Ivan laughs and lets out a string of words that can only be curses, then apologizes.“Pardon my Russian.”
There aren’t enough cuss words in any language for me to express how I feel about Rex right now.What was he thinking, pulling a stunt like this?
The fact that he did it so thoroughly and quickly is kind of impressive.Only Rex would think of something like this and have the means to pull it off.
Inara Roy-Ramos.Why does it have a nice ring to it?I fight a small smile.
Not that I’m letting him get away with this.If the good people at City Hall can’t undo what Rex has done, I’ll have to explore more drastic options.
“Hamish wanted me to give you this,” Ivan says, passing me a lunch cooler.“I’m supposed to report back if you prefer something else to eat.”
I typically munch on a meal bar or sip a protein shake for lunch, but I’m pleased to find a lightly dressed salad with grilled chicken and an iced, honey-sweetened green tea.
“This looks great, thanks.”At least I’ll have a full belly while I deal with the mess Rex has made.“Ivan, do you know any assassins?”
“I can probably hook you up.”He winks at me in the mirror, then lays on the horn all the way to City Hall.
Rex
I’m walkinginto my office when my assistant approaches.I can tell by the fast clip-clop of her stilettos that she’s in a hurry.
“Sir, you have messages fromThe Post,The Press, andThe Times.They want a statement about your recent nuptials?”She can’t keep the questioning tone out of her voice.
“Tell them I’ll be holding a press conference by EOD.Location TBD.And clear my schedule for the rest of the day.”
She nods, looking harried, and rushes off.
So far, I’ve had a productive day.Inara is safe in the precinct and now has the protection of the Roy last name.If she leaves, Fraternitas is on guard duty.I have a team of more conventional bodyguards assigned to her detail, but nothing sends a message like having a member of Fraternitas personally escorting her to and from work.The New Rome underworld will understand she’s off limits.
The rest of Fraternitas is on the street, shaking down their own contacts to sniff out the Bondage Killer.Not to mention Victor, the assassin I hired.
I don’t usually outsource hunting down a target like this, but I want BK taken out before he has another chance to torment Inara.She’s suffered enough.
His days are numbered, and when I get my hands on him, I will paint the town red with his blood.
I’m in the middle of reviewing my messages when an incoming call from Hamish interrupts me.
“I’ve spoken with the team at the duplex,” he says.“They’ve confirmed a man entered yesterday evening around ten and spent some time carrying full garbage bags from an unmarked delivery van into the townhouse.A neighbor thought he was moving in.”
Unbelievable.I brace my hands on the desk, willing my heart rate to slow down.“How did he get past our surveillance?”Inara’s townhouse wasn’t being as closely monitored now that I was no longer spying on her while she stayed there, but one system should’ve at least been operational.
“He was wearing a police uniform.Our outdoor system didn’t flag him because of that.Inara’s residence was recently a crime scene and, therefore, the site of increased police activity.”
I close my eyes.I’m the one who made her doorstep a crime scene.It’s my fault a police presence wouldn’t trigger the system or alarm the neighbors.
Hamish continues.“We can’t be certain, but it seems the intruder used a device that scrambled the camera’s signal but didn’t activate any emergency response.”
“I want to know how.”All this tech and surveillance was at my disposal, and I failed to protect her.
“I’m still gathering the details, but it’s clear the intruder had an inside knowledge of security systems.If you’ll recall, Dennis Bundy, the self-named Bondage Killer, worked as a security expert.”
“It was him.He was right there.”I thump my fist into the top of the desk.“We could’ve had him!”
“We also have to consider that this is the work of a copycat.Or he’s working with someone in the police department.”
“I want all the original records on Dennis Bundy ASAP.”I already know Inara left a voicemail on retired detective Lacy Collins’s phone, probably wanting Collins’s own notes on the BK case.
“Understood.I’ve hacked the Elyria police department records and sent an agent to retrieve the hard copies.They should be here by tonight.”
