She's an Easy Target, page 18
part #2 of Quinton Target Series
“You don’t have to go. It was only a suggestion. If you honestly believe she might kill you, send her a text to tell her you’re dumping her.”
“No, I’ll go. I don’t want to break her heart. No matter how it turns out, at least I’ll get to sleep with her one more time before we’re history.”
“Yeah, about that, if I were you, I’d be careful what I drink while you’re there. I can tell you from experience, it’s easy to slip a drug into somebody’s drink. It’s very likely that’s what happened to you the first night you slept over with her.”
“You really think I was drugged?”
“I do. You said yourself, you don’t remember the event.”
“That’s disappointing. I was feeling quite macho, having scored with the beautiful Chloe.”
“If you avoid being drugged tonight, it will be interesting to find out how far she’ll go with you to keep her cover intact.”
“Maybe, it’ll prove she likes me for me and you’re way out of line with your accusations.”
“I hope I’m wrong about her, but I doubt I am.”
“I’m not going to call or text her. I’ll knock on her door and find out whether she’s alone or not tonight.”
“Before you go, I need you to do something for me.”
“What?”
“I need you to trace an offshore account. I’ll text you the information.”
“Does this have something to do with Chloe?”
“Maybe ... Two million dollars in ransom money is supposed to be deposited in this account by noon on Monday.”
Chapter 37
By the time Dr. Bit finished tracing the offshore bank account, an hour had passed. He signed off the computer and scurried up the basement stairs to the bathroom to relieve himself before making the short drive to Chloe’s apartment. He exhaled in a sigh of relief when the stream he’d held back for too long poured out with force. After washing his hands, he opened the door and came face-to-face with the lieutenant.
“Jesus, you about gave me a heart attack. Are you monitoring my urinations and bowel movements now?”
“No, I heard the pitter pat of little feet up the stairs and thought I’d catch you before you went to Chloe’s.”
“You caught me, alright.”
“You’ll be happy to know your prostate appears to be in good working order.”
“Thanks for the nonprofessional evaluation. I’m in a hurry. What do you want?”
“What do you think I want? Were you able to trace the account?”
“Finding the owner of the account was easy. It’s a bogus company called Blaire Saunders Enterprises, Inc.”
“Perhaps the real owner thought if something went wrong, the account could be linked back to Blaire and it’d look like she faked her kidnapping to collect ransom money from her father.”
“That would be my guess.”
“Were you able to trace it to the individual who really owns the account?”
“No, the name of the corporate representative who opened the account is phony, too. I discovered that the previous logins to the account were made from Charlottesville, but I was unable to determine by whom. The access device was a burner phone.”
“Were you able to sign into the account and review deposits and withdrawals?”
“Yes, it only had one deposit in the amount of nine thousand dollars, which puts it under the ten-thousand-dollar limit for reporting to the US IRS. There haven’t been any withdrawals since it was opened three months ago. It appears that someone signs on periodically and does an inquiry to make sure the money is still there.”
“I hope you didn’t leave a trail that would alert the owner of the account that somebody accessed it.”
“Once I’m in the cyberworld, I’m like a phantom. Nobody knows I’m there unless I want to make myself visible.”
“Tell me, all powerful cyberworld phantom, how do you think they’d handle the deposit of two million dollars?”
“Two million dollars?”
“That’s the ransom demand amount.”
“If it were me, as soon as the two million was deposited, I’d transfer it in small increments to multiple offshore banks.”
“Can you track the movement of money out of the original account?”
“That’s doable; however, tying one of those smaller accounts back to an actual person would be more difficult. They’re not going to create a bank account in their real name. Our best opportunity to find out who they are would be to catch them when they’re signed in and trace back to the location of the device that they’re using to make the connection.”
“And if that doesn’t work?”
“We’d have to wait until they make a withdrawal and try to track them to an ATM or physical bank location. If they make an electronic payment from one of the accounts that might lead us to them, too.”
“I’ll talk with QT and find out how he wants to handle this. He might want the FBI to do the tracking or he may have Blaire refuse to pay the ransom.”
“Let me know what’s decided. If you don’t need me for anything else, I’m going to Chloe’s.”
“Don’t forget to bring your toothbrush with you ... and a prophylactic. No telling whether you’ll spend the night or not.”
“By prophylactic, do you mean a fluoride mouthwash?” he said, feigning innocence. “I’m prepared for anything.”
“That’s not the type of prophylactic I was referring to. Do I need to explain the birds and bees to you, in case you end up in the sack?”
“That won’t be necessary. I have my smartphone. I can always look it up on the Internet. I’m sure there’s a how-to video on YouTube.”
Lieutenant Mad laughed and then turned serious. “You be careful,” she said, “and don’t hesitate to call me if you’re in danger.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m not physically intimidating but I make up for it by being resourceful.”
“I’m not kidding, we’re dealing with dangerous people and Chloe is most likely involved with them in some way.”
“Believe me, I’m taking this seriously. If I get in over my head, you’ll be the first person I call.”
