The cold invading the bed woke Jack up. The blankets were pushed aside. He glanced around, and caught a glimpse of her leaving the room wearing only his shirt. He imagined she headed for the washroom. The room was chilly. He got up. Embers glowed in the fireplace. He added a log hoping it would burn. Small flames started licking the log. He smiled, the evening replaying in his mind.
The fire was dying when he carried her to bed. He threw a few logs in and soon flames were casting dancing shadows on the walls. But the fire building in the fireplace was only a weak imitation of the one burning inside them as they slowly discovered each other. The room grew warmer, so did their passion and desire until it smouldered them alive... the memory awakening his hunger for her.
He listened for her light steps indicating she was coming back to him. He heard the floor creaked downstairs, and something crashing down. He went down two steps at a time, his heart sinking when he heard her scream. He called her name knowing she couldn't understand. Sign of struggles were coming from inside a closet in the hallway. The door was stuck. He pounded and kicked on it, fuelled by her muffled scream. The door opened and she fell in his arms, scared and disoriented. She fought him. He held her tight, forcing her eyes to focus on him.
"It's okay, sweetheart." He felt her surrender to his touch. His eyes searched the closet. The moonlight shone inside, exposing buckets, brushes and mops, lying all over the floor.
"What happened?" she murmured, fear dilating her pupils. "Why was I locked inside?"
He carried her back to bed, cold shiver running down his spine. The room had warmed up nicely but it took a while before she stopped shaking. He kept her body moulded against him, his arms wrapped securely around her. Gradually she relaxed, her hands wandering aimlessly over his body. He ran his fingers in her hair, showering her forehead with light kisses. She lifted her head, her lips sensuously brushing his. The tip of his tongue peeked out to follow the contour of her lips. She imitated him, their tongues dancing intricately together. He never realised his shirt had that many buttons until tonight.
"I was cold," she whispered when she felt the shirt slip along her arms.
"You can have it back in the morning," he promised, the reflection of the fire sparkling in his eyes. "I will keep you warm."
He covered her body with his.
"I love you, Jack." Closing her eyes, she surrendered to the sensations he unveiled for the second time tonight.
***
"Good morning sleeping beauty," Jack murmured when Sue opened her eyes on him.
"Good morning." She stretched lazily before cuddling to him, and was rewarded with a lingering morning kiss. "I could get used to that, you know," she teased him.
"Only that?" he asked, his hands roaming her bare skin. It amazed him that he could make her blush so easily even after the night they spent together. "What happened last night, Sue?"
"You don't remember?" She arched her brow mischievously, not quite ready to deal with her strange experience.
"You know which part I mean." He studied her as she sighed. "What were you doing in the closet, sweetheart?"
"Looking for the door," she replied instinctively, frowning as she did. "I... It was like a dream." Her eyes lost focus as she recalled the incident. "I was cold... needed to close the door." When she shivered, he pulled her closer to him. "I don't know, Jack. Something hit my shoulder and I screamed. And it was like I woke up. I was trapped, I couldn't get out." She tried shaking the memory while searching his expression. "Am I crazy?"
"No." He brushed strands of red hair behind her ear. "You had a bad dream and you sleepwalked. You found yourself in the closet fighting with the brooms, and one got caught in the door, jamming it."
"Are you sure?" She looked at him with uncertainty. "I don't usually sleepwalk."
"I know we were alone in the house," he assured her. "Unless you count the ghost?"
She shook her head, chuckling. "No ghost, Jack."
"You and I can investigate the closet after breakfast," he conceded. Either way they needed to tidy it up.
She licked her lips. "And when is breakfast?"
"When I'm done eating you," he responded, giving her no opportunity to answer.
***
Sue stared in disbelief at the busted closet door. The wood was cracked, the doorknob was dented and after Jack opened it, the door hung loosely on its hinges.
"We will lose our damaged deposit, Jack."
"Losing the deposit doesn't scare me as much as you did."
"I scared you? I scared me too. That's even worse." She stared at the bottom of the closet where a broom was broken and splinters were scattered on the floor. "I was lucky not to step on any last night." As she shrugged at the memory, she recognised the bucket that hit her shoulder. She must have knocked it off from the shelf. "I still don't understand what I was doing in here, but it seemed so important last night."
"Dreams are weird that way," he reminded her after lifting her chin towards him. And thinking they both needed some incentive to start cleaning he indulged in a lingering kiss, only delaying the job even more.
