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“No.”
“Well, you’ll have to reach out to Martin Kingston’s lawyer then. Emily is no longer working at the café,” Chief Rogan explained as he reached for a pad of paper. He took a pen that was clipped to his pocket and jotted down a name and number. “Emily is currently packing for a holiday trip that the family has decided to take this month.”
Brook didn’t react to the news. She casually leaned forward and took the post-it note before folding the small piece of paper in two.
“Did Martin Kingston have any ties to Bella Kadel?”
“Not to my knowledge,” Chief Rogan replied with a frown. “I don’t like where you’re going with this, Ms. Sloane. I’ve known Mr. Kingston my entire life. He’s an upstanding citizen, and he’s done a lot for this town.”
“What about Piper Zimmer?” Brook asked, ignoring the chief’s endorsement. “Martin Kingston owns a lot of real estate around here. Miss Zimmer was a real estate agent. I’m assuming that their paths crossed at some point?”
“I wouldn’t know, Ms. Sloane.” Chief Rogan was about to bring their conversation to a close, but Brook wasn’t ready to leave quite yet. “If you have any questions regarding Mr. Kingston, I suggest you reach out to his lawyer.”
“Why doesn’t Robert Jameson trust that your department will solve his sister-in-law’s murder?” Brook could see that the turn in conversation had taken the chief of police by surprise. She tilted her head slightly as she monitored his reaction. “Is it because of you or Detective Hartley?”
For the first time since Brook had entered the man’s office, his posture relaxed while a knowing smile began to form on his thin lips.
“Hartley didn’t come clean with you about Lorelei Jameson, did he?”
Brook didn’t bat an eyelash at the sudden twist, much to the obvious dismay of Chief Rogan. Her lack of reaction fueled him to give details without her ever requesting them.
“Hartley tied one on at a social event about a year and a half ago. He made a pass at Lorelei Jameson, and her husband found out about it after the fact.” Chief Rogan shook his head in amusement. He seemed pleased to be discussing someone other than Martin Kingston. “Let’s just say that the three of them avoid each other as much as possible.”
“Then how was Hartley able to run a proper investigation into Bella Kadel’s death?” Brook inquired as she continued to hold onto the small post-it note. “And why would you allow Hartley to run point as lead detective if you were aware of the reason behind such tension?”
Chief Rogan narrowed his eyes in contempt at the accusation of misconduct, but he was the one who’d opened the door to that conversation. She would hazard to guess that the chief of police knew when to land a blow given that Hartley’s intention was to take the man’s job.
“Hartley handled himself just fine,” Chief Rogan stated evenly as he pushed back his chair to signal that he’d had just about enough of their small talk. It was good to know that the man had some decency when it came to his subordinates. “Hartley’s slighted feelings didn’t compromise the investigation, and we had several men and women working on Kadel’s case over the past year. I’m sure that Hartley shared with you that the plastic bag wasn’t the same, and the chains around their necks were different. These cases aren’t related, but you do you, Ms. Sloane.”
Hartley or Larson must have shared with the chief that Brook believed the two murders were connected, yet they hadn’t informed their superior about the discovery of said belts around the victims’ necks. Brook didn’t see a reason to pour gasoline on the fire, so she kept the details regarding the designer belts to herself for the time being.
“I will do me, Chief Rogan.” Brook collected her purse and took her time tucking the information that the chief had given her into the side pocket. The first thing that she would do upon leaving the station was call Theo even though he’d already driven into town shortly before she left the house. He almost certainly had knowledge of Emily Park’s resignation by now. “And I’m glad to know you have such faith in Detective Hartley. You see, Iwasable to find a connection between the cases. With the help of Detective Hartley, of course. As a consultant with the Bureau, S&E Investigations will officially be taking over both murder cases from this point forward. I don’t doubt that your department will cooperate with my firm.”
The tension in the office thickened, and the lines on Chief Rogan’s forehead became deeper as the reality of what she’d just explained took hold. He could play politics all he wanted, but every single decision was now out of his hands.
For some reason, probably to do with Hartley’s intention to take the man’s job one day, the detective hadn’t informed his superior that everything now fell under federal jurisdiction. It also appeared that Detective Hartley and Officer Lawson kept their oaths about not leaking specific details about the unsub. Hartley might not agree with her profile, but Brook now had a soft spot for the detective. She understood why he wanted to be sitting behind the desk that she was still facing as she secured the strap of her purse over her right shoulder.
“Thank you for your candor, Chief Rogan.”
Brook closed the distance to the door. Lawson was waiting for her, leaning against the closest desk with his arms folded across his chest. His gaze slid from hers to somewhere or someone to her left. Surprisingly, Hartley was walking briskly toward her with a scowl on his face.
“Walk with me.”
Brook fell into step beside him as they continued around the bullpen to the front waiting room. Once the two of them made it out onto the sidewalk, she had no choice but to fasten the button on her coat and adjust her scarf to keep the cold wind off her neck. She then reached into her purse for her leather gloves.
“I conducted the case to the best of my ability,” Hartley stated.
“Did I say that you didn’t?”
Brook had to turn slightly so that the bitter gusts weren’t hitting her directly in the face. She finally managed to get her gloves on both hands, which was when she gave him her undivided attention.
“Rogan probably suggested it, and I don’t need him going back and checking my reports.” Hartley sighed in frustration and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Look, you and I might not agree on everything, but I do believe that the motive behind the murders stem from either the art gallery or Maxwell Vanderbilt. I would like to be there tonight, but Rogan is going to do his best to put up a roadblock in front of me.”
“Rogan clearly doesn’t want you to get any credit for helping in a federal investigation,” Brook surmised, understanding Hartley’s difficult position. “He still had your back, though I wouldn’t keep it turned, if I were you. As for the sake of appearances, I made it seem as if Rogan didn’t have a choice but to lend you out. You should be free and clear for a while.”
Brook hadn’t wasted anytime getting straight to the point. She hated being cold, and the icy winds coming in off the bay were seeping into her bones.
“Why?”
