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Theo laughed at Brook’s last statement, and Sylvie moaned with displeasure.
Ever since the team had discovered that Brook was acquaintances with Jordan Miles, they’d all wondered what favors he owed her to allow the firm to use Miles Therapeutics’ private jet. They would continue to wallow in their curiosity, because that information would stay between Brook and Jordan.
Brook didn’t ask Sylvie how she was doing this morning for a couple of reasons. One, doing so in front of the others was rude. Two, Sylvie would more than likely talk to Bit over anyone else due to their close friendship. She knew where to find Brook should she be needed. As it stood, Sylvie appeared in much better spirits today, though that might have been in part to Arden brewing her up a special cup of English Breakfast tea with a hint of honey and cinnamon.
“Let’s get started,” Brook said as she took a seat in her usual chair without relinquishing the caramel macchiato that Arden had made for her a few moments ago. The steam from the cup warmed her lips right before she savored the rich beverage. “What have you discovered about Bella Kadel?”
“Bella Kadel was twenty-eight years old at the time of her death,” Theo said he began to tick off the details that he’d unearthed in under twenty-four hours. “She grew up in Harbor, graduated from Harbor University with a bachelor’s degree in art history, which ultimately landed her the assistant curator job at Harbor Art Gallery.”
Brook pushed her chair to the side so that she could see the 4k monitor. Bella’s picture was in the upper lefthand part of the screen. The young woman was smiling for the camera as the Chesapeake Bay served as the backdrop. The wind had caused some of her long blonde strands to blow around her, and she’d been in the process of tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Her light brown eyes had been focused on whoever had been taking the picture, but it was obvious that she had been happy in that moment.
“I know that Bit has more information regarding his online search, but I did scroll back to Lorelei Jameson’s social media post from a year ago where she’d shared her sister’s obituary. According to the comments, Bella seemed to be well-liked and respected by everyone.” Theo gestured toward the screen. “I also uploaded every single account user who either liked, shared, or commented on that specific post.”
The entire team was aware that certain unsubs liked to insert themselves into the lives of those left behind. Doing so somehow made them feel closer to their victims.
“Family dynamics?” Brook asked as she continued to enjoy her morning beverage. She’d wanted to wait to hear what information came out of this morning’s meeting before starting on a profile, and she most likely wouldn’t even begin until tomorrow after she’d had time to review all the material herself. With Graham in Somalia, she’d almost certainly order in a pepperoni and mushroom pizza and hunker down in her office until the wee hours of the morning. “Were Lorelei and Bella close? Parents? Other siblings?”
“Mother and father moved down to Sarasota, Florida five years ago. One aunt still resides in Maryland, but she lives in Baltimore. Bella’s ex-boyfriend lives in Harbor. Michael Davis is his name. They were together for two years before breaking things off from what I can gather, but I won’t know for sure until I speak with him.” Theo held the stylus to his tablet as he glanced over at Bit, who hadn’t once looked up from his laptop. He had one of those yellow stress balls that he was tossing back and forth in front of him as he stared at the screen. “From what I can gather, Lorelei and Bella were very close.”
“How old is Lorelei?”
“Thirty-two.”
“Same circle of friends?”
“From what I could tell, yes,” Theo replied, though he was shaking his head to indicate that there was more to the story. “I know it sounds odd, but Harbor comes across like a fictional town. Quaint. Near the bay. Numerous events taking place almost every weekend. It’s like the residents live in a bubble.”
“Have you ever watched a Lifetime movie?” Sylvie asked as she glanced up from her leatherbound notebook. Her right eyebrow was arched over her black-rimmed glasses in genuine curiosity. “Every town like that has secrets, and I bet Bella had friends that Lorelei didn’t approve of at one time or another.”
“Arden, I noticed that you scanned in all of the criminal reports that you were emailed by the local police,” Brook said as she shifted slightly so that she could rest her elbow on the chair. “What are we dealing with when it comes to the detective in charge of the case?”
“Detective Caleb Hartley. Young.” Arden would have continued, but he caught three of them staring at him with uncertainty. Bit was still distracted, though Brook had no doubt that he’d heard every word said in the meeting. “Fine. Young to me. Thirty-three years of age. Anyway, he’s the son of a former chief. I’m assuming he’ll eventually step into that role. As for the man’s view on private investigation firms, he knows of S&E Investigations, as well as the consulting agreement that we have with the FBI. I do believe that was why he was so willing to hand over the criminal reports on the Bella Kadel case.”
Brook got the sense that Detective Hartley hadn’t been as forthcoming with the latest murder, but she didn’t want to veer off topic from their main focus just yet.
“As we already know from Lorelei Jameson, she went over to her sister’s cottage and discovered Bella dead on the couch,” Theo said, picking up where Arden had left off. “A clear plastic bag had been placed over the victim’s head, and the cause of death matched the scene.”
“No sign of a break-in, and no other physical marks on the victim,” Arden added on, having gotten into a rhythm with the others. He was becoming more accustomed to the way they conducted investigations. “As a matter of fact, Detective Hartley went out of his way to specify in his report just how pristine the interior of the home was given that a murder had occurred at the property.”
Theo reached for the remote on the table and pressed a few buttons until several crime scene photographs appeared to the right of Bella Kadel’s picture. The stark contrast between them was staggering, but the detective had been accurate about the description of the cottage. Not even the throw pillows and blankets in the living room had been disturbed by the murder, which led Brook to believe the unsub had taken time to stage the scene.
“Suspects?” Brook asked as she continued to study the photographs.
“None.” Arden cleared his throat before continuing with the highlights of the report. “The neighbors heard nothing on the night in question. According to friends and family, there was nothing unusual about Bella’s behavior in the weeks leading up to her murder.”
“That’s not exactly true,” Brook murmured as she slowly stood from her chair. Keeping her mug in hand, she took the few steps toward the monitor so that she could get a better look at the plastic bag. “Lorelei Jameson mentioned during our phone call that Bella was concerned about one of her artists. I’d like to know the identity of that individual, as well as the reason behind Bella’s unease. Arden, what do the reports say about the item used to secure the plastic bag?”
“A silver chain with small links,” he replied without having to consult his notes.
“Did Detective Hartley send over the case files for the most recent murder?”
“In a manner of speaking, but only the press releases,” Arden responded with displeasure. “The detective basically said that our firm was hired to investigate Bella Kadel’s murder, not the second victim.”
Brook wasn’t looking forward to having a confrontation with Detective Hartley, but if there was even the slightest evidence that the two murder cases were connected, Brook would go over his head. If Hartley was gunning for the position of chief, that meant someone else would lose his or her job.
“Piper Zimmer is the name of the second victim.” Sylvie reached for her tea before sitting back in her chair. “Twenty-six years of age, brunette, and a real estate agent. According to the news, Piper’s mother was the one who discovered her daughter’s body. Piper had a clear plastic bag over her head. Bit used one of his applications and did an online search for her name, and Piper’s best friend posted a memorial of sorts. In the comments was someone who claimed that a thin gold chain had been used to keep the plastic bag secure over Piper’s head.”
“Whoever commented on the post must have gotten that information from Mrs. Zimmer,” Theo said as he pushed his chair back far enough so that he could rest his right ankle on his knee. “I’ll see what I can find out about the chains.”
