Page 107 of Heartsong
That’s what it was.
Fear gripped her in a cold fist, and Anna didn’t think. Taking the device in her hands, she worked her nails between the two halves and ripped it apart. The soft crackle of feedback went dead as wires snapped.
Breaths coming in painful gulps, Anna dropped the broken thing onto the desk and backed away. Her hands shook, and she crossed her arms to keep herself from falling apart.
Holy shit.
A listening device had been put in the computer. One that somehow interfered with the computer.
The computer only acts up when I’m on desk.
It’s only on when I’m here.
It’s listening to me.
It knows when I’m here.
The truths hit her like hammer strokes, each more devastating than the last. Someone had been listening in on her working at the desk.
They bugged her work and had tried to bug her home, too.
Her lips went numb and her terror ignited into a cold, vicious outrage.How dare they do this?What evidence did they have to watch her every move?
She hadn’t done anything!
How could it have gone this far? How could they have bugged the museum?
Not without the Gwyneths’ knowledge and consent.There was no way.
The realization struck her harder than all the rest. The Gwyneths had to know. They had to suspect her, too. All this time, they were just keeping her close to keep an eye on her, to see if she slipped up.
Carrie had always been so kind, even after that night, but it must’ve been a ruse to lessen Anna’s suspicion. And Gavin always showing up unannounced, he must’ve been trying to catch her saying something incriminating.
It’d all been a lie.
Enough,growled her cold outrage.Fuck this.
Grabbing the device, Anna flew through the museum, the stares of the few late-afternoon visitors following her. Tears burned her eyes, but she refused to cry. They didn’t deserve any more of her tears or worries or consideration.
Anna didn’t bother knocking on the open office door. Carrie sat in the plush leather chair, pen flowing elegantly over a stack of papers. She looked up in surprise to see Anna bursting in.
“Anna, is everything—”
The remains of the device landed on the desk between them with a tinkling clatter. Carrie stared at it, those hazel eyes wide with confusion.
She’s good.
“I found this stuck into the front desk computer.”
When Carrie only blinked up at her with concern, Anna ground her back teeth. They were doing this the hard way, apparently.
“A listening device.”
Carrie’s face paled.Here we go.
“I quit. Effective immediately.”
The words surged inside her, giving her courage even as her hands trembled.
