Moth(32)

When I leave I feel guilty. Something about this is wrong. I have another gut feeling and when I don’t follow them things don’t turn out well. With a pocket full of evidence I head back to the surveillance platform. Only time will tell if this leads us in the right direction.





Chapter 11


The three of us are sitting in front of a fifteen inch laptop going over the phone records. We’ve discovered the calls are being looped from several different locations, leading us on a monkey chase with nothing to go on. Now that the number is cloned, I’ll be able to listen in on the conversations in hopes of picking up information that way. For now we know the second phone is registered to the pharmaceutical company she works for. We’re not sure of their involvement, if any, but it’s a feasible lead. This obviously goes above Windy’s head.

After leaving her apartment, I walk back to the house the guys are staying in to do surveillance. It’s enough time for me to take in everything I’ve learned. Windy isn’t just impersonating someone else. She’s admitting her life is dangerous? which means it’s way more involved than pretending to be a college student in order to land a job. I want her to be a victim, God do I wish it were true, but all signs are pointing in the other direction. I have to distance myself from her until I can settle my emotions. I’m still in bad shape after the failed bust in Guatemala and the loss of my brother. I’m not thinking clearly, and because of that I need to avoid Windy until I can get my shit together.

I don’t leave the house to head back to my brother’s place. After the confrontation with Matt, I’m trying to avoid the third degree. He’s going to want to know I’m on top of the case when I’m far from figuring out what the hell caused my brother’s death. I can’t connect Windy to Alizar? and it’s boggling my mind.

While Renner and House get some shut eye, I run through financials for the pharmaceutical company. I search their subsidiary corporations, and even the backgrounds of the two employees trying to fawn over Windy. Nothing adds up.

It’s four in the morning when I check her surveillance video. She’s not in her bed, which makes me start searching every room in her house to locate her.

I find her in the kitchen. She’s staring at a piece of paper I can’t seem narrow in on from the angle she’s holding it. She has one hand over her mouth and begins to cry. It’s not until she steps away that I can tell it’s a picture. I zoom in and can see it’s a figure of what appears to be a male. It’s black and white, which only distorts the image more. Whoever it is, she’s affected by it. I wonder if it’s someone she lost. Perhaps it’s a lover and that’s why she’s adamant about being dangerous. Or maybe she caused his death. Without knowing I can only suspect this picture might give me another identity to search. It’s important we figure out who it is, as soon as possible.

After her breakdown, Windy retreats back to the bedroom. She has her phone in her hand and looks to be scrolling through it. I see her typing and then tossing it to the side. I’m not sure which phone she’s used, so I check both of the cloned devices.

I’ll do it. Just don’t hurt him. – N

N

It’s all I have to go on. Whoever she’s messaging knows her real name. I’m focused on the person she sent the message to. It pings to several countries before coming back unknown. It’s another dead end. Whoever is controlling the situation knows their way around a computer and also how to keep people like me from following the breadcrumbs. With them being one step ahead it’s going to be hard to solve this.



I’m exhausted the next day. While Renner and House continue to go through the information we’ve already collected, I head back to my brother’s place to get some much-needed rest.

As soon as I’m in bed I find the urge to check in on Windy, otherwise known as N for now. She’s getting ready for work, walking around in a bra and matching panties. I for one would assume she’d want to wear something hideous just in case those guys wanted to take advantage of her, not that it would deter them. She’s beautiful in anything she wears. Instead of being plain Jane, she’s wearing what appears to be black lace. I lick my lips as I watch her sexy thighs moving as she ambles toward her vanity. Against my better judgment I shoot her a text message to the number I got from her phone.

How are you feeling? – Moth

She hears the sound of a notification and gets up to head toward her nightstand where the phone sits. I see her pull it up and then immediately toss it down on the bed. This isn’t the reaction I’m hoping for. She just dissed me while I was watching. It’s a low blow to my ego, though it doesn’t last long. Before she can make it back to her makeup counter she has a change of heart. She spins back around and picks up the phone. A few seconds later I get a message back.

I’m embarrassed. I can’t believe I got that drunk. I only remember pieces. Please tell me I wasn’t a floozy. – W

It’s reassuring that she’s more worried about making a good impression than the things she might have told me.

Don’t be embarrassed. You needed to unwind. You didn’t do or say anything inappropriate. You were a lady. – Moth

We shouldn’t do it again. I like you. I had fun with you. It’s too much right now. – W

I’m not surprised she’s trying to get rid of me. Her secrets are a constant reminder of what’s at stake, and after I saw her breaking down over whoever was in the picture, I’m sure she has more reasons to steer clear of a new fling.