Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
“I agree,” Brooke said.
He glanced at his watch, noting it was almost noon. “Do you want to grab lunch before we head back to work?”
“Sure. On our drive here, I saw a diner about a mile away,” Brooke said.
Aiden nodded. “Sounds good.”
The diner was easy to spot, and he pulled into the lot and parked. Once inside, the restaurant was just like any other roadside diner, from the black-and-white checkered tiles to the red vinyl booths and chrome-lined counter.
The lunchtime rush was in full force, but they managed to snag a table not far from the entrance. Brooke took the wall seat and they each placed their briefcases on the extra chairs. They’d decided to bring their work into the restaurant should they needed to refer to a document when discussing today’s meeting.
A waitress arrived immediately. “Can I get you two something to drink?” she asked.
“I think we’re ready to order. Aiden?” Brooke asked.
He nodded but waited for her to go first.
Brooke grinned as she ordered. “I’ll have the burger deluxe and a chocolate milkshake.”
He laughed because she did love her chocolate. “I’ll take the same burger deluxe and a Coke.”
“Got it,” the middle-aged woman said. “I’ll be back with your drinks first.” She strode away, leaving them alone.
Brooke leaned back in her seat. “Between the fair and today’s meal, I’m going to have to go to hot yoga to work off these calories.”
“I guess I’m a bad influence but from where I’m sitting, you’re perfect.”
Heat flared in her eyes. “Thank you, you charmer, you.”
He was grateful for her new, easy demeanor and how well things seemed to be going between them. They talked about the meeting and their next steps until the waitress returned with their drinks.
Brooke placed a straw in her tall glass and began to suck down her shake.
Their meals came next, and they finished their burgers quickly. Brooke patted her mouth with her napkin. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.” She slid from the booth and walked to the back of the diner where the restrooms were located.
Aiden paid the bill at the table, then glanced at his phone, checking his mail while waiting for Brooke to return. A man approached, catching Aiden’s attention, but he ignored him, focusing instead on returning an important email from one of the bank execs he’d just met.
A hand reached out and grabbed his briefcase. Aiden glanced up as the man ran for the nearby front door.
“Hey!” he shouted, drawing attention from everyone seated nearby, as he jumped up from his seat and followed the man.
A waitress crossed in front of him with a large tray in her hands and before he could catch up with the thief, the man had disappeared out the front door. Aiden stumbled around the woman without bumping into her and by the time he rushed out of the exit, all he saw was a black SUV peeling out of the parking lot.
“Shit!” he shouted.
“Aiden? What’s wrong?” Brooke asked, rushing out the front of the diner as she asked.
He hadn’t gotten a good look at the man, and the license plate on the SUV had been covered. Once again, no proof. No evidence. Despite it all, he couldn’t let this go.
He glanced at Brooke. “We need to call the police. Someone stole my briefcase.”
Her eyes opened wide. “What?”
He nodded.
She slipped her hand into his and waited as he made the call.
Twenty minutes later, he and Brooke were crammed into the small space of the manager’s office, a police officer holding up a far wall. The diner manager had pulled the security footage and they watched it on the computer. The camera didn’t show Aiden’s table but it had picked up a man in a black shirt, hat pulled down low on his forehead, walking in that direction just before Aiden’s briefcase, with his laptop inside, was taken.
“He has to be the one who stole it,” Aiden muttered.
“Any outside cameras?” the police officer asked.
The manager shook his head. “No, sorry.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Can I get back out there? We have a big lunch crowd.”
The officer nodded and the man left, leaving the three of them alone in the office.
“Mr. Sterling, I’m afraid we’re not going to get much information from this.” He shut the computer. “If you want to come down to the station, we can fill out a report, but I’m not hopeful anything will come of it.”
Despite his anger and frustration, Aiden agreed. “Never mind. Thanks for coming.”
The man inclined his head. “Part of the job. I’m just sorry I couldn’t help.”
Beside him, Brooke sighed. “So frustrating!”
He squeezed her hand in silent appreciation.
Aiden might not know much, but he was sure this was tied to the article. No doubt he was being followed, and the black SUV had to be the one that almost ran him down in the parking lot. They were looking for the article. But what the people behind this didn’t know was that his work laptop, which was in the stolen briefcase, wasn’t the same as his personal one. That was locked in his father’s safe in the house. The only other copy of the article was with John and the paper. He was too paranoid to back it up on the cloud.