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“Officer Soerig, you believe that Ms. Gwinn is telling the truth,” Brook stated quietly as she slipped her hands into the pockets of her black dress coat. “Don’t you?”
“Regardless of what I personally believe, the outcome of the investigation remains unchanged—there is no evidence linking Dr. David Kolsby to any reported crime in the District or any of the surrounding states.”
Officer Hadley Soerig appeared to be in her early thirties. She came across as competent and observant. She wasn’t a rookie. While she was biracial, the light green hue of her irises was rather prominent. Stunning, really. It was difficult to tell how long or short her hair was underneath her beanie. Her uniform was immaculate, she wore no jewelry, and she’d ensured from her position in the kitchen that she remained in full view of the occupants in the other room while speaking with Brook.
It was clear that Officer Soerig took pride in her work.
“Any personal opinions that I have concerning someone’s character are immaterial. I remain impartial while I’m in uniform.” Officer Soerig cleared her throat and nodded toward her partner. “Officer Hutchins has taken the appropriate photographs, and we’ll speak to Ms. Gwinn’s neighbors and landlord before vacating the premises. The cold temperatures contribute to busy shifts, as I’m sure you know from your time with the FBI. It’s why I sometimes unwind with a beer around six o’clock after working the day shift. You know, without the uniform on and all.”
Brook didn’t need additional time to catch onto the not-so-subtle hint that Officer Soerig was dropping like a truckload of bricks.
“Really? What local bar do you usually go to after your shift?” Brook asked casually as she monitored the three others in the living room. Officer Hutchins had engaged in conversation with Theo, which had allowed Millie to somewhat relax. “My team and I like this quaint pub on…”
Brook continued to make small talk with Officer Soerig, eventually garnering specific details about the name and address of the establishment that she would be at this evening at approximately six o’clock. Brook would make sure she was there to hear what the officer had to say about her initial impression of Dr. Kolsby, and also of Millie’s allegations.
“It was nice meeting you, Ms. Sloane.”
Officer Soerig eventually joined her partner before explaining to Millie what she should expect over the coming hours and days. Brook didn’t miss the way that Theo was monitoring the officer’s movements. Was he doing so out of curiosity over her professionalism or was his interest of a more personal nature?
Brook mentally shrugged off the question.
It wasn’t any of Brook’s business what Theo did or didn’t do on his own personal time.
He’d recently moved into her building, but his condo was located on the other side of the mirrored structure. Although they shared the same lobby, they didn’t utilize the same elevator bank, which was probably for the best. While Brook didn’t mind his close proximity, she also didn’t want her personal life put under a microscope by a work colleague. Such a revelation made her second-guess the dinner invitation that she’d handed out to Graham earlier this morning.
Brook rarely second-guessed herself, and she didn’t like that she was doing so now.
Her invite to Graham would stand.
She didn’t need to justify her actions to anyone.
Brook waited patiently for Officer Soerig and her partner to vacate the apartment, leaving Theo to follow suit to close the door behind them. It wouldn’t latch securely until the landlord was able to fix it sometime later today.
“Millie? Would you please walk us through what happened one more time?”
“I didn’t feel comfortable coming back to my apartment after leaving the pub.” Millie sighed before she took a seat on the couch. From the blemishes underneath her eyes, it was obvious that she hadn’t slept well last night. “I stayed with my sister and her family. I drove back to the city this morning.”
“Did you notice if anyone followed you out of the city?” Brook asked as she removed her dress coat. She laid it across her lap as she claimed a chair. “Did you see a vehicle close behind you? Maybe an unusual car parked near your sister’s residence?”
“No,” Millie responded with a shake of her head. “I would know, too. I’ve been keeping a close eye out for Dr. Kolsby.”
“That’s the problem,” Brook pointed out as Theo joined them. He sat down on the other end of the couch. “You’re so focused on Dr. Kolsby that you might be missing someone else. When you arrived home, where did you park? I noticed that this apartment building doesn’t have an attached garage. Did you park on the street or in the parking lot next door?”
“In the parking lot, but we don’t have designated spots. It’s basically first come, first serve.” Millie reached up and removed the hair tie that had kept her long strands in place. Her curls immediately sprang free from their restraint, surrounding her face. Now that her dark hair was against her cheeks, it was easier to notice her pallor. “No one was in or around the elevator, and no one was in my hallway. This proves that I was right, though.”
“All this proves is that someone broke into your apartment,” Brook countered, not wanting Millie to get ahead of herself. “Listen, Theo is going to stay behind and make sure that you arrive at the hospital for your shift. I want you to keep in sight of other people whenever possible during your shift. Do not make yourself an easy target. We have no idea what we are dealing with quite yet, and I would like to err on the side of caution.”
“Does this mean that you’ll take my case? I can’t pay much, but I’ll ask my sister if she can—“
“There’s no need for that, Ms. Gwinn.” Brook shared a knowing look with Theo. A decision had been made, and now it was time to get to work. “Yes, we are taking your case, though at no cost to you. It has always been our intention to work one or two investigations per year as pro-bono. A service to the community. Your case will be our first. Again, I’m not promising any particular result. There could be a chance that we investigate Dr. Kolsby and find him completely innocent. This is a very unusual investigation. I’m going to head back to the office while Theo remains with you until we can set up a protective detail. We will make sure that your apartment is secured prior to leaving the new keys with you during your shift. There will most likely be a security camera on your mantel when you get home. It will cover the front door and main room only. Once your security detail is in place, we can reevaluate the need for the electronic surveillance inside your home. I know it’s inconvenient, but we need to keep your safety our prime objective.”
Millie had secured the hair tie around her wrist so that her hands were free to run through her hair in relief. Her sigh was audible, and her shoulders sank with immediate respite.
“Thank you. Thank you so much,” Millie exclaimed with a short laugh, as if she couldn’t believe her luck. “And please, call me Millie.”
“Well, Millie,” Brook said as she stood from the chair. She draped her coat over her arm before picking up her purse. There was no need to put it on when she could potentially be waiting awhile downstairs in the lobby for a ride back to the office. “I’d like for you to continue your routine. Don’t stop working at the hospital, going out with your friends, or any other activities that you do on a daily basis. Speaking of work, what is your schedule usually like?”
“I work three, twelve hour shifts per day back-to-back, with four days off.” Millie stood, followed by Theo. “Today is my third day.”
