PART 16:

They tried four times, which triggered an alarm that called my phone and the police automatically.” Claire looked at him, seeing him fully for the first time tonight. He was wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt that said, “I void warranties.” with grease stains that were probably permanent.

His hair was standing up in all directions, and he had the wired alertness of someone running on adrenaline and fear. “You installed a security system on my car without telling me?” “I installed a security system on your car to keep someone from finishing what they started.” Nate corrected. “And good thing I did, or they’d have everything they needed by now.

” “Everything they needed for what?” “To erase their tracks, to remove the evidence of the original hack, to make it look like the fire was just an accident so nobody would investigate further.” He gestured at the scattered equipment. “They were cleaning up, Claire. Which means whatever they’re planning, they’re not done yet.

” Detective Chen had followed them into the bay and was listening with professional interest. “Mr. Rhodes, you mentioned finding spyware in the vehicle’s system. Do you still have evidence of that?” “I do. It’s backed up on three separate drives in three separate locations.” Nate pulled out his phone and opened a folder full of screenshots and diagnostic logs.

“I can provide copies, but I’ll need them returned. This is evidence of multiple felonies, hacking, stalking, attempted murder.” “Alleged attempted murder.” Detective Chen corrected automatically. “There’s nothing alleged about wires that were deliberately stripped and twisted together to cause a short circuit that would start a fire.

” Nate said, and there was steel in his voice now. “I’ve been documenting everything, every piece of evidence, every modification, every trace of the original hack, and I’m telling you, Detective, someone is trying very hard to kill Ms. Montgomery, and they’re not going to stop just because they failed once.” Chen looked at Claire with new interest.

“Ms. Montgomery, do you have any idea who might want to harm you?” Claire thought about the list she and Nate had made, 37 names long and growing. “Several ideas. None I can prove.” “Then we’ll need to start investigating all of them. I’ll need you to come to the station tomorrow and give a full statement.” Chen closed her notebook.

“In the meantime, Mr. Rhodes, we’re going to need to process this scene. That means your shop is closed until we’re finished.” “How long?” “Could be a day, could be three. Depends on what we find.” Nate’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “I’ll call my customers, reschedule their appointments.” “And Ms. Montgomery.

” Chen turned to Claire. “I strongly suggest you increase your personal security. If Mr. Rhodes is right and someone’s actively targeting you, you need protection.” “I have security.” “You need more.” Chen said bluntly. “These people broke into a commercial building with an alarm system. They’re not amateurs.

They’re not going to be deterred by a building security guard and a doorman.” Claire wanted to argue, wanted to insist she could handle herself, wanted to maintain the illusion of control, but standing in this crime scene, looking at her car that had been violated for the second time, she couldn’t deny the detective was right. “I’ll make arrangements.

” She said quietly. Chen nodded and walked away to coordinate with the other officers, leaving Claire and Nate standing by the Valkyrie like parents by a sick child’s bedside. “I’m sorry.” Nate said after a moment. “For what?” “You didn’t break in.” “For not anticipating this. For not realizing they’d come back.” He rubbed his face, exhaustion and frustration bleeding through.

“I should have known that finding the spyware would make them desperate. Should have moved the car somewhere safer, installed better security, something.” “You did install better security. You stopped them from getting what they wanted.” Claire looked at him, at this man who’d given up sleep to protect her property, who’d built fail-safes into her car without being asked.

“You probably just saved my life, Nate.” “Maybe. Or maybe I just delayed the inevitable.” “Don’t say that.” “Why not? It’s true.” He gestured at the car, at the crime scene, at the evidence of someone’s determination. “Whoever’s doing this has resources. They have skills, they have motivation, and we still don’t know who they are or what they want or how to stop them.

So yeah, maybe I stopped them tonight, but what about tomorrow night? Or next week? How long can we keep this up before they find a way through?” Claire heard the fear in his voice, not for himself, but for her. And underneath that fear was something else, something that made her chest tight. He cared. This man who’d met her 3 weeks ago, who owed her nothing, who had every reason to walk away from the mess her life had become.

He cared whether she lived or died. Not because she paid him, or because she could do something for him, but because somewhere along the way, she’d stopped being a client and become a person he wanted to protect. “Then we figure it out faster.” Claire said firmly. “We go through that list, we investigate every name, we find whoever’s doing this before they can try again.

” “Claire, that’s going to take weeks, maybe months. And you don’t have that kind of time.” “Then what do you suggest? That I hide? That I give up my company, my life, everything I’ve built, because someone wants me dead?” Her voice rose despite her best efforts to stay calm. “I won’t do that, Nate.

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