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Theo had given his answer rather succinctly, and Sylvie nodded her agreement, albeit a bit slowly. She obviously believed that Brook should have been more forthcoming regarding the body found in Maine.
Well, Brook couldn’t change the past.
"I think that was Big T's way of saying that he's staying," Bit replied, grabbing his can off the desk. It was probably a good thing that Theo hadn't heard his new nickname. "Have you seen the size of his biceps? They're as big as my thighs. Anyway, count me in. I can't resist the smell of brand-new hardware!"
Sylvie cleared her throat in disapproval, but Bit was already halfway out the door.
"He grows on you," Brook reassured her.
"I won't be happy if he starts calling me Tinkerbell," Sylvie muttered as she stood from the table, clearly having been bullied on the playground at some point for her petite size. It didn't surprise Brook in the least when the analyst pushed her chair against the table to its original position. She was the utmost professional who followed the rules, and who might be a tad OCD with every aspect of her life. Maybe it was good that she had to work so closely with someone like Bit. They might even complement one another. "I'll pass on the severance package. Besides, we work in what is probably going to be one of the most secure places in the city. There is a bank below us, and Bit keeps talking about some biometric eye scanner. As far as my apartment building goes, it's like Fort Knox. I'll be extra careful, though."
"Can I grab you for a minute?" Bit asked as he stuck his head back into the room. Brook caught the way that Sylvie stared at his chair in annoyance, which had been left a good three feet from the table. "You can be my Guinea pig. I think it's best we get that biometric scanner up and running, especially since the General is in the house today."
"Sylvie, don't underestimate Jacob Walsh," Brook warned, not liking the flippant demeanor of someone who was the most cautious of the team. Brook also ignored Bit's odd lingo, knowing there was nothing anyone could do to change his unique personality. The only saving grace was that he'd opted not to give Graham a nickname. "That goes for both of you. Working here means that you're going to have to become extremely vigilant. Leave no doubt in your mind that you've taken every precaution."
"We know, Boss."
Sylvie appeared to want to add something to Bit's reply, but she closed her parted lips and gave a slight nod of acknowledgement before walking out of the conference room ahead of him.
Brook waited until she was alone to close her eyes and take a deep breath. She tried the exercises that her therapist had suggested, but they did nothing to ease the knot in her stomach. Dr. Neil Swift's usefulness was coming to an end.
There was no denying that the day had taken a turn and spiraled out of control. There had to be a way to control the narrative, and she was afraid that Graham's idea to give a statement to the press might be the only way to go.
Would Jacob disappear for a while now that the spotlight was on her?
There was a slim chance that Jacob's ego would get the best of him. He wasn't afraid of the FBI, nor would he ever take their bait. His actions were too methodical, and he always thought through every scenario with every choice he made. Still, he might decide to let things cool down for a while. She'd have to guard against wishful thinking.
She, in turn, made the calculated decision to continue with her daily routine. If Jacob was monitoring her every move, she wouldn't put it past him to make contact with her in spite of the ongoing surveillance. Possibly somewhere in public.
As a matter of fact, he'd even enjoy doing so.
Patience was considered a virtue, but in her case, patience was a necessity.
Chapter Six
Graham Elliott
January 2022
Monday — 9:51am
WhiletheofficesofS&E Investigations had been designed with a modern flare, the furniture was top of the line and meant to be extremely comfortable. Graham had no issue with the black guest chairs that had been positioned in front of Theo's desk, but the sensitive topic that they had been discussing was another matter altogether. The discussion of his daughter's death was what was making the interview pure torture.
With that said, Theo had been thoughtful in how he'd posed each question in an effort to not inflict any undue mental distress on him. Theo needed answers, and Graham was not a suspect.
The reason why Brook had hired the former federal agent was obvious, and he appeared to be handling his physical limitation as best as anyone could in that situation. The drawbacks of having an agent with his type of impediment were vastly outweighed by the skillset that he brought to the firm.
Surprisingly, he hadn't touched the eyepatch in a conscientious manner since they'd been talking for the past hour. Graham could only imagine the emotional toll that the man had undergone with not only being relegated to a desk at the FBI, but also simultaneously dealing with the loss of his dominant eye. He would have to learn to shoot using his left eye.
"What about your wife?" Theo asked as he wrote something down on a small pad of paper. It wasn't the large kind that Sylvie had used in the morning's debriefing regarding the case, but it was the kind that agents or police officers used out in the field when questioning witnesses. "Did she happen to mention anything unusual in the months leading up to your daughter's death?"
Graham didn't particularly like talking about his wife to strangers, but Theo Neville was just doing the job that he'd been assigned. It was most likely the reason why he wasn't dwelling on his injury. Graham could relate to throwing oneself into his work to escape his own personal demons.
"Mr. Elliott?"
Graham cleared his throat as he gave Theo his full attention. It was best to get this questioning over with so that Brook and her team could get down to business.
Hell, Graham had known the moment that he'd decided to talk Brook into running this firm that his life would be dissected piece by piece. To give Kelsey and himself some closure, he'd gotten the best of the best.
