Read Online Ring of Truth (Devlin Security Force Book 2) by Susan Vaughan - Free Book Online
Authors: Susan Vaughan
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been a dumb-ass kid and Leon a smooth talker. “Maybe he gave that piece of the ring to Falco before the job and didn’t have time to get it back from him.”
“A possibility.” Appearing to take his hint not to grill him further, Mara peered at her laptop screen. She scrolled down the names and the scant information. “This guard, George Hauptman, stayed in the central security headquarters, monitoring the closed-circuit system.” She worried a corner of her lower lip between her teeth.
“The cameras as well as the alarms and motion sensors were disabled temporarily—probably Leon’s doing—but they’d gone on the fritz off and on for a week and the FBI couldn’t prove Hauptman had anything to do with it that night. The technicians said the interruptions could’ve been due to the frequent thunderstorms that June.”
“What if he caused it all to divert suspicion?”
The FBI and Marton had covered all this but what the hell. “Either of the two other guards could’ve arranged the disruptions. But maybe guilt has weighed on the guy all this time and he’s ready to spill his guts.”
“Or another one is. A hopeful thought. Too bad you have to go back to Maine tomorrow.” She stabbed a bite of chicken with her fork. “If Hauptman still lives in Kensington, I can go talk to him.”
His hand jerked, nearly knocking his plate on the floor. “Whoa, whoa. No way.” For someone so logical and careful, how could she be so naïve? “Go interview possible criminals by yourself? Unless you’re more than a research tech at Devlin Security?”
She shut her eyes briefly and sighed. “Nope, strictly an office grind. I have no self-defense expertise at all. You’re right, of course. I’m just antsy. I want to do something.”
“And you can. You told me research is what you do. So research. Get on the ’Net and find out where all these guys are, where they live, what they’re doing now. Everything you can get on them since the Gramornian crown jewels were taken. And don’t—”
“I know. Don’t tell anyone at work about the rings. Hush-hush. But I have to keep my boss in the loop.”
“Better if nobody knows what we’re doing.” How could he trust a man he’d never met?
“Thomas Devlin offered to help, remember, offered the resources of DSF. I think he’ll give me clearance for access to more secure databases. And time to do this research. He’ll be discreet.” She laid a hand on his knee. “You want me to trust you, so you have to trust me.”
If secrecy and security were the man’s business, maybe it would work. But if others started looking for the rings, he could lose all control of the search. And the jewels. Trust her? Maybe this far. “Only Devlin, okay.”
“Then what? You’ll be in Maine.”
“I have some things to finish, a two-week course, some other business.” He’d finish the latest commission. Take leave from his job if necessary. “Then I’ll come back. We might find more names in the second box and notes about Leon.”
“Or something about the puzzle ring.” The tightness of her mouth said she hoped not. “Tell me about finding your ring piece. Where’d he have it hidden?”
He considered. Couldn’t see why not. “Behind the house where I used to live with my mom. I was lucky the present owners weren’t home. The back side of the stone wall abutted a drainage ditch. He’d tucked the ring piece into the stone wall. That niche used to be a drop for him and me.”
“A drop?”
“A secret stash, for notes mostly.”
Her eyebrows winged upward. “You had to pass notes in secret to your dad?”
“When I was a kid, Mom thought she was protecting me by keeping Leon’s profession a secret. We moved from Marseille to Milan and different places in the States, supposedly because of his jewelry-designing business. He did design jewelry, but I knew where some of the supplies came from.”
“Do you look like him?”
“Some. Less now. I’m built like
“A possibility.” Appearing to take his hint not to grill him further, Mara peered at her laptop screen. She scrolled down the names and the scant information. “This guard, George Hauptman, stayed in the central security headquarters, monitoring the closed-circuit system.” She worried a corner of her lower lip between her teeth.
“The cameras as well as the alarms and motion sensors were disabled temporarily—probably Leon’s doing—but they’d gone on the fritz off and on for a week and the FBI couldn’t prove Hauptman had anything to do with it that night. The technicians said the interruptions could’ve been due to the frequent thunderstorms that June.”
“What if he caused it all to divert suspicion?”
The FBI and Marton had covered all this but what the hell. “Either of the two other guards could’ve arranged the disruptions. But maybe guilt has weighed on the guy all this time and he’s ready to spill his guts.”
“Or another one is. A hopeful thought. Too bad you have to go back to Maine tomorrow.” She stabbed a bite of chicken with her fork. “If Hauptman still lives in Kensington, I can go talk to him.”
His hand jerked, nearly knocking his plate on the floor. “Whoa, whoa. No way.” For someone so logical and careful, how could she be so naïve? “Go interview possible criminals by yourself? Unless you’re more than a research tech at Devlin Security?”
She shut her eyes briefly and sighed. “Nope, strictly an office grind. I have no self-defense expertise at all. You’re right, of course. I’m just antsy. I want to do something.”
“And you can. You told me research is what you do. So research. Get on the ’Net and find out where all these guys are, where they live, what they’re doing now. Everything you can get on them since the Gramornian crown jewels were taken. And don’t—”
“I know. Don’t tell anyone at work about the rings. Hush-hush. But I have to keep my boss in the loop.”
“Better if nobody knows what we’re doing.” How could he trust a man he’d never met?
“Thomas Devlin offered to help, remember, offered the resources of DSF. I think he’ll give me clearance for access to more secure databases. And time to do this research. He’ll be discreet.” She laid a hand on his knee. “You want me to trust you, so you have to trust me.”
If secrecy and security were the man’s business, maybe it would work. But if others started looking for the rings, he could lose all control of the search. And the jewels. Trust her? Maybe this far. “Only Devlin, okay.”
“Then what? You’ll be in Maine.”
“I have some things to finish, a two-week course, some other business.” He’d finish the latest commission. Take leave from his job if necessary. “Then I’ll come back. We might find more names in the second box and notes about Leon.”
“Or something about the puzzle ring.” The tightness of her mouth said she hoped not. “Tell me about finding your ring piece. Where’d he have it hidden?”
He considered. Couldn’t see why not. “Behind the house where I used to live with my mom. I was lucky the present owners weren’t home. The back side of the stone wall abutted a drainage ditch. He’d tucked the ring piece into the stone wall. That niche used to be a drop for him and me.”
“A drop?”
“A secret stash, for notes mostly.”
Her eyebrows winged upward. “You had to pass notes in secret to your dad?”
“When I was a kid, Mom thought she was protecting me by keeping Leon’s profession a secret. We moved from Marseille to Milan and different places in the States, supposedly because of his jewelry-designing business. He did design jewelry, but I knew where some of the supplies came from.”
“Do you look like him?”
“Some. Less now. I’m built like
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