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Chapter 23
THE FOG SEEMS TO HAVE LIFTED
SEAN AND SARA HEADED BACK to the firm to regroup before going to see Kurt Bishop. They couldn’t just walk in there, pointing fingers and accusing him of murder. They needed a plan.
“It seems we’re down to Kurt not wanting to let Chloe go,” Sean said, pacing the conference room.
“That’s right,” Sara said from her spot at the table. “He snatched her right after she graduated college.”
“So we potentially have our motive, but we still don’t know what caused Chloe’s heart to fail. Without that, it’s hard to put the smoking gun, as it were, in Kurt’s hands.” Sometimes he hated being the voice of logic.
Jimmy hurried into the room with the force of a loaded freight train. He stopped, heaving for air. “I thought I heard you come in.”
“What is it, Jimmy?” Sara prompted.
“A caffeine overdose.”
Sean looked at Jimmy. “A caff—”
“That’s what caused her heart to fail.”
But how could they go about proving that was intentional?
Sean dropped into the chair closest to him. “How did you find this out?”
“I called Dee Dee.”
Good ole Dee Dee, who, years ago, had mistaken a night at a bar with Sean as a date.
“At the lab,” Jimmy added when neither of them said anything.
“We know her,” Sara said. “She spoke to you?”
Jimmy nodded. “She was very helpful. The blood work was expedited, and it was enough to confirm that Chloe had lethal levels of caffeine in her system. Forensics was able to confirm it was in her wine.”
“And caffeine and alcohol?” Sara started. “Talk about taxing her heart. It’s like people who mix vodka with Red Bull. They just don’t seem to get that they’re mixing themselves a heart attack elixir.”
“But that’s not all. There were prints from an unknown person on her glass, a second glass, and the wine bottle.”
“A second glass?” Sean asked.
“Yes. It turns out she had company.”
“Her killer,” Sara said, just above a whisper.
Jimmy nodded again. “There was no trace of caffeine in the other glass, but it had been rinsed. It’s possible that much washed away. But I doubt it.”
“Yeah, I doubt it, too.” Sean stiffened. “So her killer intentionally dosed Chloe’s wine with high amounts of caffeine.” It was in coffee, chocolate, soda…
His mouth went dry.
“You looked confused, Sean,” Jimmy said. “Caffeine comes in liquid form and is colorless and flavorless.”
In liquid form… Sean’s mind was racing.
“Jackson had said that Chloe had been tense lately, and caffeine can cause people to be on edge,” Sara offered.
Sean swallowed as his body sagged, his heart sped up, and he felt the color drain from his face as he put it all together. “So what if she was unknowingly being slipped caffeine for a while?”
“Could be.” Sara looked at Sean, and he saw the flicker of realization as it hit her, too. “People who don’t like coffee add it to other drinks…like juice.”
“Exactly,” he said. “You saw me. I was buzzing after that orange juice I had at Your Source. But the one I just had at the coffee shop didn’t do anything to me.”
“And Kurt loved the stuff. He seemed to worship it the way I do coffee.” Sara angled her head, challenging him to provoke her on the topic right now. She took a deep breath. “Well, Chloe wouldn’t have thought twice about having Kurt in her apartment. All that on top of him feigning shock about her job offer…”
“We should let Roland know what we’ve found out. Let him make the arrest,” Sean determined.
“Except we can’t prove that he uses liquid caffeine,” Sara pointed out. “We’ve got to put it in his hand.”
“Actually, if you can put his hand on the wineglasses from Chloe’s, it’d be even better,” Jimmy said.
“Right. We just need his prints,” Sean said. “That should be easy enough.”
“Oh yeah?” Sara quirked an eyebrow. “And how are you going to get them?”
“Come with me.” Sean held out his hand, and Sara went to take it.
“Wait,” Jimmy said. “Are you going down to Your Source to confront him? Because I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I don’t plan on coming out with, ‘You killed Chloe,’” Sean said from the door.
“You have to be careful. This guy was desperate enough to kill her because she was leaving his employ—or so we’re assuming.” Jimmy was looking him in the eye. “No one dies today.” It had been Jimmy’s mantra on the force, and it was enough for Sean to take pause. Jimmy continued. “The man tried to steer your attention elsewhere. He’s not going to take your stopping by—no matter what ruse you come up with—as legitimate.”
Jimmy’s logic deflated Sean’s enthusiasm. His former sergeant was right. They couldn’t just go in there with basic ploys to get his prints.
“I think you should pass this over to the police now,” Jimmy said, “just as you’d suggested a bit ago. Let them gather the proof.”
Sean heard Jimmy’s suggestion, and he knew he should probably take his advice, but he had something much more fun in mind. After all, they’d investigated up to this point. What satisfaction would be gained by handing things over to law enforcement just when the case was coming together? Of course, they’d have to call them in to make an official arrest, but until then…
“Uh-oh.” Jimmy glanced at Sara. “He has that look on his face.”
Sean smiled.
“Oh yeah. I know that look.” Sara grinned. “You want to go undercover, don’t you, darling?”
Sean met her gaze. “I certainly do.”
“Oy vey.” Jimmy threw his arms toward the ceiling and looked upward. “You do realize that whatever you collect will be inadmissible as evidence, right?”
“Of course. But it could still tell us if we’re on the right path,” Sean countered. “We’ll wait until later tonight and pose as…” He was formulating the plan as he went along.
“Janitors?” Sara suggested. “You loved cleaning toilets in the past.”
He’d posed as a janitor on a case that had taken them to Virginia. “Hmm. Not exactly how I remember it.”
