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As I walked away, she said, “I don’t want my name used in your article. They may not like that I said anything to you.” I told her I’d keep her anonymous, and she thanked me.

I left the resort, thinking we had specific leads. We knew Chet was a key player in the women’s abduction, that certain security footage had been erased, and that a housekeeper had seen something odd on the day the women disappeared. I also had a diamond earring in my pocket, hoping it was Jasmine’s.

If it were Jasmine’s, I hoped we could present it to her once we found her. But now, I needed to get back to my hotel and contact my boyfriend.

And I realized I still hadn’t heard from Mr. Sheffield.

27

JONESY

The entire SFPD special events team had gathered in the precinct's Incident Command Center. Sean stood with me as I briefed them. Having the FBI in the loop gave me some reassurance, but we still didn’t know how many suspects were involved—or what was planned. Craig knew only of the three from the overheard conversation. If there were a network within the pageant system, the number of suspects could be higher than we realized. Chet's involvement in the plot caught the FBI's attention, and they planned to dig into his background.

My assignment was simple enough. I would join the makeup team, which drew a few snickers around the room. I’d be brought in as a freelance artist to help with touch-ups, not the full glamor looks. My drag makeup techniques were good, but drag makeup was usually over the top, and these women needed to look flawless. Adjusting powder, eyeliner, mascara, and hairspray was something I could handle without feeling overwhelmed, since that wasn’t the main reason I was there. I could watch for any suspicious activity from backstage and report it to the team.

Our meeting was at the same time as Craig's meeting with Chet, and I knew he’d call me later to update me on any further developments or evidence he might have found. The one thing I knew about Craig was that he was thorough. The special events meeting lasted about an hour, mainly because of questions. I told them Sean would monitor my wire from a surveillance van and could coordinate with the special events team if I needed assistance.

Although we didn’t know how deep the operation went, I told Sean I felt confident in our plan.

“When are you meeting the pageant officials?” Sean asked as we headed to our desks.

“Tomorrow. The contestants will start showing up on Saturday, and I plan to be at the Palace Hotel then. I heard from one of the coordinators that my staff credentials are ready. She said I could pick them up tomorrow when I meet them.”

“So tell me…how are you going to play this role of a makeup artist?”

“What do you mean?” I replied, dropping the file I’d been holding onto my desk.

“Are you playing up the gay thing? I mean, being a male makeup artist and all.”

I gave him a stern glare. “Sean… that is the most stereotypical gay thing ever to come out of your mouth.”

He backtracked on what he’d said, and as I watched him stutter and justify himself, I laughed, loud enough that heads turned our way. I saw his face turn a bright shade of red. He then frowned at me as he realized I was only giving him a hard time.

“You fucker!” he barked. “Make me feel and sound foolish. I don’t even care what you’re going to do.” He turned to walk away, but I grabbed his arm.

I pulled him against me and threw my arm around his neck in a wrestling hold. “Yes, you do. And to answer your question, I plan to play the gay thing to the hilt. I’ll even be wearing some makeup.”

He fought back, but not with much force, as I freed him from my grip. “Okay, fine. Just don’t wear so much that I won’t recognize you,” he retorted, sitting at his desk.

“No worries, I’ll make myself unpretentiously pretty just for you,” I replied, watching him give me an eye-roll. “By the way, where do we stand on getting information about the Chandlers’ finances?”

“We have enough evidence to support a subpoena. I’m drafting the affidavit now. I’m sure I can get a judge to sign it by tomorrow.”

“We should find out if there was a life insurance policy on Raymond, too,” I said.

“With their stature, I’m sure he had one. But Brooke was the one who came from money. I hardly think that would be a motive on her part,” Sean said, his fingers typing away on his computer.

“You never know, but I think their financials will give us a better clue.”

“Has the lab given you results on the brake fluid…if that’s what it was?

“I’m still waiting. If I don’t hear by the end of the day, I’ll see if they can rush it.”

“What are you doing for lunch today?” he asked.

“Always thinking with your stomach,” I teased, earning another frown. “Actually, I think I’m gonna hit the gym since we’re in a lull in the cases. Craig will probably give me a shout later today about anything else he might have found.”

“God, you’re so healthy,” he said dryly.