Phoebe and her mom clung to each other tightly as they talked about men and love, the ways of the heart, and how precious time was. A few hours later, Phoebe left the hospital and her mom, knowing what she had to do. She headed to Mitch’s place first. It was late enough that he would be home. She pounded on the door, and the second he answered, she hauled back her fist and punched him in the face.
“Ow, damn it,” she cursed as he rubbed his jaw and stared at her, confused.
“What the hell was that for?” he muttered.
“You lying to me, just like everyone else has. I’m sick of it. I know they paid you to keep me away from those files,” she snapped. “I’m done playing this game by their rules, and I’m done with you.”
Part of her hoped he’d deny it, but he just stood there, arms crossed over his chest.
“Fine, be that way. See ya’ around, Mitch.”
“Phoebe, what are you going to do? You can’t go up against them. Yancey will make your life a living hell if you get in the way of their plans.”
She stopped and turned back to glare at him. “Not if I make his life a living hell first.”
Without another word, she turned and stormed down the hall. Mitch called out to her, trying to get her back, yelling about her mom, but she tuned it all out. Her mom had been right. Her heart would never let Mitch in, not all the way, and she would never be able to trust him. This was her only option, breaking ties with him and putting this business behind her once and for all.
When she reached the street, she pulled out her cell and made a call. “Yeah, it’s Phoebe. We need to talk.”
***
Riley walked into his office, holding a laptop bag, still trying to make sense of this plan Ben had. He said the laptop had come to him from an anonymous source, but he’d checked it out. The laptop was Riley Marston’s, his grandfather’s. He’d questioned his friend about it, but Ben had refused to say who had dropped it off. Said it didn’t matter. What did matter was catching the mole and getting rid of Diane Chandler’s meddling.
It was still going to leave Riley in a legal clinch, but he’d figure that out if they made it through this morning’s events.
“Diane is on her way up,” Ben called out from Linda’s desk.
The woman in question was seated behind him and didn’t even look up. She seemed scared almost, and Riley knew that all this time, he and Ben had been blinded by her charm and sweetness. Riley felt for Ben, having to accept the fact that Linda had used him, but they hadn’t told her anything yet. First, they had to catch the big fish. Then wait and see if she turned on the others.
The cops had already been called and were waiting nearby, dressed in street clothes. Riley had informed the local detectives that some thieving had been taking place from his company and his grandfather’s private home. The second he’d mentioned Diane’s name, the detective on the phone had laughed.
“Damn, we’ve been trying to nail her for fraud for years. What time is she coming in?”
With that, the trap was set and ready to spring the second Diane confessed.
Riley stood in his office and waited, laptop bag out of sight under his desk. Any second now, she was going to appear on the floor and the game would begin. Ben stayed with Linda, just in case she tried to make a run for it. Riley felt his hands twitch impatient; then he heard Diane’s voice and forced himself to take a deep breath.
“Keep it together,” he muttered to himself. “Don’t lose your temper, not yet.”
Diane said a curt hello to Ben, and Riley caught her sideways glance at Linda, but the latter didn’t even make eye contact. “Darling, I am very busy with the wedding plans,” she said when she entered his office. “What do you need?”
“Just to go over some quick details,” he said, forcing a smile on his face. He reached up and tugged at the silver stud in his ear. “Some minor issues I need to clear up. You were at my grandfather’s ranch quite a lot. I was wondering if you ever noticed a laptop.”
Diane hesitated for just a second before she sat down in the chair. “Laptop? I don’t think so, why?”
“Because one is missing and I was just trying to understand how long it had been gone.”
She frowned, then readjusted her blouse. “Had been gone? I haven’t the slightest idea why you’d be asking me about it. Your grandfather hardly ever discussed his past work here with me.”
“You two were very close, and yes,” he said, “had been gone. Thankfully, it turned up just this morning.” He reached down, grabbed the laptop from the bag, and set it on the desk in front of him. “This one—you don’t ever remember seeing it?”