“The police aren’t too concerned since nothing was taken and no one was hurt.”Anja settled her tablet on the counter.“Walk me through every entry point, interior room, staff member, contractor, visitor, delivery, and suspicious incident since last Tuesday.”
Chloe blinked.She was most definitely a female Kayne.
“And after that,” Anja added calmly, “I’ll need a list of anyone who’s made you uncomfortable.Ever.”
“Oh,” Chloe squeaked.“That’s, uh, extensive.”
Kayne leaned down, brushing his shoulder against hers.“Start with Erickson.”
Anja’s head snapped toward him.“Who is he?What happened?”
“Construction worker,” Kayne said, his voice darkening.“He made Chloe uncomfortable.I dealt with it, but today, I caught him trying to open a restricted room.”
Anja’s gray eyes sharpened as if she’d scented blood.“Did he give a reason?”
“Yeah.Supplies.”Kayne’s tone saidliar.
Anja’s expression didn’t soften.If anything, it hardened.“I’ll talk to him.I want to see how he reacts.”She turned back to Chloe.“I also want to see your office where the note was left.”
“Of course.”Chloe hesitated, then blurted out, “Thank you for being here.Really.”
Anja finally lifted her gaze, and when her smile came, it was small but genuine.“I’m not here as a favor.I’m here because Kayne asked, and because this is serious.You’re not alone in this anymore.”
Something warm slid through Chloe, startling her.
Kayne’s hand brushed her lower back.“Told you,cher.”
Chloe swallowed hard, because the more people who saw the danger, the more real it became.
#
Anja found Joel Ericksonbehind the building, hauling a stack of lumber with a little more force than necessary.His posture was rigid, shoulders hunched, jaw moving as if he was grinding his teeth to dust.
Good.
People who thought they were being watched tended to trip over their own nerves.
Those who thought they were in the clear told stories.
Kayne had given her a rundown of his brushes with the law.He had a history of violence against women, but the charges didn’t stick.Patterns mattered, even when the paperwork failed.
She approached with a steady gait, unthreatening and authoritative enough to make a grown man straighten without knowing why.
“Joel Erickson?”she said.
He turned fast.His eyes skittered over her, and then came back again, slower and appreciative this time.She was used to the looks.Sometimes she leaned into them.Men underestimated her.That mistake usually cost them.She’d swoop in and take them down before they knew what had hit them.
“Who wants to know?”
“I’m Anja Johansen.Security.”She didn’t add COBRA; if he knew what that meant, it would scare him.And if he didn’t, it didn’t matter.“Got a minute to talk?”
He glanced at his coworkers, who were definitely watching, and then wiped his palms on his jeans.“Uh.Sure.”
Anja stepped aside, letting him choose where to stand.It was a detective trick: when you give a nervous person a little control, they forget how much power they’ve already handed you.
Joel hesitated, then moved toward a stack of drywall with open space behind him and nothing at his back.He stopped there, picking the worst possible place.
Anja folded her arms loosely.“I heard you were accessing a restricted room earlier today.”
