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AT A FORMATIVE AGE ALEX RECOGNIZED THE DANGERS ALCOHOL posed and made the decision to never touch the stuff. Had she lived a normal adolescence, it might have been different. She might have experimented with alcohol during her high school days, as most kids do, and come out unscathed. But in the wake of a tragedy suffered when she was young and impressionable that had her bouncing between continents, running from the press, and being cornered by psychopaths attempting to extort her, Alex knew that the lure of alcohol came with pitfalls. Now, twenty-eight years old and far into the next phase of life, she was at a point where perhaps alcohol could be enjoyed as a social tool rather than a crutch. But she wasn’t very social and her occupation never placed her in situations where communal existence was necessary—save for a yearly Lancaster & Jordan Christmas party that she usually skipped. And so, at some point between breaking free from the angst of her teen years and reaching her late twenties, the window of opportunity had closed and she no longer found curiosity in what alcohol might do for her or to her. Coffee, however, was another story.
Her latest fascination was vacuum siphoning, a dual-chamber device that allowed vapor pressure to force hot water to mix with the coffee grounds. Alex had experimented with the timing and found that six and a half minutes produced the smoothest blend. She tasted her morning’s brew now and, satisfied, took her mug to the couch and pulled up her laptop. She started each morning the same way. Coffee and news followed by an hour working at her evidence board before heading into the office. After thirty minutes of scanning world news headlines, she narrowed her interests to the DC area and came to a story that stopped her cold. It was in the Washington Times.
Local Businessman Shot in Home Invasion
Byron Zell, the former chief financial officer for Schuster Industries, was found dead in his DC apartment early Monday morning. Police have offered few details about the homicide other than that Zell died from gunshot wounds and was found by a family member.
Zell was involved in a lawsuit with Schuster Industries over alleged embezzlement of company funds. But Zell’s legal problems did not end there. He had also recently been charged with possession of child pornography, and that case was still under investigation at the time of his death.
No other information has been released. This is a developing story.
Alex swiped her screen and began searching for other articles when her phone rang. It was Garrett.
“Hello?”
“I need you at the office right away. We have a developing situation.”
“What’s up?”
“I have a folder at the office that covers the details and will bring you up to date. New client, a missing persons case, and a possible connection to the mess going on with Larry Chadwick and McCormack University. Don’t know all the details yet. We want you on the case but need to be fast on this. The potential for media coverage is high, and before long McCormack University will be teeming with nosey reporters. We want to know what we’re dealing with before we get too deep. Jacqueline’s taking the lead and she’ll brief you at the office.”
“I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”
“See you then.”
“Hey, Garrett? Did you see the news about Byron Zell?”
“I did.”
“What do you make of it?”
“We’ll talk about Byron Zell later. Somewhere in the back of my mind I’m worried about your little adventure now that his apartment is a crime scene. But I’m trying to run a law firm, and we have bigger worries at the moment. I’m sure the police will want to speak with me about Byron Zell and the child pornography angle. I don’t plan to mention that you were the investigator assigned to his case unless I’m pressed. Please help me help you, Alex. Stay away from the Byron Zell story.”
A pause fell onto the conversation.
“Alex?”
“Yeah.”
“You understand what I’m telling you?”
“Yeah. Got it.”
“See you in thirty?”
“Yeah,” Alex said, staring at the Byron Zell article. “See you soon.”
She ended the call and ran once more through her stealth break-in to the man’s apartment. By the time she finished her coffee, Alex had almost convinced herself that she had left nothing behind that would point to her presence, even if a crime scene unit dusted every surface.
CHAPTER 37
Washington, D.C. Wednesday, April 26, 2023 10:32 a.m.
THE FOLLOWING DAY, ALEX PULLED HER CAR INTO THE PARKING LOT OF an apartment complex located just outside the campus of McCormack University. The front of the three-story building sported sets of zigzagging stairs offering access to each level. Alex stood from her car, climbed the stairs to the second level, and knocked on apartment number 211. A moment later, a young man answered the door.
“Matthew Claymore?”
“Yeah?”