Emptying the closet completely appeared to be the best way to proceed. While replacing the items on the shelf, Jack noticed something he missed earlier. A handle sticking out from the back wall. With Sue help, he moved the standing shelf off the closet.
"A door," Sue exclaimed, unsure if she should be alarmed or excited.
Jack simply stared dubiously at the door that was previously hidden from view. He should have chosen the mountains in Vermont, he thought, as he pulled the handle. At least he knew how to deal with bears and cougars. He could shoot them. How did you prevent a dream from occurring?
The door creaked.
"Sue?" Closing it again, he leaned against it. "Could you please go upstairs and get my gun?"
She complied. It was on the night table by their bed. She just hoped he wouldn't need to use it.
Once she was back, Jack also grabbed a flashlight, thinking there wouldn't be lights. He was wrong. The door opened on a staircase. From the ceiling, a cord tangled within reach. He pulled it and a lone light bulb came to live. He carefully went down, Sue right behind him. They were in a cellar. The floor was hard packed earth, and with the amount of dust, Jack doubted anyone set foot down here in decades. It was empty, almost empty.
"Jack?" Sue picked up a rag doll from the ground and showed it to him. "Why was she left here?" she wondered out loud, shaking off the dust and dirt.
He had no answer. Obviously at one point a little girl either lived here or visited this house. He searched the cellar, literally stumbling over the next discovery. He flashed his light over the spot where his foot tripped. Half buried was a rusted hook. He turned his flashlight on and off to get Sue's attention. Soon they were both kneeling pushing dirt with their hands to unearth what was hidden beneath the surface.
They revealed a wooden trapdoor, the hook acting as a handle. He exchanged a glance with Sue. She nodded. He pulled on the hook. The trap effortlessly flipped over, and a draft of cold air swept in.
"Cold," she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself, a strange sense of déjà vu entering her mind.
***
Bobby parked in plain view of Tara's apartment. Like all the previous evenings this week, Osborne's team was keeping watch. Except tonight Bobby was in no mood to play cat and mouse with them. He didn't even try to lose his tail. It wasn't like he was leading Osborne to Jack and Sue, but Osborne seemed to believe they were involved in their disappearance.
Flowers in hands, he knocked on her door, knowing he would be sending the grapevine into frenzy.
'They haven't seen half of it', he thought, running his fingers in his hair.
Tara opened, and gaped. He was supposed to be discreet when he came to her place. They were investigating the case secretly and Osborne couldn't find out about it.
"Good evening, luv." Wrapping an arm around her, he captured her lips in one smooth motion.
Despite guessing this was only an act for Osborne's benefit, she responded to his kiss. They stumbled into the vestibule, and with his foot Bobby kicked the door closed.
Both expected the other to break away as soon as they were hidden from view, instead the kiss took a life of its own and swept the two unsuspected participants into a vortex. Air, or more precisely lack of, forced them apart, leaving them breathless and utterly flustered.
"Hum... Tara..." Her heart beat furiously against his chest as he met her gaze. "For you." He offered her the slightly crushed flowers.
"Thank you." Smiling, she moved aside to give him a chance to come in. "Now instead of accusing us of obstruction, Osborne will nail us for break the fraternisation rule," she voiced nervously.
"Yah, but some troubles are so worth getting into, luv." Winking at her, he left her to figure out what he couldn't bring himself to admit just yet. "Any news from Myles?"
"Yes," she said, her mind swirling. Later on, she would analyse what just happened, they had more pressing issues. "He flew to Hartford." She placed the flowers in a glass since she couldn't find any vase. "He won't be back till the morning. I didn't ask," she hurriedly added.
Bobby shrugged, Myles would explain soon enough. He just wondered how Myles would justify the stop. "Anything else?"
"Yes. Lucy just phoned in a panic. Sue and Jack left Levi behind."
"What? Sue would never leave without Levi," he affirmed.
"The vet called the apartment asking when Ms. Thomas would come and pick up her dog. I told Lucy we would go. They are closing in an hour."
Bobby kept his hand on the small of her back as they walked to his car. He held the door for her, and for a moment their eyes locked. He pushed a strand of blond hair from her face, gently brushing her cheek at the same time. She blushed, before lowering herself in the passenger seat. Bobby knew the gesture probably didn't escape Osborne's men, but he couldn't care less. He drove away, making sure to lose his tail long before they stopped at the vet.
