Pulling Strings Read online

  Devon nodded.

  “I’ll be in the building for most of the day, so I should be nearby.” Powers got his things and left the apartment with Devon. After reminding him to keep the number close, he said, “I don’t want to be seen riding in with you so we don’t tip off that anything has happened. Go straight to work, and I’ll meet you there.” He hurried away and around the block, watching as Devon descended into the subway. Then he raced to the train and headed to his own apartment, where he changed and cleaned up before leaving again, doing his best not to wake Lucy. His plan was to arrive at the office just after Devon did.

  As soon as he got in, he went inside and up to Devon’s floor, only relaxing when he saw him seated at his desk, already working. Okay, that had gone well. Now he had work to do himself, along with making sure Devon remained safe. Devon was making this case more unusual by the second, and he wondered what was going to happen next.

  Chapter 3

  DEVON TRIED to act normal in the office, but instead found himself watching other people rather than actually getting his work done. He couldn’t help it. Someone in the office, someone he probably knew, was involved in stealing from the company. That rubbed him the wrong way and sent a bolt of indignation running through him. He didn’t always agree with some of the things the company did. The hours were long, and if you did everything right, you often didn’t hear a thing—but have one task go wrong and you were likely to hear about it, big-time. Devon supposed it was like that most places. It didn’t really matter; that was no excuse to steal from the people who paid your salary, part of which was payment for your loyalty. At least that was how Devon felt. Obviously, someone—or maybe multiple someones—felt differently.

  “Devon,” Karen said from next to him.

  He jumped slightly. Damn, he needed to stop that and try to be normal, but he couldn’t help tensing and asking himself if she could be involved. Maybe the switch hadn’t happened while he was at the subway, but before, when he was still in the office. Devon had gone over it in his mind and remembered he’d gone to the bathroom after he gathered his stuff. He’d forgotten all about it and needed to tell Powers.

  “Hello, are you with me?”

  “Sorry. It’s been a rough day.” He focused on her. “What can I do for you?”

  She smiled caringly. “I need the test performance data. Mark said that you were working on it.”

  He nodded. “I’m just finishing it up. I’ll send you a link to it when I’m done.” He’d been hoping to finish it last night, but the drama with Powers had shot that plan all to hell. “It will take another half hour.” He returned to his work, getting the information put together properly. He tried not to be short with her, but he was still so damned nervous. Forcing his mind on his task, he finished it up and sent Karen the link.

  His personal phone vibrated, and he pulled it out of his pocket. Devon glanced at the message, typed a response, and slipped it back into his pocket.

  “Thanks,” Karen said when Devon stood, their eyes meeting over the cubicle. “Just what I needed.”

  “No problem. I’m going to head to lunch.” He turned to leave, not wanting to see her surprise or answer questions. Most often they all ate at their desks and kept working. It was the usual routine, but today Devon left the building and walked down the block to the Winger Café, where Powers waited in a booth toward the back. “God, I hate this,” he whispered as he slid in across from Powers.

  “Has anyone said anything?” Powers asked, but Devon shook his head.

  “I keep thinking it could be anyone.” He fiddled with his napkin and then set it down. “I bet that whoever is involved, they slipped it into the wrong case and got the wrong person.”

  “Makes sense,” Powers agreed.

  “But maybe not. I remembered that I packed my bag yesterday and then went to the bathroom. So they could have put it in there before I left the office.” Devon hung his head. “I should have thought of it earlier, but….” He shrugged. “It didn’t seem important, and who thinks about using the bathroom? But anyone could have put it in my bag then.” He swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. I thought I knew what might have happened, and now I don’t know crap, and everyone I work with gives me the creeps because it could be any of them.”

  Powers placed a hand on top of Devon’s shaking one. “Relax. Yes, it could be any of them, but it isn’t all of them. It’s one or two people most likely, and you can’t let that one person bother you.”

  Devon nodded. “I know, but… what if it is someone I work with?”

  “What would they hope to gain by putting it in your bag, unless someone was supposed to get it from you?” Powers got a faraway look. “Maybe that was what was supposed to happen on the train. You were supposed to get bumped and then the envelope would slip out of your bag. We don’t know.” He patted Devon’s hand. “Either way, it’s okay. Try not to be so nervous. Clear heads win out.”

  Devon took a deep breath, forcing his mind and body to calm. “I’m better now.”

  “Good.” Powers didn’t let go of his hand, and Devon liked it, concentrating on the touch. “I need you to do something tonight. You usually work late, correct? Is there anyone else there?”

  “We all work late a lot. Why?”

  “Just thinking,” Powers said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some plastic bags. “Take these.”

  “What am I supposed to do with them?” Devon put them in his pocket.

  “I’m not sure. Slip them in your desk when you get back and don’t let anyone find them. I have an idea, and if it pans out, I’m going to need your help.” Powers looked up as the server asked what they’d like to drink. Devon ordered a Coke and Powers asked for iced tea. They each ordered a burger, and then she left them alone once again.

  “I take it you want me to get things my coworkers have handled?” Devon said. Lucy probably needed them to compare to the prints she’d pulled off the envelope and papers.

