Page 49 of Run for Her Life
Lisa opened her mouth but didn’t say anything. Didn’t she have a husband? But now that Zoe thought about it, lately Lisa had been avoiding going home, working long hours, and often staring at her phone with a haunted look. Her home life must bein turmoil, but Zoe didn’t feel close enough to her to comfort her. “How long have you known Adam for?”
“A couple years. I’m surprised he hid this information from us. Thought he would have loved to be involved from the beginning.”
“Perhaps he planned it this way.” She chewed on a piece of candy, savoring the taste exploding in her mouth. “He’s been attacking Harrington Group. Maybe he’s been doing more than just reporting the story. He’s creating it too.”
“I found something,” Lisa said abruptly. “Remember we talked about any competitors of Harrington Group? Anyone who would benefit from this?”
“Yeah…”
“I was just looking at other gaming companies in the state, digging through announcements and calling in a few favors. Look at one of the websites.”
Zoe took the phone. It was a page showing the team behind a midsize company out of Seattle with offices in Port Angeles and Tacoma. The director of R&D was a familiar face. Pudgy face, doe-like eyes, and golden curls.
Jackie’s half-sister—Amy Andrews.
THIRTY
Because the future of gaming isn’t a boys’ club.
Built by Women. Played by Everyone.
She who codes—conquers.
Zoe read the words written in giant block font on a white marble wall. The office was like a beehive of activity. Women in power suits and steely demeanors strutting around and working behind large monitors. The walls plastered with empowering quotes and news articles. It was all very efficient and orderly. The only welcoming feature were the plants on the windowsills.
“This looks interesting.” Zoe felt like an outsider in her shabby jeans and Gina’s old leather jacket she’d snagged last Christmas.
Aiden looked bored. “Identity management.”
“What is that?”
“Women often develop a culture of overperformance to disprove stereotypes like they’re too emotional or soft. The internal pressure to perform often leads to hyper self-monitoring.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Do you get bored often?”
“What do you mean?”
She hitched a shoulder. “Being a know-it-all must get boring.”
He stared at her blankly. “And carrying that chip on your shoulder must be exhausting.”
“Chip on my shoulder?” Her eyebrows shot up as she stepped closer. “It’s called being normal. You wouldn’t understand.”
His smile was sarcastic. “It was my job to evaluate you, Storm. And normal is the last word I’d use to describe you.”
“I knew that’s why you volunteered to be on this case,” she said, losing control of the situation. “You see me as a patient to prod and poke and lock up in whatever dungeon you came from.”
“I volunteered tohelpyou. If you really were this happy, cheerful person you pretend to be, you wouldn’t be so cynical whenever you saw a friendly face.”
She opened her mouth to retort but was distracted by a sweet scent of gummy bears laced with an airy ocean breeze. Was it coming from him? And then she looked at her reflection in his glasses. Why was she blushing? And why was she standing so close to him?
“Darren Galanis is in town,” she blurted out when she didn’t mean to, suddenly changing the subject.
Aiden’s hard face faltered. “You saw him?”
Zoe nodded. Why was she telling him anything? “I swung by Fun House one morning. He was in his car watching me. I chased him on foot but he got away. I have a stalker.”
Aiden ran a hand through his hair. “He’s dangerous, Storm. As it turns out, I don’t think he has anything to do with this case. I highly doubt he dug around Michael’s hair.”