Chapter 38
Dr. Bit backed out of his driveway, shifted from reverse into drive, and began his quest to find out once and for all whether Chloe was Chloe or somebody else. He thought about calling to let her know he was on the way but decided to show up unannounced. Earlier in the day he’d turned off the smartphone app they used to monitor each other’s movements and disabled the burner phone Chloe had said she’d accidentally dropped in his car. Unless she’d secretly planted another GPS device in his vehicle, she’d have no advance warning of his visit.
Harold Bitner was self-confident in his approach to most aspects of his life. A major exception was the initiation of romantic relationships. If it had been left up to him to take the initiative, he never would have found the nerve to pursue a woman as beautiful and sophisticated as Chloe Ripen. Her seduction of him had been a boost to his male ego. The possibility that it was all a sham was causing the old insecurities to return. It brought him back to his high school days when he was president of the computer science club and had a hopeless crush on the head cheerleader — and fantasized about the rest of the squad.
As he approached Chloe’s apartment building, he panicked. He stomped on the gas pedal and sped by the building. About a hundred yards down the road, his sanity returned. He eased his foot off the pedal, slowly drove around the block, and pulled in behind Chloe’s car.
There were several cars parked along the road. All of them were unoccupied except for a black Toyota. Dr. Bit was sure he’d seen that same vehicle when he was at Chloe’s earlier in the day. He looked through the rear window of the car but all he could see was the back of a head. It looked like the person’s neck was turned toward the building and his eyes were looking up at the second floor. Chloe’s window shades were drawn, so if he were a peeping Tom spying on her, he’d be disappointed.
Dr. Bit’s heart pounded with excitement as he got out of the car, sauntered up the sidewalk, and walked slowly up the stairs to the second floor. He knocked on the door and after a short pause, he heard the chain lock slide, the knob turn, and the door creak open.
Chloe greeted him enthusiastically. “There you are. I’d almost given up on seeing you tonight.”
She was wearing short shorts and a see-through blouse which exposed a black, lacy bra and her cleavage. It didn’t go unnoticed by Dr. Bit. She was making it difficult for him to focus on his purpose for being there. The longer he looked at her the more his resolve to interrogate her about her real identity waned.
“Am I intruding?” he said and looked around to determine whether she was alone.
She took both of his hands in hers and pulled him gently inside the room. “Of course not, honey. Where would you get such an idea? I invited you to spend the night with me. Don’t you remember?”
“I just thought —” Before he was able to finish his sentence, she kissed him on the lips.
She stopped kissing long enough to say, “You do too much thinking.”
Dr. Bit couldn’t remember a time when he was more aroused. His high school fantasies about the cheerleading squad didn’t come close to generating the same level of excitement. Chloe guided him into the bedroom and while they were still standing, she removed her see-through blouse and tossed it on the bed. She continued kissing him while she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. The combination of the heavy buckle and his scrawny hips caused his pants to immediately drop to the floor. She slid her hand under the waistband of his tighty-whities and wrapped her fingers around him.
After she slid her hand up and down a couple of times, he gripped her wrist with his hand and said, “Wait, please —” His muscles tightened and his body spasmed as he tried to hold back — but it was too late.
When he looked down at himself, the full impact of the situation hit him. He was standing with his pants dropped on top of his shoes, unable to walk because his lower legs were shackled by his clothes. Chloe’s soiled hand was still beneath his underwear, holding his deflated manhood. The embarrassment from being premature and standing in an awkward position caused additional embarrassment and deflation.
“I’m sorry,” he said and shook his head.
‘Don’t be silly,” she said. “You don’t owe me an apology.” She removed her hand and wiped it off with a tissue that was on her nightstand.
He bent down, lifted his pants off his shoes, and buckled his belt. “I need to use the bathroom,” he said.
“No worries. I’ll freshen up in the master bathroom while you use the guest bath.”
When Dr. Bit emerged from the bathroom, he noticed Chloe had changed her clothes. She still looked sexy, but her shorts were longer, and her blouse wasn’t see-through.
“Have you eaten dinner yet?” she asked.
“No, I wasn’t hungry earlier but I’m starving now.”
“Let’s go out to eat and then we’ll come back and pick up where we left off.”
He managed a smile and said, “Where do you want to go?”
“How about Little John’s sandwich shop at The Corner near UVA?”
“Little John’s is perfect. Can we talk for a few minutes before we leave?”
“What about?”
He’d been thinking all day about what he was going to say. Now that the time had come to speak his mind, the words wouldn’t come out of his mouth. He hemmed and hawed. “Well, I was wondering ... I like you a lot, but I need to know ... I might be way off base ... I want to ask you something important.”
“I like you too, Dr. Bit, but it’s a little early in our relationship for a marriage proposal, don’t you think?” she said jokingly.
“No, no that’s not what I wanted to ask you.”
“Don’t be shy. You can ask me anything.”
Her coaxing gave him the courage to blurt out, “I need to know if you are who you say you are.”
“Who else would I be?”
“Lieutenant Mad told me your real name might be Savannah Clayborn and it’s possible you’re working for the NSA.”
