Page 43 of Rekindled

“Does that mean you can’t figure out who gave this to me?” Molly asked, discouraged.

“No, I didn’t say that. I’m saying it’s going to take some time. There’s a bunch of layers of security, along with some hacker traps and rabbit holes to mislead anyone looking for clues.”

“How much time?” Spencer inquired. “We really need to find out as quickly as possible.”

Hank gave Spencer a smug look. “Lucky for you, I’m really good at this. I can get it done in a couple of days.” He turned his attention to Molly and added, “I’ll text you once I have the information for you.”

Molly and Spencer stood up, and headed towards the door. Before they left, Molly turned to Hank and patted him on the arm. “Thanks for doing this, Hank. I owe you.”

“No problem, Molly. You’ve helped me out a few times with rent and such; you know I’m always willing to return the favor with tech support.”

As they got into the car, Spencer said, “I’m really grateful for your help. The fact you believe in me means more than you can ever know.”

“I want to figure this out, for both our sakes. I don’t want you to lose your career over lies, and I want to be able to go back to my boss and tell him that there’s no story. That it was all fabricated and a hoax.”

“You and me both,” Spencer agreed. “Here’s hoping Hank can get to the bottom of it.”

* * *

Spencer was running late—somethinghe hated. It often happened because he didn’t know how long an appointment or court proceeding would go. Today was no exception; he was trying to make up time as he was coming from a bail hearing for one of his clients.

He had been able to get the man out, but the bail amount had been steep since it was his second offense. Twenty thousand dollars later, his client had been released into his wife’s custody until his court date.

After entering Morning Perk Coffee Shop on Main Street, he inspected the establishment for Molly. Had he gotten the time wrong? A glance at his cell phone revealed a text message telling him she was running late. She would be there in a half hour.

Spencer took a seat at the counter, figuring he could get a cup of coffee while he waited, and not take up a table in the meantime. He ordered an Americano coffee, and read his emails as he sipped the hot drink.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Molly enter the coffee shop. She was on her phone and she looked frustrated as well as distracted. He got ready to wave her over, but as she moved behind him, her conversation made his blood run cold.

“I know, Bernie. I’m doing my best. This assignment has more complications than I first suspected. You’ve got to give me a little more time.” There was a brief pause, then she continued, “No, it has nothing to do with Spencer Conrad’s good looks. I simply haven’t gotten to the bottom of the allegations, but I promise I’ll have a great exposé for you as soon as I find out the truth. I’ll get back to you with an update tomorrow.”

She touched the screen to end the call, then placed the phone in her purse. As soon as she looked up and noticed Spencer, her face went white and her eyes grew round with surprise. “Have you been here the whole time?” she asked, with worry in her tone.

Slowly, he nodded his head. “I heard everything.”

“It’s not what you think. I haven’t told my boss I’m working with you to prove your innocence because I was worried how he’ll react,” she said, defending herself.

"Right, and proving I’m innocent isn’t nearly as juicy a story as proving I’m a corrupt public servant.”

“That’s not why,” she stated adamantly. “I’m trying to protect you. Bernie is old school; he would pull me off the case and assign someone else if he knew I was involved with you.”

Spencer was hurt, but he didn’t want to let Molly know. He really thought she believed in him, but the fact she didn’t tell her boss the truth made him wonder if she was feeding him what he wanted to hear to get him to trust her. Was it possible she was telling Spencer the truth about her motives for working with him, or was it all an elaborate web of lies? He couldn’t figure out if she was trying to protect him or keep him close so she could manipulate him.

“Do you have feelings for me, or is this just part of your tactics when gathering information for a story?” Spencer probed, hoping she would confirm she cared about him.

“I can’t believe you would ask me that. I’ve never kissed anyone I don’t have feelings for, let alone for a story.” She crossed her arms and added in an accusatory tone, “Besides, I’m not the one who has proven himself to be dishonest. You’re accusing me of having shady tactics, but you could be doing all of this to cover up the truth. Maybe you’re trying to keep me from finding out the allegations are valid.”

Spencer jumped to his feet, glaring at her. “How dare you. I think it’s best if I handle this on my own from here on out.”

“You’re more than welcome to do that, but I’m also going to continue on my own. It’s my duty as a journalist to report the truth,” she said firmly before turning around and leaving the coffee shop.

As he watched her walk away, he wondered if he was letting whoever set him up not only ruin his career, but his relationship with the love of his life.

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