Undercover Accomplice. Carol Ericson

knows I’m out today.”

      Peter shrugged. “You might wanna turn around and go home.”

      “Why?”

      Peter pivoted away from her and called over his shoulder, “Take someone’s advice for once, Sue.”

      If Peter thought his cryptic warning would send her home, he didn’t know her very well. She dropped her hand from holding open the elevator doors and stepped inside.

      Good. If Ned wanted to talk to her, maybe he wanted to explain what the hell was going on.

      The elevator deposited her onto the fifth floor, and she badged the door to the cubicles. The hum of low voices and keyboard clicks created a comforting welcome.

      As she turned the corner to her row, she stumbled to a stop. A man she didn’t know was hanging on to the corner of her cube and Ned’s head bobbed above the top.

      She bit the inside of her cheek and continued walking forward.

      At her approach the stranger turned, and his eyes widened. “Chandler.”

      She stopped at the entrance to her cubicle, her gaze darting from Ned to a woman sitting at her desk, accessing her computer.

      “Wh-what’s going on here, Ned?”

      Her boss ran a hand over his bald head, his forehead glistening with sweat. “I thought you were out today, Sue.”

      “So, what? You figured you and a couple of strangers could get into my computer in my absence?”

      The guy to her right straightened up and pulled back his shoulders. “Ms. Chandler, we’ve noticed some irregularities on your workstation.”

      “Irregularities?” She shot a look at Ned, who refused to meet her gaze. “I don’t understand.”

      The woman sitting in front of her computer twisted her head around, a tight smile on her face. “I found another one.”

      “Another one what?” Sue stepped into her cube, hovering over the woman seated at her desk.

      The man placed a hand on Sue’s arm. “Perhaps it’s best we talk in Ned’s office.”

      Sue had noticed a few heads popping up from other cubicles. She lifted her own chin. She knew damn well she didn’t have any irregularities on her computer. The Falcon would make sure of that—unless these were communiqués from him.

      “Let’s go, then.” She shook off the man’s hand and charged out of her cubicle and down the aisle to Ned’s office in the corner.

      She reached Ned’s office before the two strangers, with Ned right behind her. She swung around, nearly colliding with him. “What’s going on, Ned?”

      “They received an anonymous tip about you forwarding classified emails and documents to your home computer.”

      “What? You know I’d never do anything like that. I’ve been in the field myself. There’s no way I’d put anyone in danger.”

      “I know that, Sue.” His gaze darted over his shoulder, and then he sealed his lips as the two investigators approached.

      Sue shuffled into the room as Ned sat down behind his desk. “Take a seat, Sue.”

      “That’s okay. I’ll stand.” Folding her arms, she squared her shoulders against the wall.

      The two investigators remained standing, too.

      The woman thrust out her hand, all business. “I’m Jackie Templeman.”

      Sue gripped her hand and squeezed hard, her lips twisting as Jackie blinked.

      The man cleared his throat and dipped his head. “Robert Beall.”

      He didn’t offer his hand and she didn’t make a move to get it. She folded her arms across her chest and asked, “What did this anonymous email say?”

      Templeman shot a glance at Ned. “To check your emails.”

      “You have no idea who sent it?”

      “No.” Templeman shook her head. “That’s why it’s anonymous.”

      Sue smirked. “Got it. So, you believe every anonymous email you receive and rush in to do an investigation?”

      Templeman hugged her notebook to her chest, as if guarding state secrets. “Not everyone.”

      “Oh, I see.” Sue shoved off the wall and plopped into the chair across from Ned. “Just the ones about me.”

      Beall finally found his voice. “Because of your…um…the incident.”

      “Funny thing about that incident.” Sue drummed her fingers on Ned’s desk. “You’d think the Agency would be kissing my…rear end, considering a leak on their part led to my kidnapping in the first place.”

      “And then you escaped.” Templeman tilted her head.

      “Yeah, another reason the Agency should be nominating me for a medal or something instead of combing through my computer.”

      “You escaped from a group of men holding you in Istanbul.” Templeman’s delicate eyebrows formed a V over her nose.

      Sue snorted. “I guess that’s hard for some people to believe, but some female agents aren’t pencil-pushing computer geeks. Some of us know how to handle ourselves.”

      A smile tugged at Beall’s lips, but he wiped it out with his hand.

      “Besides, I was debriefed on that incident and the case was closed. You still seem to be using it to go after me.”

      “The point—” Templeman straightened her jacket “—is that we did find anomalies on your computer. Enough for us to confiscate your machine and suspend you.”

      “Suspend?” Sue jumped from the chair. “Is that true, Ned?”

      “Just until they can figure out everything. I think there has to be a mistake, and I told them that. We already know those emails implicating Major Rex Denver and sent to a CIA translator were fakes. I’m confident that this investigation is going to find something similar with these emails and you’ll be in the clear, Sue.”

      “Suspension starting now?”

      “Yes, we’ll accompany you back to your cubicle if you want to take any personal items with you.” Templeman pushed past Beall and opened the door.

      “I don’t have anything there I need.” Sue smacked her hand on Ned’s desk. “Let me know when this is over, Ned.”

      “Of course, Sue. Don’t worry.”

      As she stepped through the door, Templeman tapped her shoulder. “Badge.”

      Sue whipped the lanyard over her head and tossed it at Templeman’s chest, but it slipped through the investigator’s fingers and landed on the floor. The woman couldn’t even make a good catch. No wonder she had a hard time believing Sue had escaped her captors.

      Sue strode out of the office, not looking right or left. When she stepped out onto the sidewalk, she took a deep breath of fresh air.

      Maybe she sent her son away early for nothing. Maybe her senses had been on high alert because the Agency had been tracking her. Now that they’d made their move and suspended her and confiscated her computer, they’d back off.

      The thought didn’t make her feel much better. The CIA didn’t trust her, and being falsely accused made her blood boil. Of course, if the Agency knew about her work with The Falcon, the accusations might not be false. She didn’t have to worry about that, though. The Falcon would have her covered.

      As she waited for the elevator in the parking garage, her phone buzzed and she squinted at the text message from her friend, Dani Howard.

      Dani