The young veterinarian assistant was most helpful. She told Bobby and Tara the circumstances under which Levi was dropped off.
"They came late. Ms. Thomas' boyfriend had a flat tire. They were all dressed up," she recalled. "We ran some test on Levi, and it was not as serious as we thought," she explained. "But we had to repeat certain--" She sighed at the couple's confused expression. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"
"No, we don't. Why don't you give us the short version for dummy?" suggested Tara.
"Levi has a bad sprain. No running, and limited walking for two weeks. Will it be cash or credit card?"
"You did ask for the short version, luv." Bobby chuckled, as they let Levi have the backseat. "You know what's even funnier? Osborne is searching for a couple with a dog. No wonder Jack slipped through their fingers so easily. And no, it wasn't foul play, Tara, or we would have found their bodies by now."
"I know, but wouldn't have Jack tried to contact us?"
"No, Sparky is smarter than that. He needs to keep Sue and himself safe." He reached for her shoulder, kneading gently. "We will prove them innocent, Tara."
"I know. What are we going to do with Levi?"
"Take him to Lucy. She needs the company." Of all of them, she was the one who took their disappearance the hardest, and since she couldn't help them much in the investigation without compromising her job she felt useless.
"But Osborne will--"
"He will realise Levi isn't with them, but it's too late. He already lost Jack and he knows it, which is why he is following us. Tara, we need to be able to see each other freely, and pretending to be involved..."
"Will make it easier," she agreed, trying to keep the disappointment off her voice. "Maybe I could also give you a key, you know," she said, overly cheerful.
"Or you could keep greeting me at the door?" He flashed his dimples at her. "Tara, about--" He sighed when his cell rang
Letting his hand trail down her arm, he answered.
***
They dropped Levi at Lucy's who was relieved to take care of him, before heading downtown to meet one of Bobby's connections.
"Want to remind me who Pierre is?" Tara asked, breaking the awkward silence.
"A photographer, luv. You should see his forgeries. If there was ever an expert, it's him, not that his testimony would stand in court," he explained, frowning. "Anyway, he said he was done with the work I gave him."
She nodded, deep in thought. She meticulously scrutinized the lone picture Bobby was able to smuggle out of the evidence room. She ran all the tests she could and it seemed genuine, except she refused to believe it could be true. Not Sue, and even if it were true, Jack wouldn't be that careless.
"Tara? We're here. Are you all right?"
Concern was obvious on his face, unless she was imagining it.
They were not in the most reputable neighbourhood in town. Working girls and drug dealers were sharing the street. Without too much harassment, they made it inside a brick building, and Bobby led her to the basement where Pierre's studio was located.
"Stunning partner, Rob." Pierre scrutinized Tara from head to toe. "You know, darling, you would make a great model." His hand brushed her arm. "I have those pictures au naturel that I have to--"
"Pierre, hands off, eyes off," Bobby warned harshly. "What did you find? Your call was ambiguous at best."
"Follow me." He had the picture of Jack and Sue enlarged. "Beautiful blond. I wouldn't mind having--"
"Pierre!"
"Touchy tonight, Robbie. You need to relax for cry out loud," Pierre exclaimed. "She ain't real anyway."
"The picture is fake?" Tara breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yes, darling. See the shadow the bed is casting on the wall? Now look at the shadow the guy is casting on the same wall."
Bobby was looking but couldn't see anything wrong with either. "So?"
"The scale is off, but so slightly that it would more than likely be dismissed as a trick of lights by anyone authenticating it."
"You're sure?" asked Bobby.
"Of course I'm sure. I'm the best, remember, or at least I thought I was." Pouting, he contemplated the picture. "Whoever created that picture is a professional."
Bobby could hear admiration in Pierre's voice. "Any names come to mind, Pierre?"
"That's just it, Rob. If I didn't know better," he questionably raised his brow at Bobby, "I would say your own lab made it."
"Thank you." In light of the information, Bobby remained stoic. "The picture, mate, and the enlargement, and any other--"
"I know the drill." Pierre rounded up all the prints while glancing at the blond female. His allusion had rattled her, though she quickly masked her emotions. Pierre came to the conclusion he should forget having ever seen that picture. "That's it, and you can keep me off your radar for a while, Rob."
Bobby tapped his shoulder "Oh, really? You would miss me, mate."
"Doubt it. Door's that way." He pointed out.