  “Yes. But I’m not going to put you in any danger, and you aren’t to do anything rash. Just wait for me to tell you what I need if I can give you an opportunity,” Powers explained, and Devon nodded. “Mr. Mauer is going to call a meeting this afternoon. Everyone is supposed to be there.”

  “And you want me to stay behind?” Devon asked.

  “No,” Powers answered quickly. “You go to the meeting with your coworkers, like normal. Just before it starts, you excuse yourself to go to the bathroom. Sit close to the door and get up and go right back to your desk. Take something from each of the people you work with, something they aren’t going to miss and have handled recently. Put it in a bag, write their name on it, hide them, and bring them home with you at the end of the day.”

  “But there isn’t a meeting scheduled,” Devon said, then gasped. “He’s holding it for you?”

  “Partly. He was going to call it in a few days, but I asked him to move it up. The meeting itself is real. Now, if we do this and you see anyone else in the area, you go to the bathroom and go back to the meeting. You aren’t to take any chances.”

  “You could get what you need yourself,” Devon said.

  “No. I don’t know what only they’ve touched, and things have a tendency to travel within teams. You’ll be able to watch them, maybe even replace what you take with something from your desk so they don’t know it’s missing. Just make sure that each item has each person’s recent prints on it.”

  Devon nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

  “I know you will.” Powers sat back as the server set their plates in front of them. “And don’t worry, just take no chances.”

  “Okay.” Devon wasn’t very hungry, but he ate anyway, not really tasting very much, even if the burger was perfect. He forced the butterflies away. Powers’s plan was simple, and when Mr. Mauer called one of his all-staff meetings, the office emptied out fast. No one dared miss them because it was sure to get back to him.

  They ate and didn’t talk very much, which was fine for Devon. He needed a chance to get his mind around what he was supposed to do.

  “Do you always take the same train home?”

  “If I can.”

  “Then I’ll meet you on the train, the same car as yesterday. Just sit and do what you normally do. If you see me, just pass by. And make your bag accessible, at least for a time. I want to see if someone tries to take our bait. Then afterward I’ll meet you at your apartment.”

  “You’re going to stay tonight too?” Devon asked.

  “Whoever is behind this still hasn’t fixed their ‘mistake.’ They will have to eventually, and I’m not going to leave you alone until we find out what’s truly going on.” The determination in his eyes eased Devon’s nerves. “Just keep your head and you’ll be fine.”

  Suddenly the last bites of his lunch didn’t taste so good, but he agreed to do it. After all, the sooner they found out who was behind this, the quicker Powers would be out of his life and Devon could go back to normal.

  Powers paid the bill, and Devon walked back to the office and into a beehive of activity. Apparently the meeting had been announced, and people were on phones all over the office, rescheduling appointments and making room in their schedules. Devon sat down and pulled open his drawer to slip in the plastic bags.

  “Looks like you missed the whole hubbub,” Lee said, nearly giving Devon a heart attack.

  He slid the drawer closed and tried to look not guilty, even though that was how he felt. “I guess.” He pulled up his email, read the announcement, and was glad he didn’t have his afternoon scheduled that tightly.

  “Judy canceled the team meeting because she’s certain she and some of the others will need to deal with the fallout from whatever announcement Mr. Mauer is going to be making,” Lee said.

>   Devon nodded. These sorts of things really upset the flow of work. “That gives me another hour,” he said as he settled in to work. Lee pulled up a chair, and it seemed like he was getting ready for a gabfest. Lee wasn’t a gossip, but he was a little tightly strung.

  “There are rumors running all over the office, and….” Lee had a new wife with a baby on the way and was counting on this job, to the point where he became a little obsessive.

  “Don’t believe any of them. They get bigger and bigger with each retelling. Keep your head down, do your job the way you always do, and don’t let the others draw you into their gossip.” Devon did his best to do just that, but he knew it was difficult sometimes. “Everything is going to be fine.” At least he hoped so.

  “Then you didn’t hear the latest. Apparently some design specs and even completed system programs might have been stolen. The firm has put a lot of their resources into that system, and if they have to write it off or something… then… I heard one of the senior guys in the elevator. They were afraid it would be the end of the firm.” Lee bit his lower lip.

  “They’ll figure it out.” Devon filed that bit of information away to ask Powers about. “Maybe that’s what Mr. Mauer wants to talk about. If people are stealing secrets, then he needs to put a stop to it.” Though Devon doubted a big public announcement was the way to go about it.

  “I better get back to work,” Lee said, slipping out of Devon’s visitor chair and returning to his own cubicle.

  Devon tried not to think about what he’d been asked to do and did his best to get his mind on the task at hand. He had work that was due by the end of the day, so he got busy.

  DEVON LOCKED his computer and went to the large meeting room, where the usual central board table had been shifted to the front of the room and the rest of the space filled with chairs. He took a seat in the back, next to the rest of his team. He couldn’t help looking down the row as they waited, wondering if it could be true that one of them was involved in stealing from the firm. Then his mind shifted as the time for him to leave drew near, guilt taking over as thoughts of betraying his friends just for thinking that ran through his mind.

