Page 29 of Night Moves
“The at-risk teens I work with have the number, but that’s it.”
“With Gentry being a cop, it’s possible he could get a phone company to reveal the cell tower tracking for your location.”
“Wait, what?” Malone asked. “The phone company can track calls by location not just by number? This is the first I’m hearing of this.”
“They can do tower dumps, which are reports of every mobile signal from a specific area at a specific time. So the burner phone number would be linked to your location.”
“I had no idea they could do that.” Malone tsked. “Does that mean the calls I’ve made with women and troubled teens aren’t secure?”
“It’s not like just anyone can get this information. It requires a warrant. Or an unethical friend at the phone company. Or even a hack, which Gentry could know how to do.”
“What are the odds of that happening?” Malone asked.
“Very slim,” Drake replied. “He’d have to connect you to Natalie to even begin looking. But it could happen, and I wouldn’t feel right if we didn’t provide you with protection. I’d suggest you join us at our secured location, but that means you’d only be able to communicate via email.”
“No. No,” Malone said firmly. “I can’t do that. Not with Sierra expecting. And I have clients who are counting on me.”
“Figured you’d say that and was hoping you listened to Reed and are staying with him and Sierra. On second thought, her moods have been swinging pretty wildly and you might want to avoid that.” He laughed. “You can bunk at my place while I’m gone.”
“I’ve convinced my brother that I’m fine for now, but I can stop in and talk to him after the interview.”
“No,” Drake said firmly. She may have convinced Reed she didn’t need special protection, but Drake wouldn’t let her go without an escort. “I don’t want you out there all alone. Give me your address, and we’ll pick you up.”
“You don’t really think Gentry has connected me to Natalie, do you?”
“We’re just running background on him now, so I don’t know how much he’s capable of.” He paused and locked gazes with Natalie. “Other than killing defenseless women and eluding the police for years.”
Two tall towers of shiny glass with twinkling lights greeted Natalie as Drake drove into the Veritas Center’s secured parking garage a few hours before dawn. The towers were linked together with a building on the ground floor and a skybridge on the sixth floor. An impressive structure.
“Tower on the left holds the labs and our office,” Drake said as he wound the SUV up the ramp to the top floor. “On the right are our condos.”
“You must have some view from that skybridge.” Natalie turned to catch a final look.
“It’s amazing,” Malone said from the back seat.
“We take it for granted.” Drake parked outside an entrance on the sixth floor. “We’ll start by heading down to the lobby to get security passes and escort Londyn to the office.”
Natalie glanced at Drake. “We need passes?”
“Yes.” Malone removed her seatbelt. “Be sure to keep it with you and that one of the golden team is with you all the time. They get cranky if you don’t obey.” She wrinkled her nose.
“Sounds like a story there.” Drake killed the engine.
“Let’s just say I forgot one night when I was visiting Reed, and the guard filling in for Pete didn’t know me and blew a gasket.” Malone laughed.
“I’m sure you gave as good as you got.” Drake chuckled as if they were old friends.
They all exited the vehicle into a gusty wind, and Natalie straightened her rumpled jacket. Malone might not have had much time to get dressed, but she looked the consummate professional. Her sleek black suit jacket emphasized her tiny waist as she carried her overnight bag to the door. Under her jacket she wore a white blouse, and she’d paired it with equally sleek straight-legged pants and designer black pumps. She was nearly six feet tall in her heels and had fragile and delicate features.
She crossed her arms as she waited for Drake to press his fingers on the keypad, and her nails, with a French manicure, stood out against the black jacket. Natalie felt plain and underdressed, andHand-Me-Dunntried to make an appearance. Natalie shut her down. She took a quick look out the glass walls at the sparkling Portland skyline, but Malone was on the move, and Natalie hurried to catch up.
“I’m glad Drake was able to rescue you and the kids,” Malone said as they walked toward the elevator.
“Thanks for arranging it,” Natalie said.
“And thanks to you, Drake, for being a knight in shining armor one more time.” Malone glanced back at him as she boarded the elevator, giving him a dazzling smile that likely melted countless hearts over the years.
Looking uncomfortable, Drake mimicked rubbing his chest as he joined them in the elevator. “Your calls are getting more frequent. Gonna have to polish up my armor.”
