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“No. The storage area isn’t locked. Anyone could’ve gone up there. Forensic technicians dusted the door handles for prints but everything was smeared. Not that it would have done us much good if Olivia’s stalker is an employee of Oak Gardens, but I was hoping it would narrow the suspect pool down.”
“We didn’t have any luck with the key or the lockbox on the wall in the ballroom,” Eli added. “No fingerprints. And the secretary who works the front desk can’t remember the last time she saw the key in the cabinet. Nor can the head of maintenance. We have no idea when the stalker took it. Apparently, that particular key is tucked in the back of the cabinet and is only used when the crew comes to service the chandelier.”
Cole’s hand tightened on the handle of his coffee mug as frustration bled into his voice. “What about witnesses?”
Felicity frowned. Her dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, which she tossed over her shoulder as she cut into her cake. “No one saw anything. I did interview Randy Higgins. He was in the kitchen with half a dozen witnesses when the chandelier fell. He’s not our guy.”
Olivia sighed. “I don’t know whether to be relieved about that or not.”
Neither did Cole. “The stalker has to be someone associated with Oak Gardens, right? How else would he have known how to work the chandelier.”
“I agree it needs to be someone who’s been there and is familiar with the place, but it might not be a current employee.” Eli rubbed at his tired eyes. “Oak Gardens has cycled through dozens of waitstaff, maintenance workers, and temporary kitchen help in the last three years. The venue owner, Martha Waterford, provided a list of the current and former employees but it’ll take time to go through them all.”
Olivia bit her lip. “What about David? He’s familiar with Oak Gardens and he’s seen how they operate the chandelier. We were there once while a crew was cleaning the crystals.”
Jackson shook his head. “David has an alibi.”
“Is it his mother?” Cole rolled his eyes.
Every one of the rangers laughed. They all knew that family members often lied for each other to law enforcement.
“Not this time,” Jackson said. “David was at the Houston Intercontinental Hotel, attending mandatory new-hire training. Witnesses can place him there during the time of the chandelier incident. He didn’t do it.”
Olivia shoved aside her uneaten slice of cake. “I don’t understand. If David and Randy aren’t involved, then where does that leave us?”
“Without a suspect.” This time, Cole couldn’t keep the frustration from bleeding into his voice. “What about the notes from the stalker? Have forensics found anything that can help us?”
Eli shook his head. “Unfortunately not. The paper can be bought at any major office supply store. The handwriting is consistent, so they were written by the same person, but there were no unknown fingerprints on them. I’ve reviewed all the evidence Chief Sims collected, as well as everything from the break-in, and the attack on Olivia at the park. We’ve got nothing solid.” He blew out a breath, frustration evident in the crease of his brows. “We’re no closer to identifying the perpetrator than we were a few days ago. Whoever is behind this has covered his tracks very well.”
“This definitely isn’t his first time. What about the jewelry stolen from Olivia’s house?”
“It hasn’t shown up at any of the local pawn shops. It’s possible he’s selling it online.” Eli shrugged. “If so, it’ll be hard to track.”
Cole pushed away from the table. His mind whirled, trying to make sense of what he knew. “Something about this case doesn’t add up. I can’t figure out why the perpetrator, who’d broken into Olivia’s house before, suddenly decided to steal her jewelry. It doesn’t jive with the other well-planned attacks.”
“Maybe he needs the cash.” Jackson sipped his coffee. “Or, like you said the other day, we could be looking at two people.”
Felicity made a noise of disagreement. “The stalker is obsessed with Olivia. Someone like that wants to be close to her, wants to touch her things and invade her space. It gives him the high he’s looking for. He wouldn’t hire someone to do it.”
“I agree. All things being equal, a stalker obsessed with his target wants to be close to her.” Cole frowned. He’d spent more time thinking about the chandelier incident. His instincts were good, and while Olivia was gorgeous, Cole couldn’t accept he was so enraptured that he’d neglected to pay attention to his surroundings. A law enforcement officer never let down his guard. Not even during his personal time. If someone had been watching them from behind the black curtain, Cole was certain he would’ve felt eyes on him. “But I’ve been with Olivia for days and haven’t spotted anyone watching her. Eli has been out with her many times while planning his wedding and never noticed anyone suspicious.”
“What are you saying?”
“When the pieces don’t fit, I go back to the beginning and start questioning everything I think I know.” Cole drummed his fingers on the table. “We assumed from the notes that we’re looking for someone obsessed with Olivia. What if that’s wrong? What if the person after her just wants everyone to believe she’s being stalked?”
The crease in Felicity’s brows deepened. “Why would he do that?”
“To cover his tracks. To hide the real motive for hurting Olivia.”
Olivia inhaled sharply. Her hand came up to cover her mouth as an expression of horror seeped into her beautiful eyes. “Oh no.” She shook her head, as if trying to deny the train of her thoughts. “I… I… no, it couldn’t be.”
Cole straightened. His pulse picked up speed. “What is it?”
She lowered her hand. Her fingers trembled. “Aaron’s brother. His name is Justin Perry. He’s currently in state prison, serving fifteen years for a drug charge.” Olivia met Cole’s gaze. “I’m the reason he’s in prison.”
Out of the corner of Cole’s eye, he spotted Eli take out his cell phone. Probably to do a background check on Justin Perry. Cole focused on Olivia. A flush colored her cheeks and the horrified expression was still etched on her beautiful features. He couldn’t bear to see her so upset, and while he didn’t like hearing about Justin for the first time now, that fact didn’t stop him from reaching for Olivia’s hand. “Explain to me why Justin might want to hurt you.”
She sucked in a breath and then let it go slowly. “When I was dating Aaron, Justin was in the throes of a gambling addiction. He’d lost his house and was living out of his car. Aaron used to help him out financially but, at some point, had enough. Justin started also using drugs and that’s when things got really ugly. Justin threatened Aaron. There were a few fights that nearly came to blows…”
