Cade's office
"What can I do for you, Warren?" Erin heard Cade talk on the phone in the next room. She had left the lunchroom early in order to see Cade and ask him if he wanted to have dinner with her that evening. He had left his door open and she could not help herself from listening to Cade's deep and pleasant voice. She didn't want to intrude on the conversation so she sat down at her desk and started to locate the papers Cade needed for his next meeting.
"Yes, I have heard about the take-over attempt. So what will you do about it?" She heard Cade continuing on with the business talk and she shut off the sound until suddenly she heard her own name being mentioned. She stopped working and listened.
"Yes, Erin is doing fine, as I said." He laughed at something Warren said on the other end.
"All right so she's more than fine. I see you have a spy planted in the building. Otherwise you would never have known about our nightly escapades." The short pause that followed declared Warren was saying something. Erin blushed. If Warren only knew how they spent their nights he would surely freak out. And who could be spying on them and reporting to Warren? She had thought she was the only spy Warren had placed here. If not, why would he even give her the assignment if someone else was already in place? There was something strange about this.
"Sure, I'm more than pleased with her, uncle. Finally you decided to use some common sense before dumping another woman on me. The last one you sent me was as flat-chested as a wall. And the one before that was a real bitch once I got to know her. But this one, well...I'm not giving you any details but she's really something."
Cade laughed at something Warren said.
"I
am
using my upper brain, uncle," he said loudly.
Erin almost stumbled. Something was not right here. They knew each other. That she had known in advance. They were partners. But,
uncle
. Cade had called Warren
uncle
. They were
family
? Now wait a minute? Warren had said he wanted her to have a close look at the man he suspected of fraud. Didn't he trust his own nephew, was that it? But she hadn't found anything wrong even though she had kept a close eye on the,
Mr. Mason
, Warren suspected to be the ringleader of the fraud.
Oh well, maybe she had kept a closer eye on him than Warren expected her to. Still, Warren had actually sent her to spy on his own
nephew
, his partner in this business and told her she should keep a close eye on him. And still he had not bothered to tell her that they were related. Something was definitely wrong here. And what was that about dumping women on him?
"Who said anything about grandchildren?" Cade exclaimed. "My parents are bugging me about that already so don't you start as well. Look, a fellow need to spread his seed before settling down. Although you do your best to trap me with any woman that comes your way."
That was it! That was the reason for this secret assignment. The real reason why she was stuck here in the wilderness dressed as a prostitute. Erin practically stopped breathing. Suddenly everything made sense. Chilling, breathtaking sense, but the logic was indisputable.
There was no fraud. No case. No promotion. She was
bait
. Pure and simple. Bait for a man that didn't want to settle down. So his family decided to team up and introduce him to new women. And that also explained why Warren insisted on her dressing like a tramp for this assignment. He wanted her to attract the male victim with the oldest trick in the book -- naked skin and large breasts.
Damn. And dumb, as she was she had thought this was her big chance for promotion, for doing something important and even believed she had gained Warren's trust when he would entrust her with such an important assignment.
Important
