Текст книги "Malevolent"

Автор книги: Jana Deleon

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Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

“Of course. Whenever you have the availability, let me know. I’ll hold off posting the listing until I get the lockbox on, but I’ll pass the information around my office and to a couple of clients of mine who are looking in the area. It might be sold before I get a key.”

“That would be awesome. Thanks, Patty. I’ll call you later today or tomorrow morning and let you know when we can meet.”

“Great. And thanks for the therapist information.”

Emma shoved the phone in her jeans pocket and grabbed her purse. Her stomach rumbled and she felt slightly dizzy. First things first, she needed to eat. She grabbed her laptop. While she was having breakfast, she’d start researching the market for nursing jobs in other states. Maybe she’d start with California. Or even Alaska.

Anywhere far away from Louisiana.

Chapter Fifteen

Jackson frowned at the two news vans parked in front of the police station. Men with cameras and wiring walked around, hooking up equipment. Two reporters he recognized from the morning news stood as assistants attached earpieces onto them. He drove past and parked around back and entered through the rear door. “What’s with the circus up front?” he asked the desk sergeant.

“Senator Archer’s daughter was attacked yesterday evening.”

“Corrine Archer? Is she all right?”

“Word is she’s pretty banged up, but not life-threatening.”

“Who’s lead?”

“Boyd got the call yesterday, but given the political angle, I’m sure it will be pushed up to a senior detective as soon as the chief is filled in.”

Jackson nodded. The sergeant was right. Pierce Archer was a senator and one of the richest men in the state. Nothing but the best would be good enough for his daughter’s investigation. Which left Jackson totally out of the running as long as he was saddled to Vincent.

The sergeant shook his head. “It’s a darn shame it happened to Corrine. She’s a class act. You know she’s a social worker, right?”

“Yeah. I met her daughter the other day. They seem like good people.”

“The best. Back in the day, Susan and I fostered kids. Too old for it now, but Corrine was a big support to us then.”

“Really?” Jackson’s respect for the old sergeant went up a couple more notches. “I didn’t know that. That’s a great thing to do. Not many can handle it.”

“We weren’t sure we could at first, but after a while, you learn how to manage things. We couldn’t have kids ourselves, but we ended up with some in the long run. Had eight over the years. Two of them we got to adopt. The other six are still in touch, though. All of them are doing good. Either in college or working decent jobs.”

“Can’t ask for much more than that.”

“No. If they’re paying their own way, not hurting other people, and not in jail, I consider them a success story. But then Susan always said I set the bar too low.”

“How can that be? You married her.”

The sergeant laughed. “I’m going to use that one on her next time she trots that statement out.” The phone rang and the sergeant reached for it. Jackson gave him a wave and headed over to his desk. A stack of paperwork awaited him—his and Vincent’s. Not that it mattered. It didn’t require much effort to document next to nothing, and that’s what Vincent specialized in.

Jackson reached for the first folder and brought up the database to start logging the information. He’d been at it an hour when he saw Sergeant Boyd cross the street, pausing long enough to weave through the reporters. Jackson watched as he entered the building and headed straight for the break room. He grabbed his coffee cup and headed that way, hoping to catch Boyd alone.

He was in luck. Boyd was pouring a cup of coffee and nodded at Jackson as he entered. He looked like he hadn’t slept well.

“I heard you got the call on Corrine Archer’s attack yesterday,” Jackson said. “Is she all right?”

Boyd took a drink of his coffee and nodded. “She’s banged up and has a slight concussion, but she should be able to go home today.”

“What happened?”

“Somebody faked a call to her office, claiming a baby was in distress. Corrine went to the location given, but the building was empty. When she realized she’d been tricked, she tried to get away, but he shoved her down the stairs, then gave her a good kick in the head. A couple of painters showed up to measure for the renovations and chased him off. They called 911 and I got the nod.”

Jackson shook his head. “I know social workers make enemies, but that seems rather elaborate.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Whoever did it was clever enough to close all the apartment doors and clean up the lobby and hallway enough to make it look occupied. On the surface, it looked like any other rathole apartment building that she might walk into. It wasn’t until she opened the doors and saw the apartments were empty that she realized something was wrong.”

“You heading the investigation?”

Boyd snorted. “No lowly sergeant is going to draw the investigation of the assault on Senator Archer’s daughter. I’m sure it will be kicked up today. You interested?”

