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Lina turned to her friend. “Just to prepare you, in our house, a doggie bag means enough food for a pack of Huskies.”
Laughter bubbled up in Brianna’s throat. “Now why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“It’s so good to hear you laugh,” Lina said quietly. “Lately, there hasn’t been much cause for it.”
Silence hung in the air, a silence that was broken by Donna clearing her throat.
She set down her coffee cup, clearly about to approach her next topic with caution. “Lina mentioned something about you going through a difficult time—one that involved a level of danger, or I’d never even bring it up. I know you’ve been staying at her apartment this week. If I’m intruding, please tell me. But we’d like to help if we can.”
Brianna was touched by the offer—and surprised by the realization that she wanted to fill Lina’s parents in. Maybe it was because she was vulnerable. Maybe it was because they were so much like Lina—warm and caring—and making her feel like part of their family tonight. Or maybe it was because the urge to share was too strong to ignore.
“I’m being stalked,” she heard herself say. “Not just stalked but closed in on. The situation is out of hand.” She proceeded to tell them everything, concluding with her hiring Forensic Instincts to ensure her safety and to stop Dr. Hanover.
“My God.” Donna’s eyes were filled with worry. “I had no idea… You poor thing. Why don’t you stay here with us? I realize the commute would be lengthy, but our security system is far superior to Lina’s.”
“That’s a very kind offer,” Brianna replied gratefully. “And I thank you. But I feel a lot less alone since I’ve been bunking at Lina’s. Between her and my other friends, I make sure there’s always someone with me. And Forensic Instincts assigned a security guard to me. Dr. Hanover won’t get past him.” She gave a tiny shiver. “I just wish this were over and he was in jail, where he belongs. He’s a sick man.”
Joseph’s brows were drawn and his head was inclined as he processed Brianna’s every word. “I’ve certainly heard of Forensic Instincts,” he said. “They’ve solved some high-profile cases. Their reputation is stellar.” He paused. “Still, even the best investigative firm has just so much man power to go around. I have quite a few contacts, including some in law enforcement, some in private investigating, and some at NYU. I’d be happy to make a few phone calls—to give Forensic Instincts a little help.”
“That’s a great idea!” Lina turned to Brianna. “Dad knows everyone. He’s got a ton of political supporters and zillions of contacts from his years practicing law.”
“I…” Brianna was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. “I really appreciate your kindness. But I just hired Forensic Instincts and I don’t want to offend them by implying I doubt their abilities. Maybe if things aren’t going well…”
“I understand,” Joseph replied immediately. “I didn’t mean to bombard you. I’m just not liking what I’m hearing. This Hanover guy sounds like a psychopath. But I understand you’re already on overload. So stick with Forensic Instincts for now. Just know that my offer stands if you change your mind.” A pause. “Also, I’m sure they’re expensive. I’d be happy to contribute to their fee—make it a loan if you’d prefer.”
“Once again, I thank you.” Brianna met his gaze, hers filled with gratitude. “But so far, I’m okay. And I’m sure my parents will help out if I’m not.”
“They don’t know, do they?” Donna asked.
“No.” Brianna sighed. “I’ve been protecting them like crazy. I know how freaked out this will make them. But things have escalated to the point where I have no choice. I’ll go over there this weekend and fill them in.”
“Do that. Trust me. No matter how much it upsets them, they’ll want to know.” Donna’s expression was nostalgic and tears glistened on her lashes. “Parents don’t stop loving and worrying about their children once they’ve grown up. You may feel like an adult, but to your mom and dad, you’ll always be their baby. That’s how we feel about Lina.”
“Come on, Mom, don’t get all mushy,” Lina said, squirming a bit. “It’s embarrassing.”
“I think it’s wonderful,” Brianna said, unused to such open displays of emotion, yet deeply touched by this one. “I also think your mom is right. My parents will take this hard. But they’d be devastated if I didn’t tell them. They’ll want to be a part of things, to do everything in their power to help.”
“And if they need backup, we’re here,” Joseph reminded her. “I know we just met tonight, but you’re Lina’s best friend, you’re a fine young woman, and you’re now part of our family. Whatever you need, all you have to do is ask.”
CHAPTER 9
As much as Emma loved playing Spy vs. Spy with her cool earrings, it took her just till the end of the week to figure out the traffic pattern on the hall where Hanover’s office was.
No surprise, daytime was a disaster. There was a ton of traffic—both students and faculty—setting up meetings, holding office hours, and chatting in the halls about coursework. After five o’clock wasn’t great, either, since professors seemed to show up then to collect material to take home.
Surprisingly, nighttime was also busy, but for a different reason. The custodial staff was all there, doing their thing both inside the offices and up and down the hallways. It took Emma one trip to size that one up, hiding in the shadows so she wouldn’t be seen.
So there were no weekday or weeknight opportunities for Casey and Claire to do their thing.
Hands down, the overall best shot they’d have was Sunday morning. Eve
ryone was either at church or sleeping in, and the halls were deadly quiet. The biggest problem here was that the buildings were locked tight on Sundays. Which would necessitate Emma “borrowing” a faculty member’s ID card to enable Casey and Claire to swipe their way in. No sweat on that front. Emma might be a retired pickpocket, but she was a damned good one.
Not so much on the grad student front; Emma was barely holding her own in Dr. Hanover’s course.
There were two things working in her favor. First, the arrogant bastard loved to pontificate and to hear his own voice, which immediately cut down on the need for Emma’s participation. And second, she had Casey, Ryan, and her earbuds. Whenever Hanover did shoot a question at Emma and her mind registered a total blank, either Ryan or Casey filled in that blank. That was a godsend since Hanover was like a shark smelling blood. He knew that Emma was struggling. So he threw a disproportionate number of questions that required complicated analyses in her direction.
The miserable shit had no idea that he was feeding right into Emma’s plan—a plan that was aided by the fact that, despite Hanover’s desire to humiliate her, he’d been eyeing her, subtly giving her the once-over every few minutes.
