7:15 pm
Nikki’s Townhouse
It was early evening and Nikki was just settling down in her favorite chair, fire crackling in her fireplace, a glass of wine and a book in hand getting ready to enjoy some reading before she headed off to bed and a new week when her phone chimed the arrival of a new email. Instantly Nikki’s heart rate shot up and she got butterflies in her stomach. She would have to analyze that reaction later, but it was indeed a message from Simon. Anxiously, Nikki opened the email to read:
“Hi Nikki, I hope that you would blush at the compliment and not run the other way. I am within 10 years of your age, unfortunately, that is specific as I can be at this point and I am sure you already figured that out as good as you are. As to the hacking abilities, I am sure you have identified Charlie by now and as I promised, I am going to return most of Charlie’s money for the benefit of his family. There is $387,000 in your bank account that belonged to Charlie, please see that it is returned to Charlie’s family. Will you do that for me, for them?” Nikki immediately accessed her banking app and sure enough, the money is in her account, just as he said it would be. How does he do that? Nikki continued reading: “I kept only enough money to cover some of my expenses, this isn’t the cheapest venture to run you know. I only took the money to show Charlie I can get to him anywhere and in any way I wanted. I think he got that message. I hope you now see that I am a man of my word and I am also not a common criminal. I know you can’t see that what I am doing is for the greater good, but we will have to disagree on that point because, as you know, I can’t stop what and who I am and I believe I am contributing to the greater good. I guess with any relationship there are some contentious subjects that any couple has to work through, and no I don’t see us in that kind of relationship, unfortunately for me, but we are in a relationship nonetheless. I hope I have satisfactorily proven that you can trust me.
I read in your file that your parents were killed in an auto accident when you were 9. I am very sorry you had to grown up without your parents, but someone raised you properly. Who took care of you and raised you to be such a wonderful woman? To have become the person you are and achieved all that you have so far in your career, they did a great job. Take care of yourself Nikki.
Yours,
Simon”
Nikki swallowed past the lump in her throat. How could a total stranger have this affect on her, she was not some swooning teenager. In the short time that Nikki has been on this case, this killer she is tracking holds a more intimate place in her life than anyone has in the last 5 years. What does that say about her she thought as she reread the email several times. She would sleep on this and reply to Simon tomorrow.