“Wouldn’t matter if I was. Vincent won’t take real work unless he has to.”

“That’s true enough.”

“But I wish I could. I met Corrine’s daughter the other day. She’s a nice girl.”

Boyd nodded. “I talked with her some at the hospital last night. Seems a class act, like her mother. Maybe a little tougher. Has a bit of an edge to her.”

Jackson held in a smile. Corrine’s attack must have had Shaye off her game, because there was no “bit of” about her edge. Shaye’s edges were sharp enough to cut glass. “Well, hopefully, it’s wrapped up soon. The last thing we need is some loon targeting social workers. Hard enough to keep good people in those jobs to begin with.”

“Yeah. I’ve gotta go bring the chief up to date. Wish me luck.”

Jackson gave him a nod and Boyd left the break room, looking more anxious than Jackson had ever seen the young sergeant appear before. But then, he was being called to his boss’s boss’s boss’s office to explain an attack on one of New Orleans’s favorite natives and the daughter of one of the most powerful and wealthy men in the state. Jackson could only imagine how stressful that conversation would be. The chief wasn’t exactly known for his calm demeanor. He’d take the attack on Corrine as a personal insult to him, the police, the department of social services, the city, the state, and maybe even the universe.

Jackson exited out of the break room and saw Vincent strolling across the department, a good hour late. Jackson headed across the room and before he could talk himself out of it, stopped at Vincent’s desk. “Did you hear about the attack on Senator Archer’s daughter?”

Vincent flopped into his chair and looked up at Jackson. “Is that what all the hoopla is about outside?”

Jackson nodded. “Boyd took the call yesterday but he won’t get the case, not given the vic. I was thinking maybe we could ask for it.”

“The hell you were! The last thing I want to do is spend my time answering directly to a politician. Bad enough we’re usually answering to them indirectly. I don’t need a single bit of information to already know that everything about that case stinks. Too many suspects, for starters. Want to run down a list for me of every enemy our good senator has and combine that with the list of people who lost their kids and wouldn’t mind taking a shot at a social worker? We’d be investigating half the city, and that’s a conservative estimate.”

“It would be a big feather in your cap, though. Think about it. With a recommendation from Senator Archer, you could take your pick of cush security work when you retired.”

Vincent frowned, and Jackson could tell he was considering the benefit of a more luxurious retirement against the requirement of actually working. Laziness must have won out, because he shook his head. “I got plenty to retire on. Anything gained wouldn’t be worth the headache. Take my word on that, Jackson. You’re young and don’t know shit about how things work. You’ll get your chance to tangle with politicos soon enough, but not as long as I’m on the ride with you.”

Jackson didn’t bother to launch another argument. It was clear Vincent’s mind was made up. He nodded and headed back to his desk to shuffle more paperwork, his frustration starting to get the better of him. At first, he’d been simply bored with the lack of work, then he’d grown aggravated with Vincent’s laziness and his unchecked ability to hold Jackson back. Now he was simply getting angry, and sooner or later, everything would come to a head.

His cell phone rang and when he saw Shaye’s name come up on the display, he grabbed it and took off for the break room again. He had left Shaye a message the day before, wanting to talk to her about what he’d managed to find on David Grange, but he couldn’t imagine she was calling about David. Not with her mother in the hospital.

When he was far enough away from Vincent, he pressed the screen and answered the call.

“I need to talk to you,” Shaye said. “Can you get away to meet?”

“When?”

“Thirty minutes. The same café.”

“I’ll be there,” he said, not even caring if Vincent bitched about him taking off again. He slipped the phone into his pocket and went back to his desk to grab his keys.

“Where are you going?” Vincent asked.

“I’ve got an errand to run.”

“You’ve got paperwork to do.”

“And it will take me twenty minutes. When you have some real work for us, give me a call. I’ll be back later.”

A couple of detectives with desks nearby raised their eyebrows, but no one was stupid enough to comment. They all knew Vincent was slacking, but he had seniority. Without waiting for a response, Jackson turned around and headed for the back exit, already wondering why Shaye wanted to meet. He had a gut feeling that she knew something about her mother’s attack that Boyd didn’t.

Something that might narrow the suspects down from half the city to a handful.