“That could work, though.” Jimmy’s eyes sparkled with mirth. He was taking too much pleasure in the concept.
Sean glared at him. “We could send you in.”
“Nah, you won’t do that,” Jimmy said.
Sean tilted his head. “And why wouldn’t I?”
“Because that would take away all your fun.”
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Chapter 24
DRESSING UP
WHY SHE’D AGREED TO THIS little undercover adventure, Sara wasn’t entirely sure. They’d be going in armed, just in case. They both had permits to carry, but that didn’t mean she cared for exercising that right. Still, one could never be too careful.
It was ten o’clock at night by the time they parked in the Your Source lot. She looked over at Sean’s getup as they got out of the car. Halloween may have been the following week, but from the look of Sean’s outfit, and her own, it had come early. To everyone else, they’d look like genuine janitors in their beige coveralls and baseball caps, but their personal appearances had required a few cosmetic changes.
Sean wore round, black-framed glasses and a wig that gave him shoulder-length black hair, which he let fall around his face. He’d also braved a fake, bushy mustache, and she gave him props for doing that after the Magnum P.I. fiasco. But with all the hair on the top of his head and his face, he could have been Cousin Itt from The Addams Family.
She wore a blond wig styled in a short bob and a fat suit that added fifty pounds to her frame. Both of them had colored contacts in, as well. Sean’s brown eyes became blue, and hers became green.
“You ready, soldier?” she asked,
teasing him. She knew better than to ask. He loved going undercover. He was like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Game on.” Sean grinned, and they walked into Your Source.
The reception desk was unmanned at this time of night, but a security guard was posted in front of the door they needed through. Thankfully, he stepped to the side as they approached, because they wouldn’t have been able to force him to move. The man was built like a tank.
Sara made eye contact with him and dipped her head.
Sean started patting down his pockets and putting his hands in and out of them. “Oh no.” He’d put on a fake accent that didn’t sound like any Sara was familiar with. She felt her mouth twitch but fought the urge to laugh.
“Do you have our ID badges?” he asked her.
She went through the same motions he had just gone through and shook her head. “Unbelievable. We did it again.” She let her arms drop in frustration.
The guard’s eyes flicked over at them, but he didn’t say anything.
Sara sidled up next to him and looked up—way up—at him. What was he, seven feet tall? “Do you think you could help us with something?” She laid on the charm and batted her eyelashes.
“What’s that?” His voice was as deep as his thick chest, and he didn’t seem at all moved by her display.
Though, with the fat suit, she wasn’t her usual weight at the moment. It was sad how shallow some people could be.
She shook the thoughts away. “We’ve gone and left our key cards at home again. Do you think you could let us in?”
The guard looked at her and let his gaze drift to Sean. “Sure.”
“Oh, thank you.” Sara plastered on the enthusiasm. She’d just been starting to wonder if they should have had Adam make ID badges.
The guard flashed his ID badge against the electronic reader and opened the door. “You’re welcome, ma’am.”
She brushed by him.
Ma’am? I’ll show you “ma’am.”
They hustled down the hall toward Kurt’s office. At least they knew where it was, since the conference room where they’d met with him was directly across the hall from his office. It had conveniently been marked with his name and position.
The distant sound of a vacuum cleaner met Sara’s ears. She picked up her pace and tucked in close behind Sean. “We’ve got to do this quick.”
“It’s not like I’m going to hang out and have a drink. Are you?” He was grinning, obviously having fun already. There was something to be said for an adrenaline rush—even a mild one.
They carried on down the hall until Sean stopped and held out his arm to stop Sara, too. Then she heard it: the clicking of computer keystrokes. Someone was in the office a few feet down on the right.
“Who would be here this time of night?” she whispered.
He shook his head and hitched his shoulders.
Of course, why would he know? But her question had been more rhetorical in nature…
Sean held up a finger and motioned for her to stay put. He inched forward and peeked around the doorway. He pulled back. “It’s Natalie.”
“Kurt’s assistant?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s she doing here this time of night?”
Sean angled his head.
“Right, you know as much as I do,” she said, reading his mind. “What do you suggest we do?”
“Hurry past and hustle the rest of the way?”
Sara let her gaze trail to Kurt’s office, which must have been another thirty feet down the hall. She nodded. “Let’s do it.”
“On the count of three. One…” Sean held up a finger. “Two…” Another finger went up. “Three.” He set off, and she went with him.
Fortunately, the floors were carpeted here, cushioning their hurried footsteps. Sara strained to hear any noises coming from Natalie’s office, and her breath hitched when the keys stopped clicking. She exhaled when the sound started up again.
They slipped into Kurt’s office, closed the door, and leaned their backs against it. The room was dark except for the glow of the streetlights coming in through the windows. They provided enough illumination that Sara and Sean wouldn’t need the flashlights they’d brought. Of course, real janitors wouldn’t need them to do their work, either, but with Natalie in the vicinity, there was no need to draw her attention to Kurt’s office.
Sara looked over at him. “Remind me why I let you talk me into these things?”
“The same reason I let you talk me into cases I don’t want to take.” He winked at her. “Because you love me.”
She touched his cheek, and he put his hand over hers.
“We should hurry, though,” he said.
“You’re right.” She set out toward Kurt’s desk and spotted an empty glass that would be good for prints. “Right there.”
Sean nodded. He put on gloves, retrieved the glass, and tucked it into a plastic bag they had brought along with them. Then he unzipped his coveralls and put it under his shirt. “Now let’s see if we can find liquid caff—”
The office light flicked on