***
Jack was pointing his flashlight at the opening of the trap. Steps were carved in the rock and were going down as far as eyes could see. For some obscure reason, Sue was adamant, they needed to go down and investigate. And he agreed, the mystery was too intriguing to ignore.
"I got them."
Sue's voice startled him. She had hurried after he'd sent her to get their coats. She gave him his jacket, and put hers on.
"Are we ready?"
He noted a hint of excitement in her voice.
"I need a kiss for courage," he teased, approaching her.
She laced her hands behind his neck, staring into his eyes. She could feel his warm breath tickling her lips. She shivered in anticipation. How would they ever be able to work side by side again without touching each other? His lips capturing hers put an end to her musing, as any coherent thoughts fled her mind.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather go upstairs instead of down there?" he murmured huskily, his hands venturing under her jacket. When she gazed back at him with passion in her eyes, he rubbed his unshaved chin against the tender skin of her throat. "Let's go before I successfully change your mind."
"Jack! No upstairs until you shave." Wiggling in his arms, she threatened weakly.
He was laughing out loud when he reluctantly let her go. 'I love you', he signed.
'Love you, too. Go', she signed before pointing at the opening.
He went first. The steps were well worn, but not as slippery as he feared they would be. He counted sixteen before his feet touched the ground. He felt Sue reach for his waist, and he made her grip his belt. They were in a dark tunnel. Jack held his flashlight in front of him and they slowly walked forward.
"I can feel a breeze," she whispered. "And the air is salty."
They came to a junction. He stopped and turned towards her.
"I don't know, Jack." She glanced in both directions. "I'm tempted to say follow the draft of cool air."
For him it was as good a decision as any. They took the right. The tunnel narrowed and widened, curved up and down, sometimes forcing them to bend when their heads scraped the ceiling, or allowing them to walk as tall as they wished. After a turn, a light peeked towards them. It acted as a beacon, drawing them farther down. They stopped and gazed in awe at the ocean.
They were standing in the mouth of a cave. Waves of clear blue water were breaking on rocks ten feet below them, enveloping them with a cold mist.
"It's beautiful, Jack." Her smile reached her eyes. "Look, A trail." The trail she pointed at ended down in the ocean. "I bet when the tide is low, it leads to the shore."
Which also meant anyone could come into the house, the thought unsettling him. He would make sure to lock the trap, and the door in the closet.
They retraced their steps. At the junction, Sue pulled him towards the opposite direction. After they faced two more intersections, Jack stopped her. His flashlight was dimming and he could see themselves easily getting lost in those tunnels, not that he would mind really, though he could think of a more romantic location.
"We need to map our exploration, sweetheart."
"Did you say MAP? You mean you know what a map is?" she quipped.
"You are in so much trouble, Mrs. Hudson," he warned mischievously.
"Really?" she purred, snuggling against his chest. She had him wrapped around her little finger, and he knew she knew it.
Their stomachs were growling by the time they made it back to the cellar. One look outside told them why. The sun was setting. They had been gone all day. They postponed the next trip to tomorrow, settling for a romantic dinner in front of the fire, followed by another unforgettable night.
Aside for the occasional trip in town for grocery, they spent the week underground mapping the tunnels.
"Let's try that way," Sue exclaimed excitedly, drawing it on their large piece of paper as they walked. Often the tunnels would criss-cross each other for no purposes, and, more often than none, they ended abruptly. The map was starting to look like a giant spider web.
Jack smiled. Each day with her was like a new adventure. He didn't believe he ever felt that alive before. She was his sunshine. She brightened his days, and filled his nights with wonders.
"Jack! Stop daydreaming and start walking," she ordered, highly amused.
He let her lead, flashing his light on her. He liked the view, his imagination working in overdrive.
The tunnel widened into a cave. She gasped in awe at the pool of water. As they approached, the texture of the ground changed from hard packed to soft and sandy. They knelt by the natural pool, dipping their hands in the fresh water.
"Too cold for a swim, but ideal spot for a picnic," he told her, holding the flashlight over his face.
She agreed, laughing at his ghostly features. They had taken the habit of bringing a light lunch with them, though it was the first romantic setting they encountered.
Jack laid a blanket down by the water and she joined him, sitting against him with the food. The water sparkled under the shine of the flashlights discarded on the ground.
