"You are her pet," he agreed.

  I frowned. "I'm not her pet."

  " Protégée, star pupil...call it what you want. She definitely favors you."

  "She mentors me, but she makes sure I work hard for everything, Jonah."

  "I never said you didn't work hard."

  "Well, I don't like it when people think I've gotten things I didn't earn," I snapped.

  His jaw dropped in surprise. "I was just teasing you. Sorry."

  Was he just teasing? Jonah had a dry, sharp wit, and sometimes he could be extremely blunt, but I'd never thought of him as malicious.

  "Are you okay, Emily?" he asked, concern in his gaze now. "Kaitlyn said you weren't feeling well Friday night, and you look really pale."

  "I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind." A part of me wanted to share what was happening to me. But after the dig Jonah had just given me, I felt less in a sharing mood.

  "I'm sorry if I hurt you. I didn't mean anything. You know I have no filter."

  "It's okay. I've just gotten a lot of shit from Mitchell about taking over for him, and I'm a little sensitive about it all."

  "He's an ass. Kaitlyn said he tried to hit on her at the afterparty."

  "It sounds like Kaitlyn was pretty busy at that party…making out with Liam Shelton, fending off Mitchell. She's quite popular, isn't she?"

  "Are you jealous?" Jonah teased.

  "No. But I am concerned she's not the person I thought she was when I hired her."

  "Who would that person be? She's a young woman, who is learning her job. She's going to make mistakes. You were her once."

  "I don't think I was ever her."

  "She's like a puppy, a little all over the place, but she'll grow into her position. I like her. And Kaitlyn has a good eye. She gave me some thoughts on my documentary that were helpful."

  "That's nice to hear. I like her, too. I just want her to be discreet, to act professionally."

  "You should talk to her."

  "I will." I got to my feet as a text came in from Ethan. "My friend is here."

  "I could use your opinion on some editing after you're done with them, if you have the time."

  "Sure. I'll come back when we're finished."

  "Great. I'll probably be here all night. Oh, and Emily…"

  I paused at the door. "Yes?"

  "Kaitlyn said you thought someone was watching you through the camera of your computer. Is that true?"

  "I thought the green light was on." I was beginning to realize just how much Kaitlyn talked about me. "But then it went off, so I don't know."

  "It would be creepy if someone was watching you. Who would do that?"

  "I can't imagine. It was probably nothing."

  "I hope so. I'd hate to think you picked up a stalker with your new fame."

  "I'm not famous."

  "Well, be careful. And I'm here for you, if you need me."

  "Thanks." As I walked out of the conference room, I really hoped that Ethan's friend could reassure me, because Jonah's words had amped up my anxiety again.

  Someone was stalking me, but whether it had anything to do with my newfound fame or not was a big question.

  Chapter Ten

  I went downstairs to meet Ethan in the lobby of my office building. He was with a pretty brunette named Sophia. I'd expected his cyber expert friend to look more like his friend, Tom, the locksmith. But Sophia could have been a model, not an IT specialist, and I couldn't help wondering just how good of friends she and Ethan were. Not that that was any of my business.

  "Thanks for coming," I said, as I waved them into the elevator. "I really appreciate it."

  "Hope I can help," Sophia said.

  "Any problems today?" Ethan asked.

  "Not so far. I'm hoping that continues."

  When we entered the office suite, I took them down a back hallway, avoiding the conference room. Not that Jonah couldn't see them, but I wanted to prevent any conversation that might contradict what I'd told him about a movie pitch.

  I ushered them into my office and then shut the door.

  Sophia headed straight for my computer. The screen was dark, and the green light was off.

  "What's your password?" she asked.

  I gave it to her and then said, "I thought at first I'd left a video chat open, but that wasn't the case. And then the light went off a few minutes later." I watched as her fingers flew across the keys. "What are you doing?"

  "Trying to find out what happened," she replied, without looking up. "You two can take a break. This might take me a few minutes."

