Best Laid Plans(69)
“You could do it from your computer,” Renee said.
“I tried. Everything is in this woman’s name. Mona Hill. That’s not even her real name, it was Ramona Jefferson. Mona Hill has a different social, but I know they’re the same person.”
“I trust your instincts, Sean. You know I’d do anything for you, sugar.”
“Likewise.”
She laughed again, then started coughing.
“Are you sick?”
“Naw, just smokin’. Shouldn’t laugh when I’m puffin’ away.”
He wondered about that. Seventy years old, fifty plus of those years a smoker, her lungs were probably black as night. But one thing he’d learned about Renee was that she did what she wanted when she wanted and damned be anyone who didn’t like it.
“You’ll do it.”
“You know I will. Send me what you have. I’ll get back to you in a day or two.”
“Thank you.”
“You’ll thank me by hauling your ass up here and introducing me to your girl.”
“Hell, no. One night with you telling stories about me and she might run away.”
“Any girl who runs from you is a f*cking idiot.”
“Love ya, Renee.”
“Right back at you.” She hung up.
Sean sent off the information he had on the property, then turned his attention to Mona Hill’s current residence. She didn’t have a large digital footprint—she was smart, he’d give her that—but she had a small one. And all it took was basic information for him to get what he wanted. He found her email address through one of her creditors, then backtraced it to find her internet service provider.
Now he needed to cross from the gray area into the black.
He pulled out his secure laptop. It took him nearly an hour to tweak a virus he’d written long ago so that it could worm its way into Mona Hill’s computer and phone—wherever she checked her email. He had to be extremely careful so as not to alert the ISP that he was planting a virus. But one thing he’d learned in his years as a hacker was that businesses were looking for the big hack—the people and foreign governments who were looking to extract vast quantities of information like secrets, credit card information, political dirt. A small, targeted virus was far less likely to be detected. And if Sean’s was detected, it would send the ISP all over the world in search of a ghost. It wouldn’t be worth their time because nothing was being stolen.
He just needed to access Mona Hill’s computer. He’d much prefer to simply break into her apartment, but he couldn’t afford to get caught. This way would take longer, but it was much safer.
When he was satisfied that his virus would work as modified, he uploaded it through the ISP’s own web form. If they even noticed, they wouldn’t trace it to him.
Once Mona Hill checked her email from her computer, he would be able to remotely access her hard drive.
If she really did have the video of Lucy’s rape, he would destroy it.
Then he would destroy her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Lucy and Barry arrived at Adeline Reyes-Worthington’s house just after ten that morning. Barry had called ahead to make sure she was there, and while her house manager or personal assistant or whatever she called Joseph Contreras had tried to put them off until later, Barry was firm.
When they were admitted through the gates, Lucy had the distinct impression that she was being watched. Though years ago she had thought the feeling, originally born out of violence, was paranoia, she’d grown to appreciate the instinct. She certainly didn’t dismiss it, so eyed the surroundings carefully.
“What are you doing?” Barry asked.
“There are armed guards all over this place.”
“Where?”
“Right inside the gate was the first one I saw, watching our car from behind the small grove of ash trees. Then two are by the house, they slipped around back when we pulled through. There’ll be another one, to the left, but I haven’t spotted him yet.”
Barry glanced in the rearview mirror and nodded. “I see the one by the gate. How do you know there’s another to the left?”
“I have good instincts when it comes to people watching me.” She didn’t care if he believed her, and she wasn’t going to explain why. Even she didn’t fully understand why—she was just relieved that she didn’t panic anymore when the sensation of being watched washed over her.
There was a car in the circular drive when they arrived. They parked behind it, and knocked on the front door.
Joseph Contreras, opened the door. “As the congresswoman said earlier, this is not a good time to talk.”
“And as I told you over the phone,” Barry said, “we need to speak with her now. We have news about her husband’s death.”
“You could have said that when you called.”
“I didn’t think that there would be a problem seeing her.”
Barry didn’t blink or defer, and Lucy had to admire his ability to command a situation.
Mr. Contreras hesitated only a fraction of a second before opening the door and motioning for them to enter. “The congresswoman is in a meeting. I’ll let her know that you are waiting.”
Lucy looked casually around, then whispered to Barry, “There’s another guard inside, dressed in a dark suit. He slipped down the hall when Contreras opened the door.”