"Well, Maya, I'd love for you to come work at Securities International. I'd make it worth your while and I'd pay for allyour belongings to be shipped here. I know Gregory would have a fit, but I'd personally love to see him pissed off. He beat me at poker badly a couple months back."
"Thank you, but I'm not interested. Oh, you're the Englishman he beat. He loved that."
I stiffen next to her. I want her here with me. I can't go without her. The thought of her returning to DC, where this arsehole is, makes my skin crawl.
"Well, the offer stands. Let's have dinner and get to know each other. I can't believe you have my mate here tied up as he is. If it's not too personal, what happened today that has you both skittish?" She actually looks at me and I nod before she begins.
"My condo in DC was broken into and ninety-nine red roses were left for me with a note, candles, and rose petals. I've had an admirer for years, but they've never done this."
"You have an admirer and you aren't concerned?" Joshua looks at her shocked.
"I'll take care of them or they'll go away on their own. They were harmless until recently. They're getting closer and more daring."
"Tell him about the other one," I grit out.
After a huge sigh, she says, "In June, the morning after Duncan and I met for the first time, I was left a package of pictures. This is another person who is angry with me. Greg walked in and saw them or I would have handled them on my own. It was pictures of my whole day, including meeting Duncan outside the bar and one of me sleeping in my condo."
"Someone got into your condo?"
"I was extra tired and forgot to set my alarm. Since then, hehas slashed the tires on my bike, painted my door red, and sent me pictures of my day. I believe that the IA investigation is a result of him, but I can't believe he would kill another ERT officer. Officer Yancy was on the call that night in June, he was suspended shortly after, but he and I were friends. He had called shortly before he died, asking to talk to me."
"What did he want?"
"He never met with me."
"How did they clear you?"
"I was teaching a class during the murder. Plus, I gave them reasons why it wouldn't be me."
"Such as?"
"Look, do you fight with knives?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."
"Then you know that most knife fights result in a slashing cut, very rarely are they stabbed unless you sneak up on the person and take them by surprise. I'm trained enough that I would have slashed him from his navel to his neck or across his abdomen. I wouldn't have stabbed him in the chest, unless I throw a knife. Also, the perp was close enough that Yancy pulled a patch off them."
"You never told me this." I pull away slightly.
"It was right before I met you in New York," she says by way of explanation, and I realize that explains some of her mood then.
"Joshua, can you have Timothy run a soft check on her flat and a few names if I give them to you?" I ask quietly.
"Of course. Are you sure you're okay? Most women would be freaking out."
"My partner is condo sitting for me, and I don't go anywherewithout protection." He looks at her carefully, seeing if she'll give up anything else.
This is why Joshua is in charge, he can wait out anyone and can read people so well.
"Look, I'm not worried. I think the flowers are from someone that knew my mother or father because every year, for the whole month of June, flowers are delivered to their graves in Tel Aviv and to me in DC." I knew there was more. She keeps hiding herself from me.
"Is that all, Maya?" he asks her, his eyebrow arches. He knows there's more.
"What else? I think they might be working together. One of them has followed me to London several times or knows where I'm at here. Also, they can get onto police property."
"What?" I huff out. The more she says, the more I worry.
"After the shooting in November, there were flowers left at my condo door. I was also sent pictures of myself from the news reports. The photographs were left on my SUV and truck while they were parked in the police department parking lot. That's why Derek and Greg have been so protective. I think that's why Greg came over for the holidays. He's worried. He knows that I received flowers when I was visiting here before."