He pulled her back to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. The sandwich she was eating found a second customer as his head emerged from over her shoulder to steal a bite every time she brought it near her mouth. But soon he found tastier interest, his lips nibbling on her ear before migrating down her neck. She eased onto his body, her hands coming to rest over his as they roamed her bare stomach under her sweatshirt. His fingers trailed her ribcage up, encountering lacy underwear. She twisted in his arms, cupping his head, her fingers running in his hair. He lay down, taking her with him, his lips finding hers. He lost himself in the kiss, deepening it as she responded with equal passion, only breaking away to shed some unwanted clothes, as they relentlessly sought each other. The last barrier removed, he perfectly moulded her body with his as love and desire engulfed them.
They would need to mark that cave with an X, he thought, smiling blissfully in her embrace.
***
The lecture Myles gave at Harvard had surprisingly been interesting, especially combined with the question period he set up afterwards. But the subsequent meeting with a fellow law enforcement colleague proved frustrating. The detective in charge of Nowen's indictment was new to the precinct. All the investigative work had been done prior to his arrival, and he just followed up.
After digging further Myles couldn't find the original investigation, which his colleague found unusual as well, unless, he pointed out, it came from an outside source, and it had simply been handed in to them. Still, according to Myles, there should have been traces of paperwork. For heaven's sake, he filled his share every day for no purpose whatsoever. It just didn't disappear into thin air.
Another disturbing thought crossed Myles' mind as he drove to the airport, warranting another look at Nowen's apartment. He knew a second trip to Hartford would raise suspicion since the case belonged to Osborne, but maybe he could make it look like a poorly planned lay over. After all, airlines companies almost committed themselves to offer the most ridiculous connections.
It shouldn't have come as a surprise that the apartment was already rented to a new tenant. The landlord informed Myles that family members came to empty it after paying to break the lease.
No, he didn't get their names. Yes, they paid cash. And no, he wouldn't be able to recognise their faces.
Strangely, the landlord's answers only confirmed Myles' suspicion, also explaining the feeling he had when he visited the apartment the first time. And if he was right, Jack and Sue were in way over their heads, and all their lives were becoming expendable. He needed to talk to Tara immediately.
He drove directly from the airport to her place. Osborne's men would more than likely still stand guard. If he were caught sneaking into Tara's it would raise question, but if he were to enter in full view, they might think he had nothing to hide.
***
It seemed like hours, but Myles knew he had only been standing in the drizzle for a few minutes. It was still dark and her neighbourhood was still asleep, except for Osborne's men in the black car parked across the street. Did they really think they were fooling anyone?
'Tara, please, get out of bed', his mind willed, as he shivered from the dampness.
As on cue, she opened the door and stared in surprise at him. He noticed she was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, and fighting to chase the fog from her brain.
"Myles?" Squinting her eyes, she forced them to focus on the tall agent in front of her.
"Hello, darling. Missed me?" His voice was husky in the silent night. He took a step forward and wrapped her in his arms, sweeping her off her feet. His lips brushed hers as he carried her inside and closed the door behind them.
***
The two agents in the surveillance car exchanged an amused look.
"Wonder if Leland knows Manning spent the night?"
"If he didn't he is about to find out, unless Manning inconspicuously leaves."
"And I thought we would be spending another boring night," he said, grinning, as he checked his camera.
***
Tara was too numb to react. She stood in Myles' arms, staring blankly at him.
"What do you think you're doing?" Bobby's voice resonated in the apartment.
Myles' plan of gently lowering Tara down went astray at the sight of a shirtless Bobby coming from the hallway. He abruptly let go of Tara who tumbled backwards into Bobby's arms.
"Easy, luv," he said, helping her to her feet.
She felt dizzy. What was wrong with men kissing her tonight?
"Sorry." Myles couldn't think of any other words. Was he that busy at work that he missed their relationship? Come to think of it, there had been signs. He sighed. "I... I needed to see you right now, and I couldn't think of--"
"We were hoping you would be stopping by," Tara said evenly, after having regained her balance. Just not quite like that, she thought, but kept it to herself. "Bobby and I worked all night. We found--"
"It's not what you think, mate," Bobby felt obligated to explain as Myles' diverted his gaze from him. "Tara dropped her coffee on me, which was better than on her computer. We just dozed off an hour ago."
Myles noticed Bobby moved away from her, giving her space. Yet, he remained protective in an unassuming way.
"Well, I guess I just gave Osborne's men something to talk about," Myles said shrugging. "I found some disturbing facts."
"Welcome to the club, mate."
