Alex cleared his throat and sat up straighter, his usual professionalism back in full form. “I’m not half the profiler you are. I would rather you formed your own opinions. And he’s her ex-husband. They divorced years ago. He filed. She didn’t contest it.”
She started to flip through the file. “Then why would he start harassing her now? Especially if he’s the one who decided to leave?”
“That’s what’s thrown the cops off.” Ian finally took the seat at the head of the table. “Look, according to the cops, she’s somewhat suspicious.”
“Bullshit,” Adam said. “There was nothing suspicious about her.”
Jake thought about strangling his partner. He never knew when to shut up. He could practically hear Ian’s thoughts before he put them into words.
“Adam, don’t make me regret giving this to you. She is the client. Actually, she’s not the client. Lara Anderson is the client. Serena Brooks or Amber Rose or whatever you want to call her is to be handled carefully, and part of her handling is going to be figuring out what’s the truth and what’s complete fiction. She should know a little bit about fiction. She writes a bunch of it.”
“Are you trying to say she’s not trustworthy because she’s a writer? That’s ridiculous.” Grace looked ready to defend the author.
Ian held out a hand to stop her. “I’m saying she’s incredibly ambitious. The woman went from working part time at a retail store to publishing fifteen books in a two-year period. She learned the business very quickly. Lara said she’s never had a writer quite as prolific as Serena. She’s worked the whole e-publishing business to spectacular advantage, building a devoted following in a short period of time. A woman like that could use the publicity. Tell me, Grace, what is she known for? What types of books does she write? We all know it’s erotic, but there’s something more, isn’t there?”
Grace’s flushed face told Jake that Ian was right.
Ian shook his head in a brief arc. He wasn’t going to take silence for an answer. Ian rarely asked questions for which he wasn’t pretty damn sure of what the answer would be. “And what types of plots does she write?”
“Suspense.” Grace sighed. “She’s known for writing great suspense plots. Damn it, Ian, that doesn’t mean she’s making this up.”
“Has she ever written a stalker book?”
Grace’s head shook, but her words told the truth. “Three Riders, One Love. The heroine was being stalked. She ran to a small town and found her lovers there. But she’s also written serial killer books and books that feature Russian mafia hit men. They haven’t shown up in her life.”
Ian’s fingers drummed against the desk. “She’s very creative. This would make a great story. Aren’t all writers looking for a little publicity?”
“Then why hasn’t she publicized it?” Jake was a little surprised he’d said the words out loud. He’d intended to stay completely neutral, but those big green eyes were haunting him. Now that everyone else was leveling accusations, he felt a need to defend her a little.
Ian’s shoulder came up in a negligent shrug. “Maybe she’s waiting for the right time. I’m sure she has a book that will launch sometime soon.”
“Two weeks,” Grace said.
Eve looked Grace’s way. “Could you give me a list of her books? You can tell a lot about a writer from her work. Writers can be…unstable. They can also be wonderfully sane. Rather like the rest of the world. The good thing about writers is they usually give you a view of their soul, right there on paper. Well, in her case, on an e-reader.”
Ian frowned. “Just buy the books and expense it. That’s going to look great on our tax forms. Mommy Porn.”
“It’s not porn.” Grace practically fumed.
“You know what they say about porn, you know it when you see it.” Ian slapped his hand against the desk, a sure sign that they would be dismissed. “Start tonight, you two. And bring her into the office to meet with Eve tomorrow afternoon. And Adam, try not to sleep with her until we figure out whether or not she’s fooling us all.”
Adam gave him a snappy salute. “I will try, chief.”
Ian sighed as though he knew Adam wouldn’t try very hard. “Don’t fuck up.”
Jake sighed. At least he had his marching orders. Don’t fuck up. If only he hadn’t fucked up so brutally in the past, he might actually look forward to the assignment.
Chapter Four
Adam couldn’t help the thrill of excitement he felt as Jake pulled the SUV into Serena Brooks’ drive. He hadn’t expected to see her again so soon—maybe not at all. He’d felt a connection to her the moment he’d seen her. He didn’t even want to deny it. He was naturally optimistic. The thing with Grace hadn’t worked out. She was happy with Sean. Adam was happy for her. Now it was his and Jake’s time to find what they needed. He had the strangest feeling Serena Brooks was it.
Her house was a neat little ranch-style house in a fashionable section of Dallas. It wasn’t Highland Park, but it was certainly upper middle class. According to his records, this wasn’t the home she’d shared with her husband.
Her yard was lush and green, the house set back amidst a small copse of old trees. There was a small patio at the front of the house with a little fountain. It was hidden by Spanish style walls and a gated entry that wouldn’t keep a three-year-old out. It was a lovely house, but tactically it was a bit of a nightmare.
“Fuck,” Jake said as he put the SUV in park. “I hope her backyard is bare.”
“Probably not. It’s more than likely as much of a nightmare as the front.” Adam knew what Jake objected to. There were far too many places to hide in that front yard. It wouldn’t be difficult at all to conceal a body in any number of places. The trees were huge. The porch itself was surrounded by lovely brick walls, covered in ivy. Adam was sure it was beautiful in the daylight, but in the gloom of night, all he could think was how easy it would be to hide there and attack the lovely homeowner as she searched for her keys.
“She parks in the driveway. That means she has to walk all the way across the yard. Anyone could walk right up to her and force her to let him in the house.” Jake’s low, angry voice gave Adam a tiny bit of hope. He wouldn’t be this upset if Serena Brooks hadn’t moved him in some way.