  Why had he agreed to this in the first place? He should have told Powers that it couldn’t have been any of them and left it at that. Instead, he’d gotten further involved in this mess.

  “I’ll be right back,” Devon told Karen, who nodded. He got to his feet and nearly changed his mind, staying in solidarity with his coworkers. In the end, he left quietly anyway, figuring it was one way to prove none of them was involved.

  No one seemed to notice as he closed the door silently behind him. The hallway was deserted. He hurried back toward his desk. Devon’s heart pounded as he swept his gaze around the tightly packed work area before pulling open his drawer and finding the plastic bags. He grabbed one and went to Lee’s desk, which was a study in organization and minimalism. There was little on top, and what there was had been placed deliberately. Devon shifted his attention to the trash, where he found a plastic lunch container and cup. The lunch container was too big. He slipped the cup into the plastic bag, wrote Lee’s name on it, and put it in the very back of his desk drawer.

  Karen was easy—she drank soda during the day, so he got one of the empty cans, slipping it into a bag and putting it in the same bottom drawer. Then he got to the mess that was Mark’s desk. Looking for something he’d touched recently was difficult because of the clutter. The one thing that held nothing of interest was the trash can. Devon used the plastic bag as a glove and lifted a pen from the desk with a sheet of paper half covering it. He slipped the bag into his pocket as his nervousness ramped up. He glanced around the room once again and then at his watch before quickly grabbing a water bottle from Susan’s trash. He needed to hurry up or everyone was going to wonder where he was, including Judy, who’d take him to task for missing part of the meeting.

  His heart pounded in his ears as he grabbed a pen like the one Mark had had and placed it back under the paper and then hurried off. He passed the bathroom as Gerald walked by him in the hallway. They exchanged a smile as Devon strode back toward the meeting room.

  “Better hurry.” Gerald smiled warmly. “Mr. Mauer got called away a minute, so they were late starting.” He was an older man who seemed to look out for everyone. Devon had never worked directly with him, but he was one of those people who helped make the office a little brighter.

  “Thanks.” Devon sped up slightly, then quietly opened the door and sat back in his seat, suppressing the sigh and hoping the others didn’t notice how hard he was breathing. Devon kept his mouth open, closing his eyes for a second to calm himself. He needed to get it together.

  “I wish he’d get started,” Susan whispered impatiently just as Mr. Mauer entered the room and strode up to the front.

  “I’m sorry, everyone, for interrupting your day,” he began, then spoke for a few minutes about projects in progress and upcoming initiatives, as well as about some personnel changes that were being made to one of the departments. “I wanted to be the one to inform you of the reorganization rather than having you hear it from others.” He glanced around, his gaze resting on Powers for just a second, and he nodded. “As you know, I usually take questions, but I have some urgent business that has just surfaced. Thank you for your attention, and have a great rest of your day.” He turned and walked from the room. As soon as he left, the crowd began talking as they stood to leave.

  “You were gone a long time. Are you feeling all right?” Karen asked as they walked back to their work area.

  “I think it was something from lunch,” Devon answered, patting his stomach, which was still reeling a little, though it had mostly settled down. He sat at his desk, making sure the drawer was closed, and pulled out his phone to send Powers a message telling him he had the items.

  Okay, Powers responded.

  Devon returned to work, hoping against hope that none of his meeting-time dealings were questioned, not that he expected the things from the trash to be missed, but he listened for Mark as he got back to work, hoping the general unruliness of his desk would hide what had been switched.

  Thankfully, no one said anything. Judy was busy all afternoon, so Devon kept his head down, working diligently and trying not to think about what he’d done. The distrust that seemed to permeate his view of his coworkers bothered him.

  “We were all going to get a drink after work. Do you want to come?” Susan asked as she passed his desk about four.

  “Thanks, but I have an appointment this evening.” Normally he would have gone, but he truly did have plans, ones he wasn’t particularly looking forward to, but that did mean the others would all be leaving together and he’d have a chance to get the things he’d taken out of his desk and into his bag for the trip home. “Next time for sure.” He smiled, trying not to appear nervous.

  “Okay. We’ll miss you.” She patted his shoulder and left.

  Devon was tempted to tell her he’d changed his mind. Things like that represented some of his main social interactions, and he hated letting them down. This entire situation had him on edge, and he could feel the distance between him and his coworkers growing rather than shrinking… and he wanted to belong, somewhere.

  He pulled out his phone, ready to tell Powers about his change of plans, but stopped. His promises warred with what he wanted, and keeping his word won out. Damn it all.

  The others left as a group, saying their good nights and heading out. Devon checked his bag, seeing the decoy envelope. When no one was around, he slipped his nefarious booty into the bag and closed the top just as Judy seemed to appear at his desk. She had a habit of doing that and managed to scare him sometimes.

  “Still here? I thought you’d go out with the rest of the team,” she said, pulling up a chair.

  Devon checked the clock on his computer and hoped she wasn’t going to take too much of his time. He wanted to catch the train he’d told Powers he’d be on. “Just finishing up.”

  “I noticed you excused yourself from the presentation.” She absently picked up the pen that Devon had resting on his desk and twirled it in her fingers.