They agglomerated around Tara's computer in the spare bedroom. Bobby told Myles about the fake pictures, eliminating the theory that Nowen was blackmailing Jack.
"I tracked down the plane ticket. They were bought online from inside the Hoover building and charged to Jack's credit card," Tara said.
"Didn't Jack stop using his credit card online after his identity was stolen?"
"Yes, mate, he did, not that we could prove it."
"Of course not," Myles sneered. "So your photographer thinks the pictures are an inside job, and those tickets were bought from inside the building?"
"It's not all," Tara said. "I went back to the emails Jack and Sue exchanged. I could trace them back directly to their computers, not just the network. Did you notice how Jack signed his name?"
"No K," Myles said after rereading the messages. "So? It could be their private little code?"
"That was what Tara and I were thinking. But look at this." Bobby gave Myles a copy of the note that was found on Bruce's dead body. "Don't ask how I got it," Bobby warned as Myles raised his brow.
"I won't," he promised, paying close attention to the typed note. "Jack with no K. You're thinking whoever lured Bruce to Jack's place, is the same who altered Sue's message, and that person signed the note the same way Jack signed those emails?"
Tara and Bobby nodding.
"So it's not someone who would know Jack personally?" Myles wasn't surprised to see them agree again. "Do we know what kind of printer?"
"No, too standard," Tara sighed.
"Well, it fits," Myles said enigmatically. "I was in Boston. Nowen's indictment is airtight. The charges are real. No loose ends. Except I couldn't find the original police file, and no one seemed to remember how Nowen's case turned up in Boston. So I went back to his apartment in Hartford. I know I took a chance but I should be able to clear it with D," he assured his colleagues. "And I realised what I missed the first time."
"I thought you didn't find anything in his apartment?" Tara said perplexed.
"That's just it. I didn't. The apartment was exactly how it was supposed to be." Myles smiled when Tara and Bobby exchanged a dubious look. "It was too perfectly staged. I would bet my pay he didn't live there. We did a much better job with Jack and Sue when we sent them undercover."
"Mate, are you saying Nowen was undercover? And that Jack and Sue got him killed?"
Myles began pacing the tiny room.
"And our own people are framing Jack and Sue to protect Nowen's identity?" Tara found that explanation ludicrous since Nowen was dead. "Unless they are protecting the case?"
"I don't know if Nowen was ours or not, but he wasn't who everyone thought he was," Myles articulated slowly, hoping to make sense of what he said. "Somehow Nowen is related to our case. Someone tipped Sue and Jack, and made sure they went into that alley. Someone killed Nowen, then Bruce, unless Bruce found something when I left him in charge of the museum." Myles ran his fingers into his hair, frustration building up. "Someone inside the Hoover building is playing a very dangerous game, and he made sure Jack and Sue were caught in the middle of it."
"You know, Myles, when I was accessing all the information from my work computer..." She looked at the two men wondering if they would think she was crazy.
"What is it, luv?"
"Well, it was almost like someone was stalking me," she softly admitted. "I know it sounds crazy because it's not like someone was following me in cyber space... well technically someone could... but I wouldn't feel the hair sticking up my neck so to speak, except it was almost like someone was shadowing me. I cannot explain it. It was like..."
"Someone was watching you dig for information," Myles finished for her.
She nodded.
"Okay, mate. That's getting creepy. I have a bad feeling about Jack and Sue."
"Don't say that, Bobby." Tara's voice was barely above a whisper. "You know, we need to find out who that Nowen really was. Then we can figure out who we can trust, because right now, aside from you two, I don't trust anyone."
"I don't either," Myles concurred. "How secure is your computer?"
"This one?" Her hand gently brushed her laptop. "Very secure, though I could start sending false lead on my work computer and see if I could fish out my stalker. And..." Her eyes focused on an imaginary spot on her ceiling as she leaned down in her chair. "I should be able to log on the DMV records from here," she thought out loud. "It's a long shot, but maybe he has a driver licence under his real name in the system somewhere." She straightened up and her fingers played on her computer. "It may take time before I find a match, if I find a match," she warned them.
"Just don't let it run while you're not in the house," Myles advised. "I don't trust Osborne's men."
"Tara is not careless, mate," Bobby stated with confidence. "We won't risk a break in."
"Good." The pronoun we did not escape Myles. "I'll catch a few hours of sleep before I see you at the office."
Bobby watched Tara's set the program up and wondered if there was a chance in heaven that she would inadvertently fall asleep in his arms again.