“A PUPPET master,” Powers said.

  “Excuse me?” Devon asked, furrowing his brow adorably.

  “That’s what we’re dealing with. Someone who likes to pull the strings and stay in the background. I should have seen it before. He doesn’t do his own dirty work, but gets others to go along with him by pulling their strings.” Powers felt like an idiot. “He clearly knew how to motivate Mark to get him to do exactly what he wanted.”

  Devon leaned closer, and Powers did his best to ignore his enticing scent and keep his mind where it belonged. “He or she really seemed to understand how to manipulate Mark.” Devon rubbed the back of his neck. “Judy would certainly do that.”

  Powers had to agree, but Mark wasn’t exactly a closed book. Powers could have read him pretty easily. “A lot of people could.” A picture of sorts was beginning to form in Powers’s mind, but it refused to become clear, at least not yet.

  “How long will it take Lucy to get here?” Devon asked.

  “Not very long. I thought it best that she take a look at Mark’s computer directly. I don’t want to miss this chance at a clue as to who is pulling these strings.”

  “I don’t know if there is anything she can tell, but you’re right—it’s best if we look at everything.” Devon sat on a plush leather chair, his leg shaking.

  Powers glanced over to check on Mark, who sat half curled in on himself.

  “Are you two working together?” Mark asked just above a whisper before clearing his throat. “Were you a plant in the department?”

  Devon pointed to himself. “Me?” He shook his head. “No. I got involved with this by accident. At least I think it was by accident. We aren’t sure. And yes, I have been asked to assist Powers where I can.” He turned to Mark. “I was hoping that none of the people I worked with were involved. I really was.”

  He glanced downward for a few seconds, and Powers wanted to take his hand to reassure him. It sucked when people you knew were involved with wrongdoing. Powers largely believed that Mark’s need to get ahead was driving him and had pushed his sense of caution too far.

  “Where do we go from here?” Devon asked.

  A knock on the door saved Powers from answering, and he motioned for Mark to get it. “If it’s your friends, I suggest you tell them you aren’t able to go out tonight.” He checked his watch and hoped it was Lucy.

  “I was supposed to meet them,” Mark mumbled, and rose to get the door. He returned with Lucy following behind him and took her to his laptop. “You won’t go through my personal stuff, will you?” Mark asked.

  “I’ll be discreet,” Lucy promised, getting right to work.

  Powers didn’t really care if she was discreet or not. All he wanted was whatever information she could get off that system. Every time he thought they were getting a step closer to an answer, they ended up nowhere again.

  He turned away, smiling to himself but not wanting anyone to see it. His cases had always been Lucy and him working together, and now it was Devon too. Devon had a keen mind, and the mousy man he’d first met had slowly been replaced by another person, someone with more steel in his spine than Powers had originally thought… and he admired it. He liked Devon, really liked him. He sat back down, letting his thoughts go inward, kicking himself over again for not looking deeper earlier. He should have trusted Devon, but in his business, trust was a hard-won commodity, as was the truth, much of the time.

  “Are you okay?” Devon whispered, and Powers nodded. “I can’t believe he disliked me enough to try to hurt me.” Devon glanced up at Mark. “I never did anything to him. I was nice to all the people I worked with. This really hurts, you know.”

  “I do. And I’m sorry,” Powers said quietly. He took Devon’s hand. “I should have trusted you.”

  Devon shook his head. “No. I should have tried to look at things from your point of view. It looked bad, and your reaction hurt. But you were doing your job. It was that simple. Yeah, it hurt that you didn’t trust me, but then again, we haven’t known each other but a week or so, and…. After all, we didn’t meet under the best circumstances.”

  Mark groaned. “Are you two going to make cow eyes at each other all night?” he sniped. “I knew there was something going on with you disappearing all the time and Judy not saying anything about it. If I get up from my desk to take a leak, she asks about it, and you disappear for hours and nothing… silence.” He got to his feet and stalked to where Devon sat.

  Powers stood, blocking his way. “That’s quite enough.” The way Mark’s jaw was set and the turmoil in his eyes told Powers that anything was possible.

