"The photographer?He's on my list too."His keyboard clicked again."Got it.Dr.Callum Pemberton.Middle name Michael."
"So M could be Pemberton, using his middle name to keep things discreet."Kari felt the pieces starting to come together, the shape of a case finally emerging from the fog."He had access to Jennifer through medical appointments.He prescribed her medications.He's charming, successful, the kind of man who could make a young woman feel special.And he'd know exactly how to stage an overdose to look convincing."
"He fits," Carter agreed."He fits almost perfectly.But his alibis—"
"Alibis can be manufactured.Especially by someone with money and connections."
"Maybe."Carter didn't sound convinced, but she didn't sound dismissive either."This is the first real lead we've had.We need to dig deeper into Pemberton's relationship with Jennifer specifically.Medical records, appointment histories, anything that shows how often they were in contact."
"I'm going to keep working the agency angle too," Kari said."Montgomery's still on my radar, regardless of that message.And I want to talk to people who knew Jennifer, see if anyone noticed her relationship with M.Someone might have seen something."
After hanging up, Kari checked the time.Late afternoon.She thought about Diana Shepherd.The roommates had said Diana was kind to the models, that she looked out for them.
Maybe she'd known Jennifer.Maybe she'd noticed something about Jennifer's relationship with M that could help Kari understand what had happened.
She drove to the Image Management office and found a parking spot with a clear view of the entrance.The building was sleek and modern, all glass and chrome, the kind of architecture that promised success and sophistication.Kari watched employees come and go—young assistants in fashionable clothes, executives in expensive suits—until she spotted Diana emerging through the glass doors around five-thirty.
The woman looked tired, her shoulders slightly hunched, her pace slower than it had been when Kari had first seen her at Elite Vision.She was carrying a large bag and fumbling with her phone, distracted enough that she didn't notice Kari approaching until they were almost side by side.
"Ms.Shepherd?"
Diana startled, nearly dropping her phone.Then she recognized Kari and relaxed."Oh, Detective Blackhorse.You surprised me."
"I'm sorry.I was hoping we could talk."Kari kept her voice gentle, unthreatening."About Tayen Stern.I know you were kind to her—her roommates mentioned you specifically.They said you looked out for the new girls."
Diana frowned, looking troubled."I tried to be there for her.She was so young when she came to us, so uncertain about everything.She reminded me of myself at that age—trying to make it in a city that doesn't care whether you succeed or fail."She glanced around the street, as if checking who might be watching them."I'm not really supposed to discuss clients with outsiders.Vanessa is very particular about that."
"I understand.I'm not asking you to violate any confidentiality.I just want to find Tayen before something happens to her."Kari paused, letting the urgency in her voice speak for itself."I'm worried, Ms.Shepherd.Tayen disappeared the same day Amanda Escalante died.That timing can't be a coincidence."
Diana was quiet for a long moment, seeming to wrestle with something internally.Finally she let out a breath.
"There's a café a few blocks from here.Quiet place, not many people.Can you meet me there in half an hour?I need to go home and change first, clear my head, but I'll come back."She met Kari's eyes, and there was something vulnerable in her expression."I want to help.I just can't be seen talking to you outside the office like this.Vanessa would have questions."
"Of course.What's the address?"
Diana gave her directions to a place called the Quiet Cup, a few streets over from the main commercial district."Half an hour," Diana repeated."I'll be there."
Kari watched her go, feeling cautiously hopeful.Diana seemed worried about Tayen, willing to help despite the risk to her job.Maybe she'd noticed something about the dynamics at Elite Vision or Image Management that could point Kari toward whoever was killing these young women.
Maybe she even knew who M was.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The Quiet Cup lived up to its name.Tucked between a dry cleaner and a nail salon on a side street that saw little foot traffic, the café had maybe a dozen small tables, most of them empty in the late afternoon lull between lunch and dinner.Soft jazz played from hidden speakers—something with brushes on drums and a muted trumpet—and the lighting was dim enough to feel intimate without being oppressive.The smell of fresh coffee and baked goods hung in the air.
Kari chose a table near the back corner, where she could see the door and wouldn't be overheard by the handful of other customers scattered around the room.She ordered a black coffee from the waitress and settled in to wait, her mind still turning over the messages she'd found on Jennifer's phone.
Diana arrived exactly thirty minutes later, pushing through the door and scanning the room until she spotted Kari.She'd changed out of her work clothes into jeans and a simple gray sweater, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail.
Without the professional polish, she looked younger somehow, more approachable.More like the small-town girl she'd claimed to be.
"Thank you for meeting me," Kari said as Diana slid into the seat across from her.
"I want to help if I can.I've been sick with worry about Tayen."Diana ordered a chamomile tea from the waitress who appeared at their table, then turned back to Kari with tired eyes."And Amanda...I still can't believe she's gone.She was such a sweet person.Most of these girls develop an edge after a while, a kind of armor to protect themselves from the cruelty of the industry.But Amanda stayed soft.She stayed kind."
"Were you close to her?"
"I tried to be close to all of them.That's my job, really—the human side of what we do."Diana wrapped her hands around the tea cup the waitress had brought, as if seeking warmth."Vanessa handles the business negotiations, the contracts, the logistics of placing girls with agencies.I handle everything else.The emotional support.The crisis management.The three AM phone calls when someone's had a bad day and needs to talk."
