“What…” he stopped and cleared his throat. “What is it your asking me detective?”
“The police officer’s name was Brooke Fury. And someone paid you money to follow and photograph her having sex with someone else.”
“Detective, here at Dietz Investigations we take client confidentiality very seriously—“
“Where you ever on the job?” I asked, cutting him off abruptly. “NYPD?”
“No, detective I—“
“So what cereal box did you get your detective status from?” I threw my shield on his desk and pointed to it. “Wanna hold a real shield? It’s not one you get by sneaking around and chasing womanizers or adulterers or innocent woman.”
“I’ll have you know, I hold a degree in—”
“Wasting my time?” I grabbed up my shield and slammed my hands down menacingly onto his desk. “Tell me who hired you to follow her.”
“I can’t, detective.” His tone was low and shaky.
“Okay, then, I’ll be at the district attorney’s office in the morning, and I’ll file a subpoena for your bank records.” I shrugged, crossing my arms over my chest.
I looked around his room, tapping my fingers along the papers and books on his desk. “I’ll get to seeallyour transactions. Like, where’s your money coming from? And where’s it going out to… And your business records.”
“You…you do that. Go ahead and try. You can’t just subpoena anyone.”
“And I’ll subpoena your business and personal phone records too. By the way, are you married? Because when I stop by your house to question you further, and I most certainly will, I’m going to discuss your business and personal phone records, and your bank records.” I scratched at my chin and pretended to think for a moment. “Is their anything that you might not want to let your wife know about? Or your neighbors? Any infidelities you’re partaking in, any illegal transactions you don’t want people finding out about? Because when I find them…” I gave him a devilish chuckle, making his eyes narrow. “You don’t know this about me, but I have a big mouth. I also love to put handcuffs on bad people. Gets me hot.”
“It…it was all paid in cash. I didn’t even get a name or a number, just an envelope full of cash and who to follow and what to look for,” he blurted, stammering like an idiot. “It was dropped in my mailbox. And when I took the pictures that’s where I dropped them.”
That’s not what I wanted to hear. I wanted a name. “Do you have any copies of those pictures? You’re not jerking off to them are you?”
Sweat poured down his temples as I took a deep, long breath, “I want the copies.”
His hands went immediately into his desk and wrapped around a folder.”
I staggered back in anger. “Right there? You keep them right there to look at?”
“No. I—”
“Shut up,” I growled, yanking the folder out of his grubby, fat fingers. “I will be back. With a subpoena.”
“But I just told you everything you needed to know!”
I walked backward to the door, shrugging. “You’re lucky I’m not taking you in right now for stalking and harassment.” I turned around, shaking my head, and flung open the door. I was right the secretary was right there, stumbling forward, still trying to eavesdrop.
Frustration evident, I launched myself out of the office, trying to be as professional as I could. I was taking it all too personally. I wanted Brooke safe. I needed her safe. Everything else would fall into place if I could just get a handle onwhyshe was being followed and photographed.What was in it for Anderson? Did it have anything to do with the cadet’s homicides last month? There were absolutely no leads on the murders. Could they be somehow tied to Brooke? How about the dentist? Was it jealously on Anderson’s part? That was blatant, but what lengths would he actually go to keep her as his dirty little secret?My head spun dizzily with theories and what ifs.
Once back inside my car, I sat with the engine idling, and typed out a quick text for Dean.
Me: Are you home? I need to talk. Important.
Dean:Yeah, sure. We just got in. Come over.
He wasn’t going to be happy with what was going on, but I needed his eyes on the case, his point of view. And he needed to know what was happening with his sister.
I drove back like a maniac, thoughts needling into a headache at the back of my eyes. There was some part missing, none of it made any sense.
“Cage? What’s up?” Dean asked immediately as he opened the door. There was a small flicker of alarm in his tone.
I nodded a quick hello to him and shoved my way into his house and up to his apartment.
