to it. Odd.
She crossed the room. “Would the other marshal, Delaney, already have checked my computer?”
“I don’t believe so. I’ll want to do a preliminary scan before we send it in, as well.”
“Someone took out the flash drive.” She’d had it plugged in when the man had attacked, although there was a possibility it could’ve been knocked out when she’d grabbed the letter opener.
While Kurt recommended he scan everything first, she’d never sleep without following her hunch. “I have to check something for work before you take this. Feel free to watch for those flags,” she said. She sat and inserted the drive back into the USB drive before Kurt could object.
The spreadsheet appeared and she scrolled down. “Unbelievable. Someone wanted me to think it’s the same flash drive, but it’s not.” The highlighted problem areas were nowhere to be found. She examined the file a second time but didn’t find anything. Her heart raced and the throbbing headache returned.
She spun around to face the marshal. “What if this isn’t about the judge?”
* * *
“What makes you think it wouldn’t be?” Kurt lowered the phone and placed it on the desk beside the laptop.
“I’m sure that this flash drive was plugged into my computer when I was attacked.” She gestured toward a spreadsheet full of hundreds of numbers that made his mind go numb.
“It’s possible you misremembered. I’ll scan the flash drive for spyware, as well.”
“No, it’s not that...” She released a frustrated exhale and yanked the drive from the computer. The laptop sounded the obnoxious beep that meant she didn’t eject it properly. She flipped the black stick over in her hand, studying it carefully. “It’s missing a couple of lines I’m sure were there last night.”
“For your job? Do you have it saved elsewhere?”
“Yes, yes I have backups. I’m trying to tell you there was something on this drive last night that’s not here today. And I don’t have any copies of that. In fact this isn’t even my flash drive. It appeared in my bag last night. It might’ve been put there by a whistle-blower.” Her eyes widened and she shoved her finger at the middle of the drive. “I knew it! The drive last night had a scratch on it.” She waved the black object in front of him. “This one looks brand-new.”
Her eyes looked a little manic. He glanced at the bandage wrapped around her hair. How hard had she hit her head? Rebecca’s eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms, as if she already knew what he was about to say. His job required him to say the tough things sometimes, but he knew how to do so tactfully. “Sometimes, after a head injury—”
“I can’t believe you went there.” She rolled her eyes and leaned back into the chair.
“Listen, even aside from the blow to the head, you were in a dangerous situation last night. Adrenaline and panic can make some details fuzzy.” His training included a basic understanding of what victims and witnesses went through. They’d even put his class into a mock crime and asked them to identify the perp by mug shots that were two years old. Most of them had failed. “Don’t beat yourself up or push yourself. The best thing—”
She moved her hands in front of her face as if wiping away his words. “You don’t have to tell me that. I was there. I vividly remember it all.” Her face paled.
Kurt fought the urge to put his hand on her shoulder or to pull her into a hug. He’d never had similar inclinations during other protection assignments. It took him off guard. He stepped backward for more distance.
She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Wearing her business suit, the action made her look even more vulnerable. “I know I’m not perfect.” Her voice was soft and lyrical. “I realize I could remember some details wrong. But about this...” She took a deep breath and stared ahead at a spot on the wall, as if recalling the attack again. “I’m sure,” she whispered. “There’s no way I imagined it. This is a different drive than the one in my bag.”
He closed the laptop and unplugged it. He slipped it, alongside the drive and cell phone, inside a bag that blocked all cellular signals and tracking. He opened the front door and gestured for the officer at the edge of the driveway to come get the bag. He set it down on the concrete for the officer to courier to the courthouse.
“What are you doing?”
He locked the door and faced her. “Don’t worry. You’ll get it back soon. If there’s any chance you are right, the flash drive could’ve installed spyware on your computer to watch and listen to the judge. As soon as you did it, they would’ve known, and maybe they wanted to get rid of the evidence and let you go.”
“Like a fake out? So I wouldn’t suspect they were spying on me? But there were numbers on the drive related to my work.”
He studied her a little longer than he needed. “Maybe you should explain your job a little more.”
“I work for a global accounting firm. We specialize in third-party audits, mainly for investment purposes. My firm had an audit request here in Coeur D’Alene and, since my grandfather lives here, my boss thought of me for the assignment.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Then I can put your mind to rest. Typically only IRS auditors get threatened.” Her eyes narrowed again, so he humored her. “Who is your audit for?”
“Vista Resort Properties. The corporate offices as well as their biggest resort and spa are located here. The CEO told me a potential investor requested my firm specifically.”
He almost laughed. People who specialized in vacations had to have the easiest jobs in the world. The likelihood the threat could be from a resort, of all things, seemed unlikely. If they got upset at someone, all they needed to do was take their own advice and get a massage or rest in a hammock. He’d pay good money for either thing at the moment.
Her hypothesis most likely had more to do with work stress and maybe the head injury. “I know you don’t want your family to be in danger, but a company that specializes in relaxing spas is definitely not after you.”
A storm seemed to brew in her eyes. “They bring in millions of dollars each year. It’s not out of the realm of possibility.”
Kurt held up his hands in mock surrender. “Okay. I’ll add them to the list, but I think we should pool our resources and look at credible threats first. I can access ones made in public with a simple search. If you’re up for it, I’d like to see if you recognize anyone while we wait for Delaney to send us more files.”
Rebecca blinked rapidly and nodded. “Of course. I’m just going to make some tea while you pull them up.” She stood quickly and wobbled. Her hand reached for her forehead.
Kurt instinctively rushed to catch her. He placed his arm around the back of her waist as she leaned into him.
Her cheeks flushed as she focused on the ground. “I’m fine. Just stood up too fast. I think I’m a bit dehydrated.”
Not to mention the aforementioned head injury, but Kurt knew not to bring up that sensitive topic again. His arm lingered a moment longer as she looked up into his eyes. “Thank
