AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lorelei should have chosen a better way of wording such a statement.
“Mrs. Jameson, even if our firm did agree to take you on as a client, we wouldn’t be able to begin an investigation until the first of the year. We have other obligations to fulfill.” Brook leaned forward and set her coffee mug back on the tray. She’d ignored the woman’s request regarding first names. It was best to keep a certain distance for now. “As for the FBI, they won’t interfere with local investigations unless there are three or more victims. While we do have a consulting contract with the Bureau, we don’t dictate what cases fall under their jurisdiction.”
Lorelei’s red lips tightened in displeasure, but Brook wasn’t quite sure whether it was in response to not being able to start until after the holidays or the reminder of the FBI’s requirements.
“Bella was twenty-eight years old. She was vivacious, smart, funny, and talented…so talented. She was better than most of the artists who have their work hanging in that gallery.” Lorelei glanced over her shoulder and pointed to an oil painting that had captured Brook’s attention at a small gallery a few blocks from the office building. “Bella discovered him, you know. He now has more money than he knows what to do with, and that was all courtesy of my sister. She doesn’t deserve to be forgotten.”
Lorelei reached into her designer purse. She then pulled out a slip of paper and placed it on the coffee table with the faintest click from her manicured nails.
The slip of paper turned out to be a blank check.
A signed blank check made out to S&E Investigations, Inc.
“I’m not a woman who pleads, Ms. Sloane, but that is exactly what I am doing here today. I don’t care if you drain every single one of my bank accounts. I will sell every possession I own if it means that I can sleep at night knowing that Bella’s killer is rotting inside a four-by-four cell. Please. Find the sick son of a bitch who murdered my sister.”
Chapter Three
Brooklyn Sloane
November 2023
Thursday — 2:21pm
Thegreycloudshadthinned somewhat, but not enough to where sunlight could stream through the windows of Brook’s office. She’d shifted her space heater so that a lot of the heat would be captured underneath her desk, allowing her to slip off her high heels without anyone the wiser. The warmth helped with the simmering tension caused by Jonah Cary’s upcoming surgery. Jacob would never go through with being a living donor, and a little boy could die as a result.
Brook had not taken the time to explain to Lorelei Jameson the reason as to why S&E Investigations couldn’t take on another client until after the New Year, and the woman hadn’t been too pleased when she’d been handed back her blank check. Brook had promised that the team would perform some preliminary research in the meantime, at no charge. Should the beginning of the year arrive with no changes to their firm’s current status, Brook would then make a final decision as to whether or not they would proceed with the case.
She’d settled down this afternoon to study the blueprints of the hospital where the transplant surgery would be taking place. According to the public records, there had been no modifications to the building’s structure. Bit had reached out to the architect on record, and he’d gotten the same response. She planned to contact the hospital’s administration to request a private tour later this week.
Brook had been about to push away from her desk to grab something to drink from the kitchen when her cell phone rang. While she could never have enough coffee, Arden had made a pitcher of water with lime and lemon slices earlier this morning and placed it in the refrigerator. He’d never come right out and said it, but she was relatively sure he was concerned with her intake of caffeine.
“Special Agent Houser,” Brook greeted as she remained seated at her desk. “I’d love to hear that Jonah Cary was able to find another matching donor so that we can call off this farce of a surgery.”
“I can’t quite tell you that, but I can give you some breathing room,” Russell replied with a muffled voice. It was as if he was standing outside, and the wind was hitting his phone just right to cause interference. “I received a call from the hospital. Apparently, Jonah’s appendix ruptured, and he needed to have emergency surgery last night. Dr. Mizrahi wants to postpone the transplant surgery until he is confident that Jonah’s body won’t reject the liver.”
Russell had been right in a way. Brook was able to breathe a little easier, but with it came a sliver of remorse. A four-year-old little boy shouldn’t be caught up with the likes of Jacob Walsh. While she wanted more than anything to keep Jacob inside federal prison, she would never wish harm on another human being.
“Were you given a timeline?”
“No, but from the sound of it, we’re looking out at least two to three months.” There was a stifled sound of a car door being closed, and Russell’s next words came out a little clearer. “It looks as if we can all enjoy the upcoming holiday season, Brook. I’ll be in touch.”
Brook had never been much for the holidays, always working through them. Last year had been the first time that she’d purchased gifts for anyone since well before her father’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease. He’d passed away earlier this year, but having a team assembled under her who had become like family had taken some getting used to given how she had closed herself off.
To say that she’d gone over the top with the giving of gifts wasn’t an exaggeration, and she wasn’t sure what she was going to do this year.
She also wasn’t going to think about it now.
“Arden?” Brook waited for him to look up from his desk. Bit had installed a speaker system that allowed her to communicate with the receptionist’s desk, but that just seemed foolish when she could just call out through the open door of her office. “Would you have everyone meet me in the conference room?”
Arden straightened his cardigan sweater after standing from his chair. He then collected his pen, slipping it into the pocket of the dress shirt that he wore underneath his sweater. He was always prepared, and she hadn’t had a single moment of regret hiring him. Technically, Theo should get all the credit. He’d been the one to suggest Arden for the position.
Brook pushed back her chair, but she didn’t bother to pick up her tablet or cell phone. Everything that she needed was in the conference room. During her time with the Bureau, she had modified their profiling forms to fit her own preferences. The agents would then use white boards or walls to map out a murder board for any given investigation. Reports used to be typed out, saved on secure servers, and only be accessed from specific computers.
With Bit’s expertise and suggestions, the process at S&E Investigations had been streamlined and upgraded to a software application that he had created from scratch. Every team member had access to the program. Whenever information was entered into the various forms, documents and photographs uploaded, or the profile itself had been updated, each member would then get a notification on their electronic tablets. With every single piece of intelligence in one place, it helped simplify the way they worked a case.
Brook took time to slip back into her favorite pair of black high heels before she walked across the marble tile. She had an area rug in the sitting area, but it was only large enough to accommodate the black leather couch, a matching set of chairs, and a glass coffee table. As she stepped out of her office, Arden had already made his way down the hallway to inform the others about the impromptu meeting.
She paused outside the office next to hers after noticing a framed photograph on the desk that hadn’t been there yesterday. The smaller space belonged to her silent business partner, but Graham Elliott was currently at Quantico for a special meeting. He’d managed to sneak in a picture of them without her knowing, and it was one that they’d taken together while on a vacation three weeks ago.