  “Judy never says anything to me because I get my work done. I don’t spend the day talking to everyone else and gossiping. I’m also conscientious and I work hard.” Devon stood next to him. “Did you ever think that Judy was trying to help you? Maybe she was trying to give you the message that you were being watched. None of us has a right to a job there. You know that. So if you aren’t doing your job, then they’ll bring in someone who will.” There was no heat in Devon’s voice, just a touch of hurt. “Everyone on the team likes you, so maybe we don’t want you to go either.”

  The aggression in Mark’s stance leached away. His shoulders curled downward, and he sighed. “I don’t think anyone is going to be able to help me now. They aren’t going to care why I did it. I was the one who introduced a foreign program into our systems. And once they investigate, it’s going to lead back to me.” He slumped into the nearest chair.

  “Just tell the truth and help them when they ask,” Powers answered. There was nothing else he could do for him, and he didn’t intend to stick his neck out for someone who had been working against them.

  “It’s okay. You’re helping us now, and I’m not going to throw you under the bus. All of us need to figure out who is behind this. So, work with us. Don’t say anything or respond to any of the emails. If they contact you again, then let us know, and we’ll tell you what to do going forward. The three of us—”

  “Four of us,” Lucy interjected.

  Devon nodded. “The four of us all want the same thing: to find out who is behind this. It’s your chance to keep your job.”

  Dang, Devon was good at this.

  “Put whatever resentment you might have for me aside, because we all want the same thing.”

  Mark didn’t answer right away.

  “Devon is right. You have a choice, and you need to make the right one.” Powers glanced next to him. “Devon here is nicer than most people… hell, he’s nicer than I am. I’d throw you to the wolves for what you’ve done. He’s tossing you a lifeline.” Powers put an arm around Devon. “In case you haven’t figured it out, Devon is the kind of guy you want as a friend.”

  “Okay. I’ll tell you if I get another email or if I’m contacted by anyone.” Mark checked his watch, clearly nervous.

  “How are you coming, Lucy?” Powers asked.

  She didn’t look up from her work. “I’m almost done.” She flashed him a smile of warning, then lowered her head again.

  “Okay.” Powers tilted his head toward the kitchen, glaring at Mark. Then he walked away without saying anything else.

  Mark followed him a little like a cowed puppy.

  “I’m going to be checking into everything I can about your story, and if I find anything that doesn’t check out, I’m going to crucify you. I have access directly to Mr. Mauer, and if he finds out what you did and how easily you were taken in, I have no doubt that he will terminate your employment.” Powers didn’t blink or look away, meeting Mark’s brown eyes. “Do you understand? Devon is a nice guy, and he wants to help people. I’m not. I’ll go after you like a starving hellhound if you’ve lied to us or if you open your mouth about anything that’s happened here… to anyone… ever.”

  Mark swallowed hard, all traces of cockiness gone. “I understand.”

  “Just so you do.” He wasn’t going to put Devon in danger.

  Powers backed away, sharing a final glare with Mark for emphasis before joining Lucy.

  “What do we have?”

  “I’m still working on it, but I have what I need from the laptop.” She closed it and put her equipment away. “I’ll meet you back at Devon’s and pick up something to eat along the way.” She bustled out, and Mark watched her, obviously curious about her. Before he could ask questions, Lucy was gone, along with whatever information she had gathered.

  “Remember what I said,” Powers told him. He wasn’t above using fear to get what he needed from someone. He handed Mark a business card. “You call if you’re contacted in any way. That simple call could mean the difference between you having a job or not.” Powers headed for the door, gesturing to Devon. Leaving now, letting his last words hang in the air and in Mark’s mind, was going to have more impact than additional explanation. Thankfully, Devon left without another word, and they went out to the car.

  “Do you really think he’ll help us?” Devon asked as he pulled open his door.

