Page 68 of Trust Me

He didn’t like the layout from a security standpoint. Two outside entry points and no enclosed staircase behind a locked door. “Do the stairs and elevator lead to the same door?”

“No. There’s a front and back door. The front door is by the stairs, back by the elevator.”

Entry plan formed, he drove two blocks away, leaving the complex, and parked in front of a tavern that would be open for several more hours. “Sorry about the extra walking, but we don’t want my car in front of your place until after I’ve scoped it out.”

She nodded.

Before exiting the vehicle, he grabbed his pistol and holster from where he’d placed them on the back seat. He donned the holster and tucked the pistol into the leather pocket. He was allowed to open carry in Maryland.

“You really think you’ll need that?” Diana asked.

“No idea. But I have it, so I might as well.”

He rarely wore a weapon when he wasn’t in uniform, so this was different, but wearing a weapon was like putting on shoes at this point. It was a bad idea to go into any potentially dangerous situation barefoot.

Diana left her crutches in the vehicle and used her cane. They strolled hand in hand, looking like a couple walking home from a bar on a Friday night. They weren’t the only people on the street, making their cover even more plausible.

When they reached her building, they went straight for the elevator. Chris would rather go up the front stairs, but he wouldn’t leave her alone to enter separately. At least the elevator required a prox key or to be buzzed in via intercom.

The elevator opened onto a small vestibule with Unit 3A on the right and 3B, Diana’s condo, on the left. Chris took her keys and unlocked the dead bolt. He faced her and said, “Stay here, to the right of the door, while I do a quick walk-through.”

He pushed open the door and slipped in without turning on the light.

Instinct told him the place was empty. He flipped the switch and swore. He changed his assessment to probably empty, because he figured whoever had trashed her condo was long gone.

Chapter Thirty

Diana stared in dismay at her home office. Her computers—both desktop and laptop—were gone. A glance in her desk drawers showed the thief had also taken her backup hard disk, thumb drives, and the new anonymous tablet.

Some files were backed up to a cloud, but she couldn’t begin to comprehend what she’d lost. Salim’s life’s work had been on the desktop and backup disk. The university had his dissertation—both print and digital—but she’d had the bulk of his research, the raw files.

Gone.

But of course, it wasn’t Salim and his work that was the target. It was Diana. She left her office and went to the front door security panel. The alarm was off. It hadn’t beeped when Chris entered, which meant it had been shut off earlier in the day. She could call the security company and get the time.

Chris had followed her and also studied the panel. “Does your system send an alert to your phone?”

She shook her head. “It’s a basic system. I bought this place a few months after the accident and didn’t think I’d need anything fancy. Originally, I’d planned to rent it out while I was in Jordan, but I decided it was too much of a hassle, so I paid the complex manager to do regular inspections to make sure there were no issues.”

“Did you change the alarm code after you returned?”

She dropped her gaze to her feet as guilt snaked up her spine. “No. I didn’t think of it.”

“So your alarm code could be written down in the business office. How many buildings are in this complex?”

“Ten? It’s a lot. I don’t know anyone in the office well and think there were staff changes while I was gone. I would imagine they have strict protocols around protecting things like master keys and alarm codes, but I also know my condo was searched after I was abducted by one federal agency or another. I can’t trust that half of DC doesn’t have access.”

She pressed her forehead to the wall as she considered how horrifically careless she’d been in not changing the password and locks when she’d finally returned.

Arms encircled her waist, and she felt Chris’s chest press to her back as his lips touched the top of her head. She leaned back against him, appreciating the comfort he offered.

She tilted her head up, opened her eyes, and found herself staring into his warm brown gaze. His face showed kindness and concern. His mouth was just inches from hers, and she considered taking a mental break by kissing him.

But now wasn’t the time. Probably later wouldn’t be either.

It was one thing to lose her computers, but the damage to the kitchen, living room, and bedroom told her that she was in danger.

Chris pressed his lips to the top of her head again, then released her. “Do you want to call the police?”

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