Page 57 of Maneater (The Mavens #1)

THIRTY-EIGHT

ROWAN

“We believe that the culprit is an employee,” Rory says the next morning as we sit around a pile of half-eaten room service breakfast and multiple computers.

Files and notes are scattered around, and new annotations have been added to the margins to incorporate the new input I brought to the table, both with my own knowledge and the access to the systems I provided.

During the night, Rory and Josie moved from staff room to staff room with me playing lookout to plant as many listening devices as possible, along with a few cameras going in the more trafficked areas.

That way, if and when the cameras go out next, they’d have their own to view.

I also managed to get Rory a housekeeping dress to make going into other spaces during busier times easier.

It was a good feeling to be useful while they did their job.

“So do I,” I agree. “It might even be two people, since the deletion of the camera intel is too close to the acts being carried out. It would be pretty difficult for it to be the same person.”

“We’re looking at someone in the security room,” Josie says. “Like Jonas.”

I shake my head, somehow knowing that he isn’t to blame.

“My gut says it’s not him. Too obvious and too messy. He moved his entire family down here for this job, and the first day I was here after the incidents, he told me he was worried someone was setting him up.”

Rory glares at me. “That sounds like the perfect lie from someone who is sabotaging your hotel. Or covering it up.”

I shrug. She has a point, one I can’t reasonably refute. “I’m just giving my insight. I think someone lower in that department than him might be a better option, or even someone who just has a history with computers.” I lift my hands up when Rory glares daggers. “But you guys are the experts.”

She continues to glare at me before rolling her eyes and returning to her computer.

“Good. Because he’s staying on our list.”

I nod in understanding. I don’t care who is on their list, really, so long as we catch this asshole and soon.

“So, who else is on your list?” I ask. This is after Rory dug through all of my electronic devices, my room, and my office, sweeping for bugs, burner phones, hidden messages, and things I had never even considered before, determining that I was, in fact, not the culprit, nor that the culprit was watching me for any reason.

She still looks at me with the barest hint of irritation, but I think we’re past the point of he’s a boy who can’t sit with us .

Maybe.

Who knows, really.

Josie is clearly nervous that I’m not going to like her coworker or vice versa, but in contrast, I really freaking like her.

She’s fact-driven and doesn’t take bullshit, something I very much appreciate.

I like how decisive she is, how black and white and critical she is, and most of all, how much she cares for my girl.

And Josie is just that—my girl. Some invisible string that tied us together has brought us here, and I refuse to look this opportunity in the face .

“You first,” she says with a raised eyebrow, crossing her arms on her chest. I let out a deep laugh and shake my head.

“Rory, stop being a pain,” Josie says with an eye roll, but I reach over and grab her hand, squeezing it reassuringly to let her know I really don’t mind.

“It’s fine; I get it. Trust is earned, not given.” That sentence alone may have accomplished more than half of what I’ve said to Rory because a small smile I’ve never seen is on her lips, and she nods in acceptance. “Right now, my biggest contender is Daniel Cooper.”

“The general manager?” Josie asks. “Why?”

It’s not in a disbelieving way, but in a why do you think that way. I sigh before explaining.

“He isn’t my biggest fan, so it would make sense that he would want me to look bad, making the location I lobbied for fail. He applied to work for corporate six months ago. He almost had the job, but when he interviewed with me, I cut it.”

“How come?” Rory asks, tipping her head to the side.

I shrug because it’s not one specific thing I could point out exactly, just a gut feeling. Still, I try.

“He’s just not there yet, not ready for corporate. He enjoys the day-to-day grind of working at the hotel and leading the team. Which is great for a GM, but if he were to go to corporate, he wouldn’t be at the top of the food chain. I don’t think he would be the right fit. Not yet, at least.”

“And he knew it was you who turned him down?”

“I mean, I don’t think anyone told him that specifically, but he had an interview with me and then was told he was out of the running. Afterward, we hired for the position externally.”

Rory cringes, but it doesn’t faze me. It’s business, and I don’t take people’s feelings into account when it comes to business.

“Well, you should know he’s on our list, too. This is good intel to add,” Rory says. “We couldn’t find a motive previously, since the hotel not doing well makes him look bad as well. ”

“We’re also pretty sure he’s fucking the spa manager,” Josie says, and my head snaps back.

“What?” I ask with what I’m sure are comically wide eyes. Rory nods.

“Oh, for sure. When they came into the sauna after the last incident, his buckle was undone, and her lipstick was smeared.”

“That could be a coincidence?—”

Josie gives me a soft smile in a “you sweet, sweet, naive boy” kind of way.

“That lipstick was also on his collar,” she explains.

“Okay then, probably not a coincidence,” I mutter.

“We’re really good at this, Rowan,” Rory says, a hint of earned irritation in her voice. “We don’t put anyone on our short list just because.”

I lift my hands in concession.

“You’re right, you’re right. I know the company, but I don’t know the employees as well as I should. You guys have been doing all the heavy lifting.”

Rory looks at me for a long minute, taking me in before a small, almost imperceptible smile spreads on her lips, and she nods, as if she finds me acceptable, as if she’s approving.

“I could ask my assistant, Sutton, if she knows anything about the employees. She’s much more personable and chats more.”

“I think the bar for that is on the floor,” Rory says under her breath, and Josie, while fighting back a laugh, hits her friend gently in the arm.

“No, no, she’s right. A valid criticism,” I say, looping an arm around her waist and tugging her in close. It’s been too long without her right by me. Now that she’s mine, I somehow know it’s going to be a while before I feel sated by her touch.

“Okay, well,” Rory says. “Since we both have Daniel on our list, let’s start there: what can we do or find to either pin this all on him or cancel him out?”

“With my accounts, can you get into the email server and see if there’s anything obvious or incriminating there?”

Rory nods, lighting up, but deflates just as quickly.

“Yes, but I believe Annette already had someone do all of that, and it came up empty.”

I nod, expecting that. If Annette was worried enough to hire the Mavens under everyone’s nose, she would have had Wilde Security look into the easy stuff first.

“Is there a way to monitor his personal devices without having them in our possession?” Josie asks.

Rory tips her head to the side, like she’s contemplating the idea, before nodding again.

“Yes,” she says slowly, like she’s still trying to figure it out in her mind.

“We could track his incoming and outgoing messages that were going to any device via a tracking device and a mobile network interceptor. We’d have to plant it in his office, and I’d bug it at the same time.

I’d need about an hour uninterrupted, though. ”

I look to Josie in part awe and part panic.

“She’s scary, isn’t she?” she asks with a laugh, and Rory narrows her eyes. “In a hot way!”

“I’m not going to touch that one at all,” I mumble.

“Good call. It was a setup,” Rory confirms, and Josie laughs.

“You passed,” Josie says, not bothering to argue her friend’s accusation.

“I thought being together meant all of that fucking with me shit would end.”

Her smile goes devious, and I suddenly know that it will never be over. Josie will never stop teasing and taunting me.

“Good luck, bud,” Rory says, reaching over to pat my arm in consolation.

“Okay, so what’s the plan?” I ask. “How do we distract him for over an hour without causing alarm?”

“And that, my sweet boy, is where I come in,” Josie says with a smile.