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Carter lost all color in his face. He leaned back on the stool and covered his mouth in shock. It hadn’t taken him long to realize that Lorena had been gathering information, and his answers had basically provided her with the clearance to choose someone who lived a life where no one would notice if they went missing.
Arden had been going to suggest that they call either Detective Beeson or Theo, but the two men were working on grid patterns of the surrounding D.C. neighborhoods. It would be pointless to interrupt them when Arden could take Carter Dunbar’s statement and upload it to their software program.
Working investigations from the field wasn’t something Arden had done since well before his wife had passed away. He wouldn’t say that he didn’t miss it, but he had been content at the office. There was something very cathartic about taking care of the others. He was sure a shrink would say it was because he and his wife had never had children. There could be some truth to that theory, but there was something very special about the team members of S&E Investigations. Their tenacious fight for justice stemmed from Brook’s resolve to help others obtain what she hadn’t been able to have until very recently.
“Carter, I’d like for you to do something for me.” Arden had spent part of yesterday getting to know where Sylvie kept everything. Her junk drawer on the far side of the island contained discarded pens and pencils, as well as numerous notepads. He took a moment to grab one of each. “Write down everything you can remember from that night. Don’t leave out any details, not even the smallest most minuscule gesture that Lorena might have made while you were speaking to her. I’ll see to it that Nigel has a cup of tea to settle his stomach.”
“Shouldn’t we call the police?” Carter said hesitantly, even while reaching for the pen.
“I’m with S&E Investigations, and we have jurisdiction over the investigation,” Arden explained with a jolt of pride right as the kettle began to sing. He would contribute to the investigation as best he could until their lives went back to normal. For everything that Brook had given them in her own way, the least they could do was return the favor. “I’ll be the one taking your statement. In the meantime, I have a phone call to make.”
Chapter Fourteen
Graham Elliott
February 2024
Saturday — 9:54 pm
Graham’s hand lingered on the cold, brass knob of his front door. While the lock had been secured, the alarm system hadn’t given its usual thirty-second warning. Instead, a strange silence echoed throughout the main house. There was an unmistakable thickness to the air. Someone was inside his home, and that someone had been able to disable the security system without tripping an alert to his phone.
Without removing his dress coat, he reached under the thick material and quietly palmed the butt of his firearm. He hadn’t been quiet while unlocking the front door. He had also flipped on the foyer lights the moment he crossed the threshold. If someone was still inside, they were certainly aware of his presence. Such knowledge didn’t stop him from soundlessly closing the door behind him.
It made no sense for someone to turn off the alarm yet lock the front door.
Graham remained still long enough to try and hear if there was noise coming from a specific part of his home. The large structure wouldn’t allow him to know if someone was on the other side of the property, but he would be able to clear each room along the way.
He cautiously made his way toward the small hallway that led into a formal living room, but he came to a complete stop at the entrance to his office. The double doors were closed, which he had done himself before departing for his business trip last week.
Seeing as he hadn’t bothered to put on his gloves for the short walk from the driveway to the house, he was able to soak in the warmth that radiated from the pewter door lever. Someone had taken the time to create a fire in the hearth. While he wouldn’t relax his stance until confirmation was made, some of the tension eased from his shoulders as he guardedly turned the handle.
“You certainly took your time coming home.”
Brook stood in front of the blazing fire that she had obviously started a couple of hours ago given the amount of ash underneath the grate. The flickering flames illuminated her face, casting a beautiful glow on her features. Her long black hair cascaded over her left shoulder, and the soft curves of her heart-shaped face were accentuated by the warm orange hues.
Graham’s relief was overwhelming as he holstered his weapon and crossed the floor until he reached her. She would have had the knowledge to turn off his security system without having the software alert him to it being offline. She also would have been careful enough not to turn on any lights that could be seen from the front of the house regardless that the entire estate was enclosed with brick walls, pillars, and a wrought iron gate to keep trespassers away from the main house.
“You scared the hell out of me,” Graham murmured forcefully as he pulled her into his embrace. He held onto her tight as his mind finally accepted that she was safe and sound inside his home. His previous concerns quickly began to morph into anger. “I’m going to need a minute. Maybe two.”
“Take all the time you need,” Brook replied softly as she held onto him as tightly as he held her. “I’m sorry it had to be this way, but I had no choice...not if we stand a chance of apprehending Lorena Dobbs.”
There were a thousand questions that needed answers, especially with regard to how she even knew Lorena Dobbs’ name. Those inquiries would have to wait. He needed to keep Brook close to him a minute longer to give the gravity of their situation time to settle.
“You couldn’t have used a burner to call me? Anyone else on the team?” Graham did his best to keep his resentment to a minimum, but the tension settling in her back told him that he had been unsuccessful in such an endeavor. “Brooklyn, we thought—”
Graham broke off the statement before clearing his throat.
They pulled away from one another, and he took the time to shrug out of his winter coat. Relief had turned into annoyance, but it would do neither of them any good to rehash her impulsive decision to disappear without a trace.
“You all thought that I’d returned to my old way of life,” Brook said, her voice steady as he turned away to toss his coat onto the couch. He then removed his suit jacket before doing the same to his cuff links, which he then stored in his pocket. There was no disappointment in her voice. He also didn’t detect a hint of remorse. “Graham, please look at me.”
He stood for a minute with his hands on his hips. He needed to contain his emotions so he didn’t say something he would later regret. He had yet to adjust to civilian life. Truthfully, it was so much easier for him to be in that setting. Directives were given, followed, and then executed. The ease with which the military operated was soothing to him.
“I do not doubt that you’ve been helping Theo with the investigation. I’ve been doing the same on my end,” Brook pointed out as she gestured toward the other side of the room.
She had turned the wall behind his desk into a murder board.
Graham found himself struggling to balance his fury at how she had handled the situation with appreciation at the fact that she had chosen his home as a safe haven. Her choice spoke volumes, but her methods of going about her decision didn’t negate the hell that she had put them through these past couple of days.
