Page 106 of Stripping Bare

Jonah disagreed, but if going down that Steele Ridge employee path again would keep Tessa and his sister busy while he dug deeper into Harrison Shaw’s buddies, he was all for it. “You’re right. Maybe we missedsomething.”

“I need to go back through every file.” Tessa looked at Micki. “Can you get meaccess?”

“Surething.”

“While y’all work that angle, I’ll take a look at the hardware.” Because it still wasn’t making a damn bit of sense to him why one of Shaw’s compadres would’ve set up this elaborate scenario. There were infinitely easier avenues forpayback.

He sat down on the floor with the hardware in order to make a good show for Micki and Tessa and to keep his mind busy. Otherwise, he’d overthink the fact that Tessa hadn’t said “I love you” back lastnight.

Yes, he’d blurted it out during the heat of an intimate moment, but he meantit.

He grappled with the tiny guts of the sensor, using an eyeglass screwdriver and precision tweezer, and Badger trundled over to sniff at the hardware. Obviously unimpressed, he sneezed on one, then decided Jonah’s thigh was the perfect place to stretch out and take asiesta.

While Micki once again violated firewalls to get Tessa into the client records she’d been shut out of, Jonah stroked Badger’s back and studied the sensors for any clue they might give him. When he’d asked Maggie about dusting the equipment for prints, she’d bagged the timer. But she’d shaken her head at the sensors, telling him that by sweating all over them like a linebacker during two-a-days, he’d no doubt washed away anyevidence.

The welts from the sensors were starting to itch, and he had to keep his hands busy to keep from scratching the hell out ofthem.

Right now, he had nothing solid to connect Cartwright to all of this except a different kind of itchy feeling. What if he was all wrong in thinking this had anything to do with Harrison Shaw and his buddies? Had he made a mistake in assuming Tessa had simply been a way to get tohim?

He needed to track down Cartwright.Alone.

Shutting Tessa out again was a dick move, but after the fire he didn’t want her near any of thosemen.

Which meant he needed time and space to get toCartwright.

“Are y’all in the files yet?” heasked.

“Of course. Everyone from Keith Benery to Sharon Vrana.” Micki was obviously dragging ass if her jaw-cracking yawn was any indication, but she said, “I’m just setting it up so we can download the files and have the computer read them back toTessa.”

Jonah casually scratched Badger’s head and tried to mask the tension squeezing his body. “Hey, I need to run over and check in with Cash and Maggie on a couple ofthings.”

“Did you learn anything new?” Tessa studied him as if she could get inside his mind and dig out whatever she wanted. With a grapefruitspoon.

“No.” Which wasn’t strictly a lie. “That’s why I want to walk through some thoughts with those two. They might have a flash of insight that’s escaped me.” It took all of Jonah’s strength to meet Tessa’s gaze and maintain an air of innocence. “Why don’t you two take all this out to Mom’s house and finish up your researchthere?”

Micki’s eyes went squinty. “Why would we do that when we already have everything set uphere?”

“Because Grif said she insisted on going home this morning, and I don’t like the idea of her being alone at Tupelo Hill with what happened yesterday. There’s plenty of room to spread out and space for you to take anap.”

“I’m fine.” The fact that she said the words around another massive yawn pegged her as aliar.

“The sooner y’all pack it up and head out, the sooner I can pick Maggie’s and Cash’sbrains.”

Although Micki was obviously dragging, she and Tessa scooped up the laptops and their notes. Within five minutes, they were packed up and ready toroll.

Jonah passed a still snoozing Badger to Tessa and gave her a kiss. “I’ll be out to pick you up a littlelater.”

“If you find out something important, call usimmediately.”

“If I come across anything you need to know, I will.” He hated deceiving her this way, but he wasn’t willing to jeopardize her safety. This guy had already proven he didn’t give a shit about sacrificing the people Jonahloved.