Chloe laughed. “She already asked me if I was a blonde and went by another name. I’ll tell you what I told her. My name is Chloe Ripen, I’m a brunette, and I work for the Social Security Administration.”
“What about that guy who was at your apartment earlier today. Is he really your boss or a boyfriend? I know we’ve never said we have an exclusive relationship, but I’d like to know where I stand.”
“You’re the only man in my personal life at the present time. Mike is a manager at the SSA, like I told you before.”
Dr. Bit paused to consider whether he believed her or not. “OK,” he said but without complete confidence in his voice. “It’s just that Lieutenant Mad seems unsure about you.”
“I know she’s your best friend and I don’t want to make you choose between us, but you need to decide for yourself whether you trust me. If you think I’m being dishonest with you then walk away. I’d rather you didn’t but it’s your choice.”
The thought of ending their relationship caused a knot to tighten in Dr. Bit’s stomach. “Sometimes the lieutenant is paranoid when it comes to government intelligence agencies,” he said.
“Maybe that’s what’s going on with her. Or, maybe she’s jealous she has to share you with me. I can tell she’s protective of you.”
“I value the lieutenant’s friendship and advice, but I’m capable of making up my own mind about things.”
“So, what’s your decision? Are you ready for dinner and what comes afterward or are you leaving for good and going home to be with the lieutenant?”
“Dinner — and dessert — sound good to me.”
Chloe kissed him on the cheek and said, “Then let’s go to Little John’s.”
They were both smiling and relaxed as they left the building and walked down the sidewalk — until they saw the man get out of the Toyota and approach them with his hands behind his back.
With a quizzical look on her face, Chloe said, “Lawrence, what are you doing here?”
“I’m sorry,” he said as his right hand moved in front of him, revealing a pistol with a silencer. Before Chloe could react, two muted shots struck her, and she fell to the ground.
Dr. Bit was caught between the desire to help Chloe and the instinctive urge to run away from danger. He turned sideways and put up his hand as if he thought he was Superman and could stop bullets. Two more muted pistol shots were fired. Dr. Bit felt a sting on his upper arm and a slap against his side. He toppled next to Chloe. Lawrence moved toward them with his pistol still aimed in their direction.
Two college girls, walking down the street, started screaming hysterically. Lawrence turned around and without looking directly at the girls, moved quickly to his Toyota. He squealed the tires as he sped out of the parking space.
Dr. Bit lifted his head and said, “Chloe?” before he slumped next to her and passed out.
Chapter 39
Walking down the hallway on his way to the conference room, Quinton had an unexpected encounter.
“Good morning, Agent Target,” she said.
“Colonel Smithers, I’m surprised to see you here this early on a Sunday morning.”
“There’s always something to attend to at the JUIAF. Are you here to meet with Daphne?”
“Yes, she arranged for us to interview Lucas Taylor about the Blaire Saunders kidnapping. I appreciate you making her available to assist with the case.”
“The two of you seem to work well together. And, I trust Daphne will make sure proper protocols are followed and the JUIAF’s interests are protected.”
“I’m sure she’ll be effective, as usual. She’s a stickler for following the rules.”
The colonel managed a slight nod of approval. “Carry on, Agent Target. Have a good day.”
“You too, Colonel.”
As he watched her walk away, he shook his head and smiled. Daphne was right. The colonel’s demeanor had changed for the better. He couldn’t help but think she had an ulterior motive for her modified behavior but whatever the reason behind it was, the transformation was welcome for as long as it lasted.
Quinton glanced at the clock on his iPhone as he entered the room. It was 7:55 a.m.
Daphne greeted him with a smile. She extended her hand to him and he took hold of it. Her fingers felt soft and feminine. He wasn’t quite sure how he should shake her hand. A dainty, fingertip handshake didn’t come naturally to him. Besides, he didn’t want to appear sexist by treating a professional woman differently than a man. But he couldn’t force himself to apply the same pressure that men instinctively do to assert their masculinity during a handshake with another man. He found middle ground with Daphne by using a firm grip without squeezing.
“It’s good to see you, QT. It’s been a while,” she said.
“Yes, it has,” he said. “I suppose it’s the nature of our jobs that we only get together when there’s a crisis.” He checked out her attire, which was less professional than normal. The buttons of her blouse were unbuttoned down to her midriff, revealing a tight jersey beneath that hugged her ample breasts and exaggerated her cleavage. His eyes drifted down, and he said, “There’s something different about you today.”
“You requested that I be unbridled for the interview, so I obliged.”
“Yes, indeed you did. I’m looking forward to observing you in action.” They sat in chairs next to each other on the same side of the table.
“How do you want to handle the interrogation?”
“After the introductions, I’ll ask a few questions to get us started and then you jump in whenever you judge the time is right. I think you and I agree he’s insecure around women and he compensates by using his position of authority to sexual harass them. Don’t be afraid to push him to see if he’ll lose his composure and reveal something.”
Lucas Taylor arrived at 8:05 a.m. QT suspected the slight tardiness was intentional. Quinton and Daphne stood when he entered. He had a grin on his face as he looked up to make eye contact with Quinton.