###

Emma pulled on her scrubs and ran a comb through her hair. She’d ordered a huge breakfast and managed to eat at least two bites of everything. Given that her last meal had been lunch the day before, it still wasn’t enough, but it was all her nervous stomach could handle. While she’d struggled through breakfast, she’d planned her escape. San Diego had a slew of open nursing positions, and a good amount for private practices, not just hospitals. If she was going to fade into the sunset, then she needed to change everything, not just her location.

She had enough money to get to California and live off of for several months. A beach house was out of the question; a studio apartment was within reach. As soon as the house sold, she’d have enough money to get a small place there or pick up and go somewhere else.

Her cell phone rang and she checked the display. It was the hospital. She answered the call, expecting to hear her supervisor asking her to work another double, but it was Jeremy.

“Ms. Frederick, this is Jeremy. Are you all right?”

The worry was so apparent in Jeremy’s voice that Emma instantly felt bad that she hadn’t contacted the security guard sooner. He’d shoved her into her car the night before and practically yelled at her to leave. She’d followed his instructions and never looked back, but that meant Jeremy was left standing in the parking lot wondering what the hell was going on.

“I’m okay,” she said. “I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Wasn’t you that caused the problem. Those mice didn’t blind themselves and stroll across the parking lot to die next to your car. I figure there’s things about it I don’t understand, but I didn’t have to know all the details to see you were terrified.”

“Yes, I was. Am.”

“I know you’re scheduled today, but I didn’t know if you’d come in. I wanted to let you know I reviewed the security footage of the parking lot.”

Emma clutched her phone. “Did you see him?”

“Yes. But he was wearing a hoodie and he never looked toward the camera. He walked across the parking lot to your car, his head down, and sometimes turned away from the cameras at an angle. He knew they were there.”

Damn it! Another dead end.

“I figure you’re going to the police, right?” Jeremy asked. “I know it’s not much, but at least I can show them proof that someone did it deliberately.”

“Of course. Thank you, Jeremy. I’ll be sure and let them know.”

“This guy…he’s a piece of bad work.”

“Yes, he is.”

“You be careful. If you come in today, you park up front with the ambulances, okay? I’ll see to it that no one has a problem with it.”

Emma’s eyes teared up at Jeremy’s kindness. “Thank you so much. I’ll see you soon.”

She hung up before she started crying. So many people were worried about her and doing the most they could to help. It was heartening and overwhelming at the same time. Even worse, it was frightening. Her stalker had already gone after Shaye for helping her. What if he went after Jeremy next?

That couldn’t happen.

She stuffed her pistol and cell phone into her purse and headed downstairs to the valet. “I’m sorry,” she said to the young man at the valet station. “I wasn’t feeling well last night and forgot to wait for a ticket when I left my car.”

“That’s okay, ma’am,” the valet said. “The manager recognized it. I’ll get it for you right away.”

“Thank you.”

The young man hurried off and Emma waited anxiously for her vehicle, a million thoughts rolling through her head. So many things to do, and all of them needed to be done now. She had to get organized. Get a plan and get out of New Orleans.

Her car stopped in front of her and the valet got out and handed her the keys. She gave him a tip and hopped inside, but when she went to put her purse on the passenger’s seat, she realized it wasn’t empty. In the middle of the seat was a bracelet. She let out a cry and the valet knocked on her window.

“Are you all right?” the valet asked.

Emma put the car in gear and squealed away, leaving the stunned valet staring after her. As she pulled out of the garage, she rolled down the window, grabbed the bracelet, and flung it into the street. Even though it was only in her hand for seconds, it felt as if the metal burned her skin. She screeched to a stop at a red light and yanked her cell phone out of her purse. Shaye answered on the first ring.

“He found me again,” Emma said. “He left a bracelet he gave me for my birthday on the front seat of my car. And that’s not the worst of it.”

Emma told Shaye about the mice in the parking lot the night before. With every word she uttered, her breathing grew faster until she was about to hyperventilate. Finally, she finished and sucked in a giant breath, trying to bring as much oxygen as possible into her body. Her vision blurred momentarily and she eased up on the accelerator, then it cleared again.

“Please stay calm,” Shaye said, “especially while you’re driving. I know how frightening all this is, and I don’t blame you for being scared. I’m scared too, but we’re going to figure this out.”

