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While Graham had made a lot of enemies in his life, which he'd stressed to Theo during their talk, the man who had paid him an unannounced visit had nothing to do with his time in the service. Hell, it had nothing to do with him at all, and everything to do with Brook.
While the man had made it hard for Graham or anyone else besides Brook to recognize him, Graham had full confidence in his judgement that her brother had walked through the front door of his residence without a care in the world. His decision to do so was significant, and it displayed a weakness that only an enemy would be able to detect.
Jacob Walsh's arrogance would be his downfall.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Brooklyn Sloane
January 2022
Wednesday — 10:21pm
Brookusedthesmallkey card that she had attached to her keyring to activate the doors on her building. She was only stopping at her condo in order to get a quick change of clothes. One of the officers at the station had bumped into her when she had been carrying two cups of coffee back to the observation room. Needless to say, the front of her jacket and the blouse underneath had been soaked with the contents. The only reason that she hadn't burned herself more severely was due to her wool blazer. She didn't doubt that her skin was still red from the heat, though.
The fact that Mason had gotten Derek to admit that the woman killed had been on a dating app that he'd swiped to declined had been a miracle, but that was basically where the information had ended. Whatever else had been discussed between the two men had ended when Derek had decided to finally call in a lawyer. This one had been local, and he'd basically told Derek not to say another word while bail was being arranged.
Nick Dorn still hadn't been located, and Les Snyder was still in custody. She had Theo keeping tabs on both cases while she met up with Bit and Sylvie at the office. The unsub was reacting versus planning, which meant that a mistake had probably been made within the last twenty-four hours. They just needed to find the thread that needed to be pulled.
Brook hadn't blamed Mason for bowing out of the situation. She even highly doubted that he'd gone to aid Les Snyder in his case. This entire investigation was getting out of hand, and the unsub had seen to it that they were all running around like scattered chickens escaping the clutches of the farmer with his axe.
"Good evening, Miss Sloane," Lou greeted her from his seat behind the large station in the foyer. "It sure is a cold one tonight. I'm glad to see that you chose to come home earlier than usual. I just heard on the radio that the storm is slowing down. As a matter of fact, they fear that the storm might stall out above us. We might be in for a foot of snow by tomorrow night, if not more."
Lou and Charlie were basically the only ones who hadn't treated her differently after the news had broken that she was Jacob's sister. She was damn good at reading people, and neither one had come across as disingenuous. They truly seemed to feel for her situation, and they also appeared to realize that she wanted to keep everything status quo. She didn't want to discuss her past, she didn't want it to be a point of contention, and she simply wanted to carry on with her daily life as if nothing had even happened.
"I'm only here for a change of clothes, Lou. I've got to head back to the office," Brook explained as she tried to dry off her boots on the industrial rug as best she could. "I should have a few hours before everything slows down or closes. Besides, you know my work building is only two blocks away."
Lou frowned in disappointment upon hearing her plans. He really was a sweet man, and he only had the best intentions toward the tenants of the building. He was older than Charlie, and he was also a bit wiser.
Truthfully, she had a soft spot for him, and it had taken her a few days before admitting that she'd been relieved upon him addressing her no differently than before the media leak. He'd adored Mrs. Upton. Had the roles been reversed, she wasn't sure she wouldn't have harbored a bit of resentment toward the person responsible.
Technically, that would be Jacob, but she was an extension of him.
"You really shouldn't be out there in this weather, Miss Sloane. What if something were to happen?"
Brook had almost made it to the elevator bank when she pulled up short. Lou hadn't really been referencing the weather. He was concerned for her due to Jacob still being out there somewhere, but she wasn't so sure of that anymore. He could very well be on the West Coast or even in another country. She would have sworn that Jacob would have reached out to her after hearing about her plans to sit down with Jennifer Madsen.
Unfortunately, he'd gone completely silent.
The last time he'd done that, he'd vanished years before resurfacing in her life.
"Like I said, Lou," Brook replied, not wanting to address the underlying meaning of his words. She wanted to keep feigning that nothing had changed. Sheneededthe pretense for her mental wellbeing. "I've already parked my car underneath the awning across the street. It'll be like taking a stroll in a winter wonderland tonight. I could use a little after-holiday spirit. Have a good night, Lou."
It wasn't like Brook wouldn't see him again on her way out of the building. She would wait until then to focus the departing conversation on him. During weather events such as the one that was about to descend upon them, he would usually stay in one of the apartments reserved for the staff during such incidents.
It didn't take long for Brook to reach her floor. Seeing as she'd gone the last two months without anyone else sharing the small private hallway that led to her front door and that of the condo where Mrs. Upton used to reside, Brook had gotten used to being the only one coming and going. To say that she was taken aback by the appearance of a tall man after the elevator doors had slowly opened was an understatement.
"You must be my neighbor."
Brook had seen Bit's email regarding the background check into Colin Vogel. With the turn in the day's events, she hadn't had time to review it. Had there been anything sketchy about him, she had to trust that Bit would have given her a warning. Either way, she would read over the file with a fine-tooth comb once she had a moment to breathe.
Colin Vogal was at least an inch or two over six feet. He sported a stylish haircut that required products, but there was something very masculine about him that no doubt drew the ladies to him. He wasn't wearing a suit, but he might as well have been given the way he carried himself. The black trousers with a matching dress shirt underneath an off-white sweater was visible beneath his yet-to-be fastened black dress coat.
"And you must be the lawyer with the perfect credit rating," Brook replied, attempting to keep things brief. She stepped off the elevator and held her arm to the side in order to keep the doors open. "I'm Brook. If you ever need sugar, I'm probably not the one to ask. It's my mission to keep the meal delivery people employed for the rest of my life."
Brook loathed small talk, but she had done her best to let him know that she wasn't in the market for new friends.
Technically, she had no friends.
