Deadly Game (Fortress Security #5)(30)

“Not necessary, but I’ll take them just the same. How can I help?” Zane asked as he followed Brent. He set the new laptop on the kitchen counter.

“Have your laptop with you?”

A snort. “Of course I do.”

Brent grinned. “There have been a few developments in Rowan’s case.”

Zane straightened in his chair. “What developments?”

“Carlos Salazar admitted accepting a commission to kill Rowan.”

“Who put a price on her head?”

“Guy who calls himself Invisible Man.”

A huff of laughter was Zane’s response to that moniker. “Motive?”

“He thought he’d collect easy cash. Also, Rowan’s sister stopped by Coffee House yesterday and left a flash drive with one file on it for safe keeping. The contents are in code.”

“Ah. You put Adam on that, didn’t you?”

Brent nodded as he returned to the fridge and grabbed two more steaks and potatoes. “You should have seen the difference in Adam’s attitude.”

“Having a purpose will do that.”

Brent studied his friend. Zane ought to know. After he’d been paralyzed on a SEAL mission, Zane fought to reclaim his life and find a purpose himself. “Today, Cal went with us to the Maxwell place. Rowan needed the Maxwells’ clothes for the funeral director. The house had been ransacked.”

“They were after the flash drive?”

“That’s my take on it.”

“If that flash drive is their objective, the file must be something worth killing for.”

Brent wanted to push Adam to work faster. All he’d do is frustrate his operative and slow the work. Much as he hated to wait, Brent trusted Adam. Nobody was better at cracking codes than Adam Walker.

There were other avenues to explore, ones Zane could help him with. “I need a list of Jay Maxwell’s associates, employees, rivals, and enemies. I want to know who had reason to want this man dead.”

“What about his wife?” Zane dropped his voice. “The first people cops look at are spouses. There’s a reason for that scrutiny.”

Footsteps heralded Rowan’s approach.

He and Zane turned toward the threshold.

Rowan pulled up short. “Hello,” she said to Zane. “I’m Rowan Scott.”

He rolled forward and extended his hand. “Zane Murphy. Maddox has bragged about your coffee for almost a year now. I’m glad to put a face with the name.”

“Zane brought me a new laptop,” Brent said. “He’s also staying for dinner. I hope you’re hungry, babe.”

Rowan wrinkled her nose.

“You should be.” He seasoned Zane and Claire’s steaks, scrubbed the potatoes in the sink, and wrapped them in foil. “You have to eat to stay strong.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“Try.” Zane reached out and clasped her hand for a moment. “You can’t afford to become ill, sugar. Eat for your niece if you won’t do it for yourself or Brent.”

She studied him. “You sound like you know something about the effects of stress on the body.”

The tech guru chuckled. “Unfortunately. Comes with the territory in the military and black ops.”

Brent grabbed the foil-wrapped potatoes. “I need to put these on the grill. Z, care to try and beat me at a game of dueling computers?”

His friend rolled his eyes. “Making me work for my supper?”

“Might as well work while we wait for the food to cook.”

“You’re all heart.” Zane’s eyes twinkled as he placed Brent’s new computer on the small kitchen table, then pulled out his own laptop and booted up his system.

Brent shook his head as he made his way to the grill. He’d planned to call Zane later and have him start on the Maxwell searches anyway or have one of his geeks do it. Had to admit, though, he much preferred Zane. While Brent only hired the best, no one was as good at a computer keyboard as his former SEAL teammate.

Once the potatoes were on the rack, he returned to see Zane working while over his shoulder Rowan watched the screen.

“That’s it,” she said. “Maxwell Imports. I don’t know what he imported, but he made good money. I think that’s why my sister stayed with him. She and Jay married the day she graduated from high school. He told her she had no marketable skills, that no one would hire her if she applied for a job. She also worried Jay would take Alexa from her if she left him. There was no proof Jay abused Heather.” She scowled. “I couldn’t testify to injuries since I never saw any.”

“Why did you suspect mistreatment?”

“The careful way she sometimes held herself. I’ve hurt myself enough times over the years to recognize the signs of injuries. I confronted Heather more than once. She refused to say anything against Jay.”

Zane’s expression grew more grim as Rowan spoke. “Did he hurt his daughter?”

“If he had, Heather would have left Jay despite his threats. At least I hope she’d come to me for help. If she had proof Jay hurt Alexa, no judge in the state would have granted him custody of her. I have to find my niece, Zane. She must be terrified. What if she thinks I abandoned her?”

“We’ll figure out who took Alexa and get her back. We’re good at what we do, Rowan.”