Emma didn’t doubt Shaye’s sincerity at all, but her hope that anyone could help her was rapidly vanishing. “How did he find me again? I was careful this time. I’m sure no one followed me when I checked in. Even last night, when I was ready to explode, I drove around the city twice before going back to the hotel.”

“I have an idea about that. When he found you at the repair shop in Bywater, I had my suspicions, but now I’m almost positive.”

“Positive of what?”

“He put a GPS on your car. That’s how he always knows where you are.”

Emma felt her back and neck tighten. It was something she’d never considered, but it explained so much. And completely destroyed her idea of getting away. Unless she abandoned the car here and flew to San Diego, he’d just track her right to her front door again. Her breathing increased again as wave after wave of hopelessness came over her.

“I can’t get away,” Emma said. “I was going to leave tomorrow. Drive across the country and start over, but he’s taken that option away as well.”

“I think I can help with that, but I can’t do anything until tomorrow.”

“Yes, of course. You’ve got to take care of your mother. I understand.” Given that Corrine’s attacker was almost certainly Emma’s stalker, she couldn’t expect Shaye to keep working on her case. Not today, anyway, but she couldn’t help the feeling of abandonment and helplessness that she felt. In her entire life, she’d never felt so alone.

“It’s not that. I have a line on a guy David served with on his last tour in Iraq. He’s the one who called in a favor to get David his job at the petroleum company. I’m hoping he knows something that helps make some sense of all of this, but I’ve got to make a drive to Fort Polk to track him down. It’s not the sort of conversation I want to have over the phone. You learn more when you can watch someone while they talk. And if he doesn’t know I’m coming, he can’t prepare.”

Immediately, Emma felt guilty for assuming that Shaye had abandoned her, even though she wouldn’t blame her one bit if she did. But as long as Shaye was still working, Emma still held on to a small ray of hope. Given the extremity of her situation and Shaye’s lack of experience, Emma was probably hoping for a miracle, but that didn’t matter. She had to have something to latch onto or the thin thread that held her sanity in the balance would snap in two.

“How is Corrine?” Emma asked.

“Feeling well enough to complain. They’ll send her home later today. Her best friend will stay with her until my grandfather arrives. And I’ll stay at her house tonight. I’m more worried about you. You’re going to need to change hotels again. If you’ll call and have the hotel pack your things, I’ll pick them up after I get back. You can take a taxi to another hotel tonight and I’ll bring your things to you tomorrow morning.”

It was a good plan. She could catch a taxi at the front entrance of the hospital. That way, if he was watching her car, he wouldn’t see her leave. But even the thought of arriving at another hotel in the middle of the night had her anxiety increasing. “I think I’m going to stay at the hospital tonight. There’s a room off the break room with cots for staff to use if we get caught working a double or staying for a specific patient.”

“That’s good. You’ll be safe at the hospital. Tomorrow morning you can either take a taxi and meet me at a new hotel or I can pick you up. Either way, maybe you’ll finally get a decent night’s sleep.”

“Maybe.” Emma had all but given up the idea of a good night’s sleep, but maybe Shaye was right. If she was tucked away in the hospital staff lounge, with Jeremy watching over the security monitors, she would be safe. It wasn’t a good long-term plan, but for one night, it might be the best plan she could come up with.

“I’m about to leave to meet with a New Orleans police detective.”

“Do you think they’ll believe me now?”

“I think he does already. Hopefully, we can make something happen.”

“Yeah.”

Hopefully.

###

Shaye put the cell phone on her dresser and stared out her bedroom window into the alley. Her hands were sweaty and her pulse elevated. Most people couldn’t possibly imagine the horror that Emma was experiencing. They couldn’t understand how terrified she was. How desperate.

But Shaye understood all too well.

She pulled on a fresh shirt and hurried into the bathroom to give her teeth and hair a brush. She checked her watch and cursed because there was no way she would make her meeting with Jackson on time. She grabbed her car keys and hurried out of her apartment. When she’d set the meeting time with Jackson, she’d barely given herself time to get from the hospital back to her apartment for a change of clothes, but she wanted to talk to him as soon as possible and then get on the road to Fort Polk.

He’d left her a message the night before, but with everything that happened, she hadn’t checked her phone until after midnight. Given what she’d found in Corrine’s purse and what Emma had just told her, Shaye was more desperate than ever for information on David Grange and hoped Jackson had come up with some hard information on David’s past. Aside from the Paul Schaffer lead, all she’d managed to do so far was verify things that she already suspected or that Emma had told her. Someone had to know more. And she was going to find him.