  I was relieved she was talking about minutes instead of days or weeks. "Do you want something to drink? Our kitchen is stocked with sparkling waters and sodas."

  "I'm good. You two go. I work better alone."

  Ethan followed me down a short hallway and into the kitchen. I pulled out a couple of waters and handed him one. "Thanks for getting her here."

  He opened his water and took a sip as he leaned back against the counter. "Let's see if she finds anything before you thank me."

  "I appreciate the effort either way."

  He gave me a smile, and my heart fluttered. I couldn't help thinking how good he looked today in worn jeans and a short-sleeve, light-blue T-shirt. He certainly didn't look like a security guard, or even a marine—more like a guy who'd be comfortable on a hike or walking the beach. Maybe it was the tan that made me think of him as an outdoors guy, although the sun on his face could have come from his days guarding the front door of the jewelry store.

  As our gazes clung together for far too long, I saw something shift in his eyes, almost as if he'd decided we were getting a little too friendly. I was probably the one who should worry about that since I was seeing Ashton. Although, come to think of it, I didn't know if Ethan was seeing anyone. He could have a girlfriend.

  "How do you know Sophia?" I asked as I opened my water, breaking the eye contact between us.

  "She grew up down the street from me."

  "Where was that street?"

  "San Diego."

  "That's a nice city. Did you live by the beach?"

  "I wish. We lived farther inland."

  "It's funny, but my new neighbor, Monica is also from San Diego."

  "It's a big city."

  "I know, just another little coincidence."

  "What's her name again?"

  "Monica Paul?"

  "Doesn't ring a bell."

  "She's probably seven or eight years younger than you." I licked my lips. "I have a confession to make, Ethan."

  He stiffened. "That doesn't sound good."

  "I did a computer search on you last night. I didn't find much. But I saw an article about you and another man getting shot at a bar."

  His lips tightened. "That's right."

  "Were you badly hurt?"

  "I survived. I can't say the same for Steven."

  "It said you were childhood friends."

  "We were. We played baseball together from the time we were ten until we graduated high school. And then we joined the Marine Corps. For years, we dodged bullets and the worst that could happen, only to run into gunfire after we were back home, out of the service, starting our lives over." There was a sad, cynical note in his voice.

  "I'm so sorry."

  "Me, too." He took a swig of his water.

  "Did they ever catch whoever did it?"

  "Nope," he said shortly. "Sometimes you don't always get an answer. It's hard to accept that, but it's the truth."

  I had a feeling that message wasn't just directed to me but also to himself. I wondered if his friend Steven's senseless death had made Ethan give up a little on his own life. Maybe that's why he was fine with guarding a door. He'd already spent a lot of time trying to save the world. It also made me understand why he only wanted simple now, and not complicated.

  "But you're not at that point," Ethan said, bringing my attention back to him. "Of giving up," he added. "And you shouldn't, because the stakes are high."

  "I hope Sophia can trace the camera hacker."

  "If anyone can, she can."

  "By the way, I was talking to my coworker, Jonah, a few minutes ago. He's working in the conference room. If he comes in here, I told him you were a friend of mine bringing a friend of yours in to pitch me a movie idea."

  "You didn't want to tell him why we're really here?"

  "I need to keep this problem away from work as long as I can."

  "It must be difficult to live with so many secrets," he mused, giving me a thoughtful look.

  "I thought I was done with secrets when I turned eighteen. I told myself I was going to live an authentic life."

  "Can you live an authentic life when you can't tell anyone who you really are?" he challenged.

  "Do people need to know everything about me?" I countered. "Why can't I just start from where I am? Why does the past have to matter?"

  He gave me a thoughtful look. "That's a good question. I think you can't just start from the middle of your life, because your past is part of what forms you. And maybe people can't really understand you if they don't know where you come from."