  “I hope so. I did my best to put the fear of God into him.” Powers slipped into the car. “I know you’ve never done this before, but you were fantastic as the good cop. If he is contacted, it’s likely he’ll go to you first because you were nicer to him. But I’m willing to bet he’ll also ignore the whole thing and hope it will go away.”

  Devon pulled his door closed. “Do you really think so? If we figured out he was in the system at the time that the program was run, others are going to do the same, and they’re going to ask hard questions and not let him off the hook. James and Judy aren’t likely to care that the program failed and didn’t do anything. Neither of them is going to trust him again… with anything.” He sighed. “That’s a real shame.”

  “What do you mean? Did you believe his story?” Powers wasn’t so sure they were getting the whole truth. “Would you do what he was asked to do for five hundred dollars?”

  Devon shrugged as Powers started the engine. “I keep wondering about that. It wasn’t so much money that you’d really think it was illegal. He was being paid for a few hours’ consulting work. That’s all. If they had offered him thousands, then it would have been more suspicious. I can see where Mark would think that what he was being asked was exactly what he was doing. That doesn’t bother me. All the distance and the email contact is what has me worried. If I was going to contact someone to do a penetration test, I’d do it in person with someone from management present so I’d know it was truly sanctioned.” He sighed as Powers pulled out into light traffic.

  “I keep going back to that too,” Powers agreed. “You know, it’s also possible that he was on the fence, but when he saw that he could assign your user ID to the program, he saw a way to get back at you a little. The guy has plenty of resentment built up in him.” He kept thinking that getting back at Devon was more of a driving factor than Mark had let on.

  “Yeah.” Devon was nervous; Powers could feel it—hell, he could smell it. “I never did anything to him.”

  “Sometimes all it takes is someone better or harder working to make a smaller person with a fragile ego nervous and resent you. If Mark had worked harder and been better, then he could be the one Judy was going to and the member of your team that management is watching. Instead, he’s someone they’re trying to figure out if they should let go and make room for someone new. He has no one to blame but himself.” That same attitude and self-preservation made Mark a bit of an unknown. Powers intended to keep a close eye on him.

  Devon grew quiet as they encountered traffic and ground to a halt.

  “Are you okay? You can talk if you want.”

  “I don’t know,” he whispered. “I don’t get it. Why would he hate me? I didn’t want to believe that he or anyone I work with could be part of this, and yet he tried to frame me for what he was doing. Granted, he probably thought he was part of a security test, but still….”

  Powers nodded slowly. “I see the worst of everyone most of the time. It’s my job. People lie to me all the time. They try to cover things up or make themselves look as good as possible. With every case, I have to wonder about everyone I encounter. I guess I’m used to seeing people at their worst.”

  Devon nodded slowly, then sighed. “You know, I need to pull on my big-boy pants and stop the damned whining. I wanted to go along with you and pushed my way into this. Now I’m acting like a child because I’m not happy about what Mark said. I need to get over that. So he resents me.” He shrugged. “Maybe that’s a badge I should wear with pride.” Devon flashed him a quick smile. “I work hard, so maybe I’m going to run across people who don’t like me.”

  “Yes. We all have that happen. Not all of us are going to be as gracious and accepting of the fact that the other people might be better than us or have skills that we don’t possess.” Powers pulled to a stop at a light. “The ego can be a powerful force within anyone, for good and bad.”

  “I know. I think this is one of the first times where I’ve been the brunt of someone else’s envy.”

  Powers was shocked and his foot slipped off the brake for a second. He recovered quickly. “You’re kidding me.”

  Devon humphed softly. “Why would anyone be jealous of me? I spent much of my life in school invisible to most people. I think that’s why I was such an easy mark to my exes. I think I liked that they saw me… or at least I wasn’t quite as invisible.”

  The light changed, and Powers started forward. “But you aren’t invisible now. And I don’t think you were then. Alexander saw you and took care of you when you needed it.” Powers would be grateful for that forever. The thought of how alone Devon must have felt chilled him. He started to understand just how much his not looking deeper when he saw who seemed to have run the program could have hurt Devon so much. It made him feel invisible again. And Powers never wanted to do that. He saw Devon. In fact, he had a hard time not seeing him.