Traffic was light, and she made the drive to the café in less time than she originally figured. Only five minutes late. Not too bad. She parked at the curb a half block away and hurried into the café. Jackson was already seated at the back corner table, a black coffee in front of him and a latte in front of the chair across from him. Shaye wasn’t sure if he was returning the favor from their last meeting or showing her that he also paid attention. Either way, she appreciated the drink and the efficiency.

“Thanks for the coffee,” she said as she slid onto the chair. “I haven’t stopped long enough to grab a cup this morning and I’m hovering somewhere between comatose and desperate.”

“Been there a few times myself. How’s your mother?”

She wasn’t really surprised that he knew about the attack on Corrine. Reporters had shown up at the hospital shortly after she’d arrived, and it had taken police threats to get them out of the building and onto the sidewalk where they belonged. They’d hung around for another hour or two, but finally cleared out, most likely when they found out her grandfather was in China on Archer Manufacturing business and couldn’t get back to New Orleans until this afternoon.

“She’s fine, considering. She’ll have a heck of a headache, but the bruised ribs will probably be the worst.”

Jackson nodded. “You don’t realize how much you use your stomach until you have abdominal damage.”

“That’s the truth.”

Jackson stared at her for several seconds. “I hope this meeting is about the message I left you last night…”

“But you don’t think it is.”

He shook his head. “I guess I don’t. The timing of Corrine’s attack is a little too convenient. Given her work and your grandfather’s status, I know there’s probably a hundred other options, but I wondered if it all hadn’t run together.”

“It’s that coincidence thing again. I didn’t like it either, and the whole time Sergeant Boyd was telling me what he knew, then afterward when Corrine told me what had happened, I wondered. Then I got confirmation.”

Shaye told him about the decorator’s swatch in Corrine’s purse and her disguise when she visited Emma’s house. “No way that was an accident. Her credit cards and cash were in place. He didn’t take anything. He left the swatch.”

Jackson’s expression darkened. “That’s not good.”

“I know it’s him. But why Corrine? Why not go after me?”

“Maybe he’s showing you how smart he is. Maybe he’s attacking you at your weak spot. My best guess is because he wants to scare you.”

“Like he’s scaring Emma.”

“Yes and no. You’ve gotten in his way. He controls situations through fear. I think he’s trying to scare you away. It’s a sick, twisted game he’s playing. The problem is, he’s making all the rules, and you don’t get to pick if you play.”

Shaye blew out a breath. “You warned me that he’d come after anyone he perceived as getting in the way of his fun.”

“Yeah, well, sometimes I hate it when I’m right.”

“I know the feeling. Unfortunately, there’s way more going on than just the attack on my mother.” Shaye told him about the mice and the bracelet. “He’s getting more brazen. The security guard said his face never shows on camera, but he’s got footage of a man leaving those mice. Surely that’s enough evidence for the police to do something.”

“Wow.” Jackson leaned back in his chair. “That is some serious sick shit. What the hell happens to a person to make them that way?”

“I’m not sure we want to know.”

“Yeah, well, I think that’s plenty for the police to take her complaint seriously. Of course, they have the same limitations we do in locating the perpetrator, so while I definitely encourage Emma to report everything, I don’t know how much it will change things. As least in the immediate future.”

“I know I’m still her best hope to get information, but maybe if they assign someone to her case, I can turn over what I’ve got so far and someone more qualified can take over.”

“You’re doing a fine job. I mean that.”

Shaye felt a light blush creep up her cheeks. “Thank you.”

“You have a good mind for these things, and you’re a good judge of character. That goes a long way to being a good investigator. That being said, I wish you’d never taken this case. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you should be cutting your teeth on.”

“I know. It’s turned out to be something I never anticipated, but I can’t back out now. Emma needs me, and if I’m being honest, I want to be part of getting this guy. Especially now.”

Jackson nodded. “Now that it’s personal.”

“Yeah.” Shaye blew out a breath. “The thing is, I know David isn’t the stalker, but I can’t help but feel that it all circles back around to him. I talked to people at his job yesterday, but no one had much insight other than they thought he was creepy. One guy gave me the name of someone who served with David his last tour in Iraq. He’s still enlisted and stationed at Fort Polk. I’m going to try to run him down today. Did you find anything?”

