Private Sydney (Private 12)

‘Your receptionist’s the leak,’ Gideon said. ‘Everything coming in and out of the office has been recorded for a third party.’

I couldn’t believe it. Collette? I had trusted her implicitly. ‘Any idea who’s receiving?’

‘Could take a while to find out. Everything’s being rerouted.’

‘Can you tell how long it’s been on there?’

‘Again, I’ll need some time. Oh, and one more thing. If she didn’t actually load the software, it’s possible she doesn’t know it’s there. You have to know what to look for.’

So Collette either knew her phone was a listening device or her phone had been deliberately targeted. Either way, I couldn’t afford to trust her from now on.

I thanked Gideon. I had a plan as to how to deal with Collette. We all needed to meet in the conference room.

Chapter 58

BEFORE THE MEETING, I handed each staff member a written note asking them to hand over their phone. All would be explained in the conference room in five minutes. In the meantime, I put the mobiles in my office for Gideon to work on. If the eavesdroppers weren’t aware we’d found the software, we still had an advantage.

Once we were all seated around the table, Gideon did precisely what I’d asked. He announced that the phones had been infected with malware. At the moment he had no idea for how long. The software ensured that private discussions were recorded by an unidentified third party. Not just phone conversations, but in-person chats, in addition to texts and voicemail messages. Anything previously thought private was now potentially in the public domain.

Johnny and Darlene exchanged the briefest of looks but said nothing.

Mary rocked back in her chair. ‘Hacks or pros?’

Gideon shrugged. ‘The software’s readily available online, which means a broad net. How they react from here will tell us a lot more. If there are any other “incidents”.’

Collette’s phone had been to every meeting and with her for every interaction with staff and clients. Like most twenty-somethings, the phone was permanently in her hands or within easy reach to check the latest message. I called it the fear of missing out that meant they were often engaged in social contact but experienced little meaningful interaction.

‘Has anyone let their phone out of sight, or had someone ask to make a call, no matter how innocuous they could have seemed?’

I looked around the silent room. ‘When you exercise, do you leave it in a locker? When you shower does anyone else have access? I don’t care how close they are to you or how much you trust them.’

Mary, Johnny and Darlene all denied the possibility.

‘Collette?’ I asked.

She frowned. ‘I use mine for music in the bathroom, like when I’m getting ready or showering. And I have it strapped to my arm when I go walking.’

‘What about clients, visitors to the office? Maybe when you got them a coffee or tea.’

‘Always have it with me. Guess it’s a habit.’

I suspected Collette was unaware of the software. Now was the perfect time to lie if she knew the spyware would be found on her phone and wanted to divert suspicion.

I handed out brand-new burner replacements and asked if there was anything on anyone’s phones they didn’t want Gideon Mahler or me to see. No one responded.

‘From now on, we use these to communicate for work and with each other.’

Collette remained silent but her eyes darted from me to Gideon.

‘Who do you think’s behind it? Is it anything to do with the Moss case?’ Mary queried.

‘We’re working on that,’ Gideon answered. ‘But we should have an answer later on.’

I added, ‘Until further notice, everyone takes a phone, and make sure we have each other’s new numbers. Until this is sorted, I want everyone to stay in constant touch, and give me the names of anyone who makes contact with you – socially or for work. I guarantee we’re going to find out who’s behind this.’

Chapter 59

COLLETTE WAITED UNTIL the others had left.