received an answer, Luke typed, Promise me you will contact me when you need assistance.

 

Luke waited impatiently to see if there was more coming. The silence became deafening as his computer sat blank … waiting. Suddenly another ping.

 

I promise.

 

Knowing no more was forthcoming, Luke took a swig of beer. As he sat pondering the case and the cyber friend, whose name offered no insight on whether they were male or female, he realized that with each of the friend's contacts with him, they had offered insight, assistance. But this time, they only offered a warning.

 

Bolting upright, nearly knocking over his beer, he realized, they can see what I'm working on and are warning me away. That means I'm on the right track. Eli and Charlotte did work together and whatever frightened Eli into contacting the FBI, she must know about it also. And my cyber-friend, Charlie, must know about it as well. I wonder if Charlie is investigating Eli and Charlotte too?

 

*

 

By the time Luke finished his diatribe with the Saints the next day, they understood his frustration.

 

"I don't know how anyone disappears," Chad acknowledged. "You'd think there'd be something … anything to follow."

 

"Her money was moved to an offshore account and with the encryption she either knew or learned from Eli, she's hiding the use of any credit cards or bank withdrawals that I can find. No address. No social media. The last picture I've got of her is from her driver's license."

 

Flashing it on the screen, they all observed the elusive Charlotte Trivett. Dark brown hair, pulled back in a ponytail, wire-frame glasses, MIT t-shirt. Not smiling. Luke had stared at the picture on his computer screen the evening before for a long time, but until he saw it enlarged on the wall screen, he did not see anything familiar. Now something niggled his mind … as though he had seen her before.

 

"She … she looks … " he stammered, gathering the attention of the others around the table, then shook his head, a blush creeping up his face. "Never mind," he mumbled. Sitting up straighter, he confessed, "There's more. My mystery contact appears to know something about this case. They sent me a warning message."

 

"A warning?" Blaise asked, his large body leaning forward, pinning his gaze onto Luke. The other Saints mimicked Blaise's posture as they bristled at the idea of a warning.

 

Ignoring the others, Luke settled his gaze on Jack, and asked, "Boss, I'd like permission to pursue this person in hopes that they can lead us to information about Eli's death or Charlotte's whereabouts."  

 

Rubbing his beard thoughtfully, Jack asked, "What do you think this person is up to?"

 

"I don't know. Up till now, I saw them as someone who was … well, to be honest, someone who was like what we know Eli was. A computer genius. Probably worked alone … possibly from home. Someone who stumbled across me and has lived a bit vicariously through us. They've never steered me wrong, nor given me incorrect information or direction." Leaning back, blowing out a frustrated breath, he added, "And I always hoped they were not involved in anything illegal."

 

"And now?" Bart prompted.

 

"Now? I don't know … but to warn me about my searches into Eli and his friends, makes me think that they already know something. And they finally gave me a name." He paused for a moment, then added, "Charlie."

 

Nodding, Jack agreed to Luke's request, but with a stipulation. "Pursue this guy, but I want you to meet with Tim Kelly this evening. Marc'll fly you and Patrick up to Boston. Monty, you take point with Lin Wang. We need her on our side to make our lives easier and, Monty, you've got the finesse and the Bureau know-how to try to make that happen."

 

"I'll try, boss, but she's a tough nut to crack. Not sure how successful I'll be."

 

Luke looked over to Marc and asked, "When do we leave?"

 

"You and Patrick can meet at my house in about two hours and I'll drive us to the Charlestown airport. I've got my Cessna there."

 

With that, the Saints dispersed, Luke's thoughts on finding out more about his cyber-contact instead of the upcoming meeting with Tim Kelly to determine, if Eli's former friend would have any information. As he walked up the stairs, he stumbled as the thought hit him … Unless Tim also knows Charlie!