“Not much. The Social Security number didn’t pop on employment records until he enlisted, so a little over eight years ago, but his age comes up as twenty-six, so that’s about right if he enlisted at eighteen.”

“What about birth records?”

“Nothing so far, but it didn’t sound like he came from a family with resources, so it could have been a home birth.”

“Or he’s not from here at all. We can’t take anything David told Emma as the gospel.”

“That thought crossed my mind as well.”

Shaye sighed. “I’m getting nowhere. He knows everything and I know nothing.”

“It certainly seems that way, but it’s not exactly true. You have a lead on the guy who served with him. Maybe he will know something. And I’ll keep looking. I can check records throughout the entire state. It just may take a while.”

“I really appreciate it.” She shook her head, trying to make sense of all the moving pieces, and then remembered her conversation last night with Emma in her mother’s hospital room. “Something else. Emma said an old boyfriend of hers from high school, Stephen Moore, was at the hospital yesterday.” She repeated Emma’s story to Jackson.

“Doesn’t sound suspicious,” Jackson said.

“Not on the surface, but I don’t like the timing. Also, I lied to Emma and said I couldn’t place him even though he’d taken part in some of Corrine’s charity events.”

“Now I’m fascinated. Why did you lie?”

“Because of something Emma said about his appearance. I asked her to describe him, to make sure I was thinking of the right guy, but the description Emma gave was completely different from the way he looked in high school. Emma said so herself. I’m certain I know who he is and what he used to look like, but now…”

“What does he look like now?”

“David Grange.”

Jackson whistled.

“I don’t think Emma has latched onto that yet, but from long, wavy, light brown locks to military short and dark is a strange choice for a guy to make, especially when I’m going to hazard a guess that it’s not the best look for him.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“A couple of months ago, and he looked like he always did.”

Jackson nodded. “You don’t have any reason to suspect a connection with the old boyfriend and David, do you?”

“No. Nothing like that.”

“Soooooo, maybe he wants back in with Emma, saw pics of David on the news, and thinks she has a type?”

“Maybe. I don’t know exactly, but again, it’s the timing that doesn’t feel right.”

“Okay. Do you want me to pay him a visit?”

“Oh! You can do that? I mean, without an official reason?”

“It doesn’t have to be official. I could just drop by and have a chat with the man…see if I can get a feel for him.”

Shaye tapped her finger on the table. On one hand, since she’d be at Fort Polk, she’d love the help, but on the other hand, she didn’t want Jackson doing her job, especially when it might compromise his own. On the third hand, she might have a hard time questioning Stephen herself since he knew who she was. “I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

“So I won’t get into trouble. What’s he going to do? Call and complain to my boss that I spoke to him?”

“He might. He’s an attorney.”

“Shit. That means I have to be polite.”

Shaye smiled. “Probably a good idea. If you don’t mind doing it, I have to admit, it would really help me out. I don’t know how long I’ll be at Fort Polk, and I really want to move on Moore as quickly as possible, if for no other reason than to eliminate him from the suspect list.”

“You mean the suspect list with no names on it.”

She sighed. “Yeah, that one. I don’t suppose there’s any chance you could get assigned to my mother’s case?”

“Not as long as I’m chained to Vincent. I suggested he ask for the assignment this morning and he acted like I’d just discharged my weapon in the men’s room. It’s probably just as well. If you got me, he’d be lead, so you’re probably better off with someone else. Given your grandfather’s, uh, prominence, the best detectives will be assigned to the case.”

“But the best detectives don’t know what we know. I suppose I’ll have to tell them. Do you think it will do any good?”

“I think at this point, you stand a better chance of being taken seriously than before. He messed up by attacking Corrine. I have no doubt he did it to force you to back off, but I don’t think he thought clearly about what kind of resources the family name would pull.” Jackson shook his head. “And then it could be he’s so cocky he doesn’t care.”

“Or the game’s almost over.”

“Yeah, I didn’t want to say that one.”

“I’m not foolish, Jackson,” she said quietly. “I may be young and lack investigative experience on criminal matters, but I’m no stranger to evil.”

He studied her for several seconds, and she could tell he was debating whether or not to say whatever was on his mind. Talking must have won out because he finally said, “I reviewed your file. I hope you don’t mind.”