Free A Treasure Worth Keeping by Kathryn Springer Page B

someone to install software. Not when he’s got a computer-savvy daughter coming to stay at his house for two weeks.”
    Evie’s mouth went dry. “What are you getting at?”
    “What did Seth ask you to do?”
    Evie noticed Sam Cutter had an annoying habit of answering a question with a question. “Dad isn’t very knowledgeable about computers. He set up multiple passwords when one would have been sufficient.” There. That should prove her point.
    “Maybe he set up multiple passwords on purpose.” Sam edged her into the shadows between the house and the shop. Evie squeaked as he backed her against the wall, angling his body so she was hidden from view and bracing a hand on either side of her.
    “That’s crazy. The only thing Dad keeps on his computer is his personal budget and the financial records for Beach Glass.”
    “If this guy is installing software, why does he need to access your dad’s files?”
    Evie stared up at him. “I don’t know.”

     
    Disbelief and fear skimmed across Evie’s face.
    Good, Sam thought. Now they were even. The vehicle parked in the driveway had made him uneasy, but finding Evie sitting at the desk, with an all-star wrestler wannabe leaning over her, had shaved ten years off his life.
    “When did this guy show up? Did you ask him for any identification?”
    “Right before I left this afternoon,” Evie whispered.
    Her failure to answer his second question was an answer in and of itself. He’d lecture her about that later. Right now he had to determine if Patrick’s phone call and Lansky’s showing up was a big fat coincidence.
    “I’m going to take a look inside his van.” He took a step forward and so did Evie.
    “I’m not staying here.”
    “Now isn’t the time to be nervous. You missed that opportunity. It would have been when a stranger came up to the door and you let him in your house.” He knew he’d already made his point, but he couldn’t help it. His heart was still doing jumping jacks in his chest, and he blamed it on the naive redhead standing in front of him. Apparently, there were times when her warm heart overrode her cautious nature.
    He took another step forward. So did Evie.
    “You can’t spy on him alone. What if he sees you and you get hurt?”
    Thanks for the vote of confidence, Sam thought wryly. “I’ll be fine. Stay here and make yourself invisible. I’ll be right back.”
    This time when he took a step forward, she stayed put.
    Sam sidled around the house, pausing to take a quick look in the window. Seth had taken Evie’s place at the desk and it looked like he was trying to figure out the password himself. Sam watched long enough to see him engage in the good old “hunt and peck” method of keyboarding. If this guy turned out to be a computer tech, Sam moonlighted as a gourmet chef. And everyone who knew him knew he lived on takeout.
    He worked his way over to the van and tried the door. Locked. That was interesting. Apparently Seth wasn’t as trusting as the woman who’d let him into her house. Keeping a wary eye on the front door, he circled the van.
    And bumped into someone coming around the other side.
    “I thought I told you to stay put.” Sam said goodbye to another ten years. Only catching a whiff of a familiar floral scent in the air had prevented him from tackling the person first and asking questions later.
    “Will this help?” The faint glow of a penlight illuminated Evie’s face.
    “As a matter of fact, it will.” Sam plucked the key ring out of her hand, not prepared for the weight of it. “What do you have on here? A hammer? Never mind. Let me guess. The essentials. ”
    He traced the interior of the van with the tiny beam of light. Crumpled potato-chip bags, soda cups and empty paper sacks littered the seat and floor.
    “Where fast-food lunches go to die,” Sam murmured. “Well, we know he’s got high cholesterol. Let’s take a look in the back and see what else we can find out about Mr. Lansky.” He