  "Where you come from isn't who you are. It's how you act every day, how you treat people, and I treat people well. I'm sure that you have a different idea of me now. But once I got out from under Jimmy and became an adult, I vowed I would be a different person going forward, and, for the most part, I've kept that promise."

  "But you keep everyone at a distance, because you can't let them past your wall of secrets."

  "I'm not saying I would never tell my truth. Obviously, I told you, although now I'm regretting it, because you're becoming a little too insightful for my comfort."

  He smiled. "Yes, but you made me want to help you, so you're getting something out of your confession."

  "Up to a point. After Sophia, we're still done?" I asked.

  "Yes, I think so, Emily. You need more help than I have time to give you."

  "Okay, that's fair." I tried not to let the disappointment show. He had already helped me a lot. I couldn't ask for more.

  "Have you come up with any more suspects since last night?" he asked.

  "I don't know about suspects, but when I was talking to Jonah, he mentioned everyone thinks I'm Francine's favorite. I thought I heard jealousy in his voice. We started at the same time."

  "And you're ahead of him?"

  "Yes. But he's doing well, too. And he is one of my best friends here. I don't think he'd go out of his way to psych me out. Although, I have to say that he's closer to Kaitlyn than I realized. Kaitlyn has been my assistant for the past three months. She's a very outgoing, energetic twenty-three-year-old who can't wait to make her mark on the industry."

  "Are you standing in her way?"

  "No. I'm trying to help her learn. She's young. She's green. She needs a lot of experience in a lot of areas. I've always thought we had a good relationship. But she talks a lot, and she says things outside of work that she shouldn't. Jonah thinks she's like an overeager puppy, but he has a high opinion of her, and he rarely thinks that much of people who work here, so I don't know." I gave a helpless shrug. "Honestly, I can't imagine Jonah or Kaitlyn breaking into my condo or sending me threatening notes. But Kaitlyn was at the party. She has had access to my purse where I keep my keys, and she was also at the bar with Ashton after the party when bad things went down with him."

  "You definitely need to keep an eye on her. I assume she also had access to your computer."

  "Yes," I said with a nod. "She's probably the closest person to me in this office. She knows where I'm going to be every minute of the day. But she has no motivation, Ethan. She's only been here a few months, and she is learning fast. She works hard. I can't see her trying to hurt me."

  "Well, whoever is trying to hurt you is probably close to you. You need to prepare yourself for that. Maybe someone else is using her."

  "I had that same thought. If someone powerful asked for her help, maybe she'd give it to get ahead." I sighed at that depressing thought. "Anyway, should we check on Sophia?"

  "Yes." He tossed his empty water bottle into the recycle bin while I carried mine back to my office. Sophia was working at my computer but looked up when we entered.

  "Did you find out anything?" I asked.

  "There was malware on your computer. I've erased the hack and built in a safeguard to prevent it from happening again. Even with that, I'd do this." Sophia picked up a sticky note and covered the camera. She gave me a smile. "Sometimes, the most obvious solution is the best solution."

  "I like the idea of covering the camera. But can you tell me who hacked into my computer?"

  "It looks like you downloaded an attachment that was infected about two weeks ago."

  "Two weeks ago?" I echoed. "That's how long someone has been watching me?"

  "Possibly," Sophia said.

  "I'm so careful about what I download. Can you tell me what email it came from or what the attachment was?"

  "I can." She moved through a screen on the computer. "I found the email in your trash bin. The subject line was marketing buzz analytics."

  "That's an email I get every month from a marketing firm we use. Can you show me the one that was infected?"

  Sophia nodded. "Here you go."

  I peered over her shoulder at the email. It looked like every other email I'd gotten from our consultants until Sophia pointed out that the email address had a typo in it. "You probably opened it without realizing it wasn't from the person you thought it was."

  "Or my assistant did," I said with a frown.

  "It would have been difficult to catch," Sophia said.

  I looked over at Ethan as his phone started buzzing.

  "Sorry," he said pulling it from his pocket. Frowning, he added, "I need to take this."

