“Morning. Well, how was the ceremony?” Christian asked.
Wes smiled. Zach Wentworth, head of the domestic law enforcement training division, and a Dominant, surprised Saoirse Kennedy, head of New York’s legal department and his submissive, with a commitment ceremony. “It was beautiful, and he surprised us all by proposing to her. I got in late last night. Anything I need to know about?”
Christian looked down. “Friday, Cabe Baldwin came to speak with me.”
“About?” Wes crossed his arms.
“I asked him to wait to speak with you. His daughter’s best friend was found murdered last week. She was identified Thursday night. He left this for you.” Christian passed him a file.
“Yvonne?” Wes called.
“You do have an intercom. What do you need?” Yvonne walked in.
“Call Cabe Baldwin and fit him into my schedule.”
“Sure. “
Wes turned back to Christian. “I gotta tell you, I’m nervous. I’ve been back and forth to New York so many times in the last two months, I can’t keep track of my days.” Wes tapped a pencil on his keyboard.
“It’s Monday,” Christian deadpanned.
“You’re no help. No offense, but with the exception of Kenny and TJ, I only know the new hires by their resumés and the interview notes.” Wes chewed his lip.
“Look, everybody is a temp for thirty days. You have time to make final decisions.” Christian shrugged.
“The person I am most concerned about is Eleanor West, our new head of equine-assisted therapy and hippotherapy programs. She’s younger than most of the other therapists. Tell me about her.”
“Eleanor West prefers to be called Ellie. She has glowing recommendations. Her vision for the program is to start small and grow it with time, her therapy staff’s and client’s experiences. She wants to make sure every participant receives the best care to reach their goals. What I really liked about her is her belief in an intense body-mind connection. Besides her degrees in equine therapy and counseling, she is also a certified physical therapy assistant. She wants to develop a good working relationship with our medical team too. All of that combined overrode Kieran’s concerns.” Kieran was the younger Chase brother and co-owner of the company.
“What concerns?” Wes searched his drawer and pulled out her file.
“She was very uncomfortable talking about herself. Kieran noted her accomplishments, and she seemed embarrassed by the praise. She also seemed uncomfortable with us when we discussed anything other than the program. I dismissed it as anxiety. Kieran asked Yvonne to sit in. With her there, she was more relaxed.”
“You sure she’s the best candidate?” Wes asked.
“Her behavior seemed incongruous to her resumé. I watched her do a lesson at Coventry School. She is perfect for the program. Kieran called me the next morning. He signed off on the hire.”
They discussed a few other issues, and Christian headed out. Yvonne returned with a fresh cup of coffee and a roll. “This will take the edge off the sour stomach. Cabe is still on the grounds. He will be here in fifteen minutes.”
“Thanks, Yvonne, for everything.” Wes took a sip of coffee and nibbled some of his roll.
* * *
Wes took a minute to read through the file Cabe Baldwin left. “Shit.” The file was filled with news clippings and copies of public police records of missing young women from the Leesburg area going back one year. His daughter’s friend disappeared a month earlier. Her body was found partially incinerated one week ago on the grounds of an old church.
“Mr. Crockett, no one was outside?” Cabe Baldwin knocked on the door jamb and approached.
“Cabe, close the door and come sit. Christian gave me the file you left. Tell me what’s going on.”
“I spoke with Mr. Paulsen on Friday, but more has happened since. The other supervisors and I had dinner together Sunday. We have some concerns about the level of security for the Center.” He fidgeted.
“How so?” Wes felt his throat go dry.
“The new hires. Sunday, Mr. Cooper brought them in for the final license verifications and asked us to show them around. There was a lot of fooling around and not listening. The group I saw was all level-twos. I’m concerned if something does happen, especially with the expansion and more personnel…” He adjusted his jacket.
“Hmm. What does this have to do with your daughter’s missing friend?” The hair stood up on the back of Wes’s neck.
“Thursday, Sheriff Jeffries confirmed the partially burned body of a woman found near Graydon Manor Church last week was my daughter’s friend. Headley Reuthe went missing a month ago. At the time, the sheriff classified her as a runaway. This girl spent time in my home. I know her folks. She wasn’t a runaway. Now the family is waiting for the autopsy result.”
