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She’s sending me stuff and said she had to go. Watch out.
I left the bedroom and went out to the balcony, taking pictures of the view. Cora walked in a minute later, breathless. “I’m so sorry! That young man could just talk forever about his grandma. Sweet boy, but I just don’t have the time.”
“No worries from me. I have all the measurements, the pictures, and a list of questions for Ms. White to answer. Walk me out?”
Cora beamed, chatted all the way down. I said goodbye and called Theo as I walked to my car. “You did great.”
“I did, didn’t I?” he gloated. “You got what you needed?”
“The jackpot.”
Once I turned on my Jeep and sat with the AC blowing at me, I sent Nico a picture of the autopsy report and asked him for the layman’s version. I then called Tess.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine. I was fine last night, too, but Jack called Gabriel.” Dr. Gabriel Rubio, Tess’s fiancé. “So now Gabriel is worried. I am fine.”
“I know you are, and that’s why I have something for you to do.”
“I need something because Gabriel made me stay home.”
I frowned. It’s sweet that he’s concerned, but no one could make me do anything I didn’t want to.
“It’s computer work and phone calls.”
“Give it to me. And if I need to go to the office, I will.”
I told her what I found and Tess knew what to do. “I’ll send you pictures of everything in her lockbox. I have a lead on locating fake Jennifer.”
I hoped.
Forty
Jack Angelhart
Jack used his connections to push the link between what happened with Logan and Jennifer on Sunday in Paradise Valley to what happened to Tess and Luisa last night.
Phoenix PD Detectives Lopez and Capelle were the lead investigators, but the Phoenix Fire Arson Investigation unit were in charge of the structure. They hadn’t issued an official report, but determined arson because accelerant had been detected.
Jack knew Detective Wendy Lopez—she’d been a senior detective before he got his shield. She was fifty, smart, sassy, and had raised three boys. Two were in college, one in the police academy. Her husband taught high school math and coached football, and when they socialized, he and Jack could talk for hours about sports.
She’d wanted him to come to the station to chat, but he knew better—he said he couldn’t leave his office and she agreed to meet him. He wasn’t concerned about any liability or crime on his part, but he didn’t want to see former friends and colleagues. No one had an issue with him, but his father’s crime hung over him and he didn’t want to field questions.
After small talk to catch up and introductions to Detective Capelle who Jack didn’t know, Jack gave Wendy as much detail into their investigation as he could and explained why Tess and Luisa were there after hours. There was no reason to hold anything back, especially since he’d already talked to Ron Tucker and told him about Logan Monroe’s involvement.
“Someone tried to kill my sisters,” Jack said when he was done. “They were drugged before the fire started.”
“A nitrogen canister was found on the fourth floor,” Wendy said.
“The same thing happened to Monroe and White on Sunday. You can compare the canisters. This time, the guy sets a fire? If my sisters had been unconscious, they could have been killed.” The thought made his stomach churn.
“Slow down. I’m not saying you’re wrong, only that we don’t have all the facts yet. I talked to both Luisa and Tess, got their statements, talked to the security guard. What I want to know is more about this Jennifer White. No one can find her. That seems suspicious, don’t you think? She called out sick this week and now no one can reach her.”
Jack collected his thoughts. He was still emotional over Tess and Lu’s near miss.
“No,” Jack said flatly. “I’m more worried for her safety.”
“You need to see it from my perspective. I spoke to Mr. Tucker this morning. He corroborated everything you just told me about your investigation into Jennifer White.”
