This is the ticket. There’s something that I saw in this that has people scared to death.”
Jackie grabbed the remote from the mantel and clicked the power button for the large screen television mounted on the wall above the fireplace. She turned it to Fox News. “We’re still the top story,” she muttered. She turned the volume down low and joined Ian at the table.
Jackie felt a sudden wave of exhaustion sweep over her. Her adrenaline had been pumping for so long, now that she was still and feeling relatively safe for the moment, she was ready to crash. But she needed some answers before that could happen. The clock pushed close to five in the morning. Jackie stood and went back to the coffeepot. While she poured another cup, she thought out loud. “That email. It didn’t have a header or a footer. No names.”
“No. The printer had been acting up. The service guy was supposed to come Friday afternoon and fix it. Anyway, when I printed the email, it printed on two pages. The first page had the email’s information. The second page had the body. I threw the first page in the trash and just kept what I thought was a puzzle to be solved in my spare time.” He pursed his lips in disgust.
“Do you remember who the email came from? Were there any other names on there?”
He nodded. “It came from my boss. Any other names were blind copied.”
“So we know he’s involved in whatever is going on. What’s his name?”
“Cedric Wainwright, CEO of Wainwright Labs.”
“How well do you know him?”
“Obviously not as well as I thought I did.” He shrugged. “I never had much contact with him except when he gave a company speech or made the rounds at Christmastime. His main office is in New York, but around the holidays, he visits each branch to meet with employees on an individual basis. I thought he was a pretty decent guy.”
“Until now.”
“Until now.”
The television caught her eye. She stood and walked closer to it. “Look.” She picked up the remote and upped the volume.
A dark-headed female reporter spoke solemnly into the microphone. “Here in Atlanta, state police and the FBI are working together to figure out who would have cause to kill this family. Anwar and Meredith Goff were found murdered this morning. Executed with a single shot to the back of the head. Their two children, ages sixteen and nineteen, were also killed in the same manner. It’s suspected that they were killed sometime either late Friday night or early Saturday morning. Anwar worked for the CDC here in Atlanta. Stay tuned for more information as we follow this developing story.”
Ian swallowed. “That’s awful. Who are they?”
“No idea. You’re right it’s awful, but that’s not what caught my interest. Look at the scrolling tape. It’s getting ready to come back around, but you know your co-worker? Daniel Armstrong?”
“Yes,” he said, his eyes wary like he didn’t want to hear why she was asking him about his friend.
“He’s dead.”
7
Ian gaped. “What?”
“He was found in his home earlier tonight.” She glanced at the clock. “I mean yesterday evening. He was murdered and they just announced that you’re a person of interest in that too.”
Ian sank onto the love seat. The lack of color in his face worried her. “It’s definitely the email then,” he said.
“Looks like it.”
“But how did they know he saw it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he asked someone about it. Or someone overheard you talking about it.”
“So first they try to kill me. When they fail, they set me up as a terrorist, and now I’m going to be the fall guy for Daniel’s murder too.” She wouldn’t have thought it possible, but he paled even more. “Holly,” he whispered.
“Holly?”
“Holly, my cousin. She used to visit during the holidays and summers, remember?”
“Of course I remember. She was one of my best friends. Still is. What about her?” Tension corded the muscles along
Jackie grabbed the remote from the mantel and clicked the power button for the large screen television mounted on the wall above the fireplace. She turned it to Fox News. “We’re still the top story,” she muttered. She turned the volume down low and joined Ian at the table.
Jackie felt a sudden wave of exhaustion sweep over her. Her adrenaline had been pumping for so long, now that she was still and feeling relatively safe for the moment, she was ready to crash. But she needed some answers before that could happen. The clock pushed close to five in the morning. Jackie stood and went back to the coffeepot. While she poured another cup, she thought out loud. “That email. It didn’t have a header or a footer. No names.”
“No. The printer had been acting up. The service guy was supposed to come Friday afternoon and fix it. Anyway, when I printed the email, it printed on two pages. The first page had the email’s information. The second page had the body. I threw the first page in the trash and just kept what I thought was a puzzle to be solved in my spare time.” He pursed his lips in disgust.
“Do you remember who the email came from? Were there any other names on there?”
He nodded. “It came from my boss. Any other names were blind copied.”
“So we know he’s involved in whatever is going on. What’s his name?”
“Cedric Wainwright, CEO of Wainwright Labs.”
“How well do you know him?”
“Obviously not as well as I thought I did.” He shrugged. “I never had much contact with him except when he gave a company speech or made the rounds at Christmastime. His main office is in New York, but around the holidays, he visits each branch to meet with employees on an individual basis. I thought he was a pretty decent guy.”
“Until now.”
“Until now.”
The television caught her eye. She stood and walked closer to it. “Look.” She picked up the remote and upped the volume.
A dark-headed female reporter spoke solemnly into the microphone. “Here in Atlanta, state police and the FBI are working together to figure out who would have cause to kill this family. Anwar and Meredith Goff were found murdered this morning. Executed with a single shot to the back of the head. Their two children, ages sixteen and nineteen, were also killed in the same manner. It’s suspected that they were killed sometime either late Friday night or early Saturday morning. Anwar worked for the CDC here in Atlanta. Stay tuned for more information as we follow this developing story.”
Ian swallowed. “That’s awful. Who are they?”
“No idea. You’re right it’s awful, but that’s not what caught my interest. Look at the scrolling tape. It’s getting ready to come back around, but you know your co-worker? Daniel Armstrong?”
“Yes,” he said, his eyes wary like he didn’t want to hear why she was asking him about his friend.
“He’s dead.”
7
Ian gaped. “What?”
“He was found in his home earlier tonight.” She glanced at the clock. “I mean yesterday evening. He was murdered and they just announced that you’re a person of interest in that too.”
Ian sank onto the love seat. The lack of color in his face worried her. “It’s definitely the email then,” he said.
“Looks like it.”
“But how did they know he saw it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he asked someone about it. Or someone overheard you talking about it.”
“So first they try to kill me. When they fail, they set me up as a terrorist, and now I’m going to be the fall guy for Daniel’s murder too.” She wouldn’t have thought it possible, but he paled even more. “Holly,” he whispered.
“Holly?”
“Holly, my cousin. She used to visit during the holidays and summers, remember?”
“Of course I remember. She was one of my best friends. Still is. What about her?” Tension corded the muscles along
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