“I did some digging around,” he said. “The names were all Russian. Been watching the news about that guy you busted last month. Thought the information might be worth something to you.”
“And you thought you’d wait until Joey was out of town to hit me up for beer money.”
Cam threw up his hands. “Fine. If you don’t want my intel, I guess we’re done.”
Nick grabbed Cam’s elbow as he turned for the door. “Depends on the quality of the intel.”
Cam shrugged. “Hosting, site admin, domain registry, member profiles, user logs … I’ve got it all, plus a back door in.”
“What’s it gonna cost me?”
“I give you everything I have, and then Joey and I are done. I’ve stayed out of trouble—no hacking, no ditching, and no scamming—just like we agreed. I want out of probation and I want the cops off my…” Cam’s eyes flicked in my direction. I watched them darken as he recognized me through the window gap. I had enough dirt on Cam to blow his cozy deal with Joey and send him back for a nice long stint in juvie, and Cam knew it.
I drew a finger across my neck.
His Adam’s apple bobbed. He cleared his throat, jamming his fists deeper in his pockets as I quickly rolled my window up.
Nick turned toward the car and frowned. I shrank back in my seat, hidden behind the tinted glass. He reached once more for his wallet, holding a few bills just out of Cam’s reach as he bent low to meet the hacker’s eyes. I knew that look. It was a lecture. A warning. Cam shot a quick glance at my window as he folded the money into his pocket and disappeared inside his house.
Nick circled around the car and dropped into the driver’s seat.
“What did you find out?” I asked, peeking at the screen of his cell phone as he fired off a quick text to Joey. He slipped his phone in his pocket and backed out of Cam’s driveway.
“Maybe nothing. The kid’s probably working me.”
“Then why’d you pay him?”
“Because on the off chance he’s telling the truth, a lead like that could be a gold mine.” I paid closer attention to our route this time, committing the street names and turns to memory as Nick wound our way out of Cam’s neighborhood. “He says he found some online chat group that might be a front for organized crime.”
“Did he tell you how he found it?”
Nick’s lips twitched, curling up on one side. “He says he stumbled on it by accident.”
“You don’t believe him?”
“Seventeen-year-old hackers don’t stumble into women’s chat rooms by accident. He probably boosted some unsuspecting lady’s phone and found it while he was rooting around in her accounts.”
“Do you believe any of it?”
Nick shrugged as he turned back onto the highway. “He knew I was working the Zhirov case. I’m guessing he found a few moms selling Xanax online and figured he’d make a quick buck off me while Joey’s out of town. The kid’s going to send me everything he found tomorrow. It should only take the cyber guys a few days to flush it out. It’s probably nothing.”
I rested my head against the window as we reached the interstate. I had to call Cam before he sent those leads to Nick. But Cam’s number was in my phone, and my phone was with Theresa.
Or, more likely, it was buried in a shallow grave with Carl.
CHAPTER 23
My mind was still spinning when Nick pulled into a parking space in front of a strip mall in Arlington. The name on the red awning of the restaurant said KVASS, and white lights glittered from the potted evergreens flanking the door. Rich, savory smells wafted through it as Nick held it open for me. My stomach rumbled as a host in a suit jacket and tie guided us to our booth.
I slid into the bench across from Nick, only half listening as a ma?tre d’ with a thick accent welcomed us to the restaurant.
“Can I get you anything to drink, miss?” He held a leather folio in front of me. “A bottle of wine, perhaps?”
I flipped open the menu, skimming the drinks, the nervous bob of my knee hidden under the long silk table linens and the dim lighting of the dining room. “I think I’m going to need something stronger.”
“May I suggest the vodka sampler. We have an exceptional selection of—”
“Perfect,” I said, closing the folio and passing it to Nick.
Nick’s mouth quirked up. He glanced at the name badge on the man’s lapel. “Just a beer for me, Sergei. And how about an order of piroshki with that?”