Page 166 of Power
She pointed to a closed door nearby. “Brigit worked in there.”
“That’s the size of a closet, so I converted it to one of my safe rooms,” he explained. “Can I get you something to drink?”
On their way toward the kitchen, he showed her the room next door. Like his office, it housed a desk, an executive chair, a wall of built-ins, and a love seat.
“If you need privacy, you can work in here,” he said.
“I’m good with you,” she replied.
His smile made her heart quicken.
In the quiet kitchen, he pulled a bottle of sparkling water, but she filled a glass with water from the beverage center in the refrigerator. With drinks in hand, they returned to his office. She pulled out her laptop, set it up on the desk by the patio.
“Sin and I met with Chenkus’s boss, Cary Newburg,” Luciano began. “We threatened him, but he wouldn’t talk.”
“Of course.”
“I left a micro surveillance device in his office?—”
She shook her head. “That’s not a federal offense or anything.”
“And he made a call right after we left.”
“Nice,” she said. “I’ll check his desk phone and his cell, but he probably used a burner. It’s gonna take me some time to get that info. If I’m on the phone, will it bother you?”
He placed his palms on her desk, leaned down and said, “No, Simone, it won’t.”
His hushed, compelling voice, paired with the fire in his gaze, made her heart flutter. “I’ll let you know if you’re a distraction.”
With a wink, he returned to his desk. She admired his broad shoulders and nice, tight ass.
Maybe I should work next door. I’m never gonna get anything done in here.
She dragged her gaze to her computer, logged in to ALPHA, and requested Cary Newburg’s phone records.
Her money was on a burner, but she had to go for the low-hanging fruit. Ten short minutes later, an employee on ALPHA’s Internet team called.
“I’ve got Mr. Newburg’s phone numbers and I’m uploading his recent calls to the portal, but I can’t help you with a burner this fast. It’s gonna take time for me to triangulate it in DC.”
“Thanks for the heads up,” Simone replied. “I appreciate the help.”
Simone hung up and read the report.
Shortly after Luciano and Sin left Newburg’s office, he made three calls from his desk phone to other employees at State. She added their names to her follow-up list. Next, he sent two texts from his personal phone, both to the same number. That number was assigned to a woman. After more digging, Simone discovered the woman was his longtime girlfriend, Trish Benderson. She worked at Social Security Administration.
One text said, “I’m thinking of using up some leave. Maybe head out of town. Can you join me?”
She replied with, “Talk later?”
He’d replied with a thumbs-up.
Simone continued working, her attention diverted when Chef Louis entered pushing a cart. A platter loaded with sliced apples, peeled Mandarin oranges, plump raspberries and vibrant blackberries. The second platter offered a variety of cheeses and crackers. There were two sparkling waters, a teapot and two mugs.
Cookies or chocolate would have gotten her vote.
“Hello, Chef,” she said.
“Simone, how are you? If you don’t like tea, I can make you a coffee, a cappuccino, espresso, whatever you’d like.”
