Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
“Yeah. Unless you’re crazy and attack people or are a baby molester, everyone’s going to leave you alone,” the inmate to her right announced, scrutinizing her closely as if she was checking to see if Cynthia fit those profiles.
“What are you in here for?” the last at her table asked.
“I loaded a bug onto my employer’s computer,” Cynthia confessed.
“Ooh! A smart one. You’ll have to teach me that. I’ve had some bad bosses I’d like to hack. Did you make lots of money?”
“Not a penny. I was blackmailed into doing it for my ex-brother-in-law.”
“Men,” the first woman commented with a sneer of disgust.
That seemed to sum up the discussion. Cynthia didn’t ask why they were there. She didn’t want to know. Her dreams were going to be bad that night, anyway. No need to fuel the fire with details.
Once locked back in her cell for the night, Cynthia curled up on the thin mattress and closed her eyes. She missed Bullyboo and Dirk. Feeling completely alone in the world, she huddled in the darkness. Gradually, most of the noise died out. She snagged a few minutes of sleep, jerking awake often at the unfamiliar clanks and loud voices. Her brief dreams reflected the turmoil of her thoughts.
“You’ve got visitors,” the guard informed her. “Follow me.”
Jumping off her bunk, Cynthia trailed behind him past the other inmates and through the gathering areas. Cynthia had chosen to stay in her cell rather than participate in the activities in the common area. Maybe someday she would crave an escape from the small enclosure.
Trying not to get her hopes up, Cynthia walked into the room and froze. Two people she’d never have expected to see sat at one of the small tables. “Mr. Edgewater? Piper?”
“Hello, Cynthia. Come sit down and talk to us,” Easton invited with the same friendliness he’d always used when talking to her.
She rushed forward and stopped again with her fingers wrapped around the chair at the table. “I’m really sorry, Mr. Edgewater. I should have come to talk to you before…”
When her voice trailed off, her former boss gestured at the chair. “Sit down, Cynthia.”
Dropping onto the hard seat, she looked back and forth between the two visitors. “Why are you here?”
“While running a big corporation, I’ve run into a lot of good people and a few bad eggs.” He held up his hand to stop her from apologizing again. “I do not count you in that latter category. If I did, I wouldn’t be here. I am curious, though. Why did you do it?”
“You haven’t talked to Dirk?” she asked nervously.
“I would never ask him to divulge client/attorney discussions.”
“My ex-brother-in-law blackmailed me into uploading the bug. If I didn’t, he was going to give the police photos that implicated me in the deaths of his parents,” Cynthia answered honestly.
“I take it you did not kill them?” Easton probed with a serious look.
“Of course not. They were the only people who were nice to me as I grew up. I learned how to cook at their restaurant,” Cynthia defended herself.
“Sounds like a royal ass,” Piper pronounced.
“Language, Little girl,” Easton corrected gently.
“Sorry. We knew something crappy had happened. You’re not a bad person.”
Cynthia looked around the drab visiting area and shook her head. It was hard to agree, given her imprisonment and the charges facing her.
“The corporate lawyer now attending to this issue after Dirk became your lawyer insists we must cooperate with the authorities to prevent an onslaught of attacks if we appear weak in response to your actions. As much as I hate this, I have to think of the other employees at Edgewater Industries. I hope Dirk will work his magic to free you and maintain the company’s security,” Easton answered.
“Thank you for not hating me.” Cynthia looked down at the table in front of her.
“Of course we don’t hate you. Everyone misses you,” Piper rushed to reassure her.
“I’m sure there’s a lot of people who are very angry at me. No one was hurt, were they?”
“Everyone is fine, Cynthia. The security and tech staff worked some overtime, and it inconvenienced a few people. Everything is more protected today.” Easton glossed over the impact of her actions.
“Grant! The judge is ready to see you,” the guard summoned her brusquely.
Immediately, Cynthia stood and said, “Thank you for coming,” before scurrying to the uniformed man at the door. Keeping the judge waiting didn’t sound like a good decision. She turned to wave as she walked through the door. Her heart was a bit less heavy as she walked down the hallway.
“I don’t know who you know. Usually, it’s weeks before you get on the judge’s docket,” the guard informed her with a suspicious look.
“I don’t know anyone. It must have been a mix-up in my favor,” Cynthia suggested quickly. She knew exactly who had worked magic behind the scenes. Closing her eyes to send Dirk her mental thanks, Cynthia waited where indicated.