  “Being invisible and feeling invisible are very different,” Devon said softly. “I know people saw me. I did good work in my classes, but no one ever saw me as an attractive guy.” He paused, and Powers wondered if he was crying. The car was dark, but the hitch in Devon’s voice was unmistakable.

  Powers reached over and gently squeezed Devon’s leg. “You aren’t invisible to me. I know where you are in the dark. Hell, I swear I could find you blindfolded. I don’t have to see you in order to see you.” His throat grew dry, and Powers really hated that he’d hurt Devon. He should have been more understanding. Powers knew he could be a bulldog, and unfortunately it had come out at Devon.

  “How do you know that won’t change?” Devon asked. Thankfully, they were getting close to Devon’s apartment.

  “Do you know how you just know something deep down? Like when you listen to your gut and it tells you what to do?” Powers glanced over as Devon nodded.

  “Yeah, and I ended up with two jackasses, so I don’t know if what my gut tells me is correct.”

  Powers returned his focus to his driving and made another quick turn, then slowed to pull in front of Devon’s building. “My gut is usually right on.” He found a parking space and rolled to a stop. “I listened to it and found that I believed you that first night.” Powers switched off the engine and shifted to face Devon, waiting until he faced as well. “You aren’t invisible, and you know what happened in college and are smart enough to not make the same mistakes.”

  “I suppose…,” Devon agreed.

  “Close your eyes,” Powers said. “Turn off what you see and hear.” He waited while Devon stilled. “Just breathe gentle, deeply, try to stop off all those thoughts that are running through your head. Let your mind quiet and then just listen deep down.” He softened his voice with each word until he was talking just above a whisper. “What do you hear?”

  Devon shrugged.

  “Sit still and listen. Let your mind float, and when it’s quiet, let it go where it wants to. Don’t worry how I might feel or anyone else. Just listen, and your gut, your most private inner being, will tell you what you really want.”

  Devon swallowed hard, his throat working, drawing Powers closer. He stopped himself. “What if I can’t have what I want?”

  “It doesn’t matter. You can have anything—you only have to say it and then be willing to go after it.” Powers sat back a little, giving Devon some space.

  Devon’s eyes slid open, and then he leaned closer, across the console, until his rich scent filled Powers’s nose. Then the distance between them disappeared. Devon pressed across the seat until Powers encircled him in his arms.

  “Sweetheart, why would you think that you couldn’t have me?” Powers asked. Devon kept surprising him.

  Devon straightened up. “Because I’m dull, and you’re interesting. You have this active life, and I spent years trying to keep my life quiet and devoid of drama, not that it worked very well. There’s no way I can keep a guy like you interested in me. You’re going to wake up soon enough and figure out that I’m as exciting as watching grass grow.”

  Powers groaned softly and tugged Devon a little closer. “You’ve never been dull to me.” He stroked Devon’s cheek. “Let’s go inside, and I’ll show you just how exciting you are.” He pulled back and opened his door to get out. Powers joined Devon on the sidewalk, and they went up to Devon’s small apartment. As places went, it wasn’t much, and Powers’s home was definitely bigger, but this place felt right, like it was where Devon belonged, so it was where he wanted to be.

  “Someone is here,” Powers said quietly as they approached the door.

  “Isn’t Lucy coming?” Devon asked.

  Powers knew it wasn’t her. He could feel the presence of his twin when they were together, and Lucy wasn’t here. Powers pressed Devon behind him and cautiously moved down the hall to the door. He pushed the unlocked door open slowly and waited for someone to make their presence known.

  “I locked the door.”

  Powers put his finger to his lips and flipped on the light switch just inside the door. Nothing happened other than light spilling out into the hall. Carefully he peered inside. Nothing seemed out of place, yet a strange scent hung in the air, tickling his senses. “Stay here.” Powers hurried inside, opening windows and checking the stove, the air growing thicker and the gas scent stronger. He turned off the burners, and slowly the buildup of gas dissipated.