  I wondered if everything was all right, but Ethan had stepped out of my office before I could get the question out.

  "Emily?" Sophia drew my attention back to her.

  "Oh, sorry. What did you say?"

  "I asked if you have a laptop computer. It might also be compromised."

  "I have one at home. I guess if they hacked this one, they might have done the same for my laptop, but I don't know why. If I'm at my computer, I'm just looking at email or websites or reading a draft of someone's screenplay." I paused. "Do they track where I go on the computer?"

  "I did not find that capability in this hack, but it might be on your other computer."

  I felt sick to my stomach. "It's so creepy, knowing that someone has been watching me. It feels like such a violation, but, thankfully, I don't do anything X-rated in front of the computer. It's not like I'm sitting there naked. You didn't want to ask me that, did you?"

  Sophia shrugged. "The camera can capture a distance beyond the computer. If it's set up in your bedroom, it might catch you coming in and out of your bathroom or your closet or wherever you change."

  I swallowed back a knot of panic at that thought. "I do sometimes take it into my bedroom."

  "Sometimes the hacker will capture a screenshot and use it for blackmail, or there could be any other number of motivations."

  "I wish I knew what the motivation was."

  Sophia checked her watch. "I wish I could check it now, but I have to go to my sister's house for an early dinner before her new baby goes to sleep. If you want to drop your computer by my office tomorrow, I'm in Santa Monica."

  "I could do that."

  "Great. I'll text you my address. What's your number?"

  I gave her my number, and she sent me a text. Then she began to pack up her things. I wondered where Ethan was and why it was taking him so long to come back.

  "Ethan said you two grew up in the same neighborhood," I said.

  "We did," she said, adding nothing more.

  "You must know him pretty well then."

  "I'm not sure I'd say that. Ethan isn't one to open up, especially the last few years."

  "Is that because his friend was killed?"

  "He told you about that?" she asked in surprise. "Ethan never talks about that night. It really did a number on his head. I was worried about him for a long time." She paused. "Look, I can see you have questions, and I get that, because Ethan is a great guy who can also be annoyingly silent. But whatever you want to know about him, you should ask him."

  I felt bad that I'd tried to press her for information. Ethan's life was none of my business. Thankfully, Ethan returned, breaking the now awkward tension between Sophia and me.

  "Are you done?" he asked.

  "Yes," I replied. "I need to get Sophia my laptop computer tomorrow so she can check that one. I didn't even think about bringing it with me."

  "I should have thought of that, too."

  "If you use your computer tonight, cover the camera," Sophia said, as she swung her large tote bag over her shoulder. "And it might be a good idea not to access any banking or financial sites until I can check everything."

  "I won't. Thanks again."

  "Are you leaving now, Emily? Do you want to walk out with us?" Ethan asked.

  "Actually, I promised Jonah I'd look at his film after we were done."

  "Okay. Be careful," he said.

  "I will. Thanks again for coming over here on a Sunday."

  "No problem," Sophia said.

  As they left, I sat down at my desk and stared at my computer. Sophia had told me it was safe to use it, but it didn't feel like anything in my life was safe. That someone had gone to great lengths to put malware on my computer added a new level of concern. It made everything feel premeditated, and, of course, it had to be.

  The note could have been a spur-of-the-moment thing, but not the attack, the break-in at my home, or the malware. Someone was executing a plan, a carefully conceived plan.

  That took my thoughts back to Jimmy. He'd always had a plan. He never went into a con without one. He did his research. He knew what he wanted to get before he went after it. We'd sometimes spend hours rehearsing the approach to the mark, the exact words, the choreography of actions, what was his part, what was mine. Even when I'd get tired, he'd make me do it again, saying it had to be practiced enough so that it sounded natural, which had always seemed like a contrary idea to me. But he was right. By the time I was ready to play my part, I was so well prepared there was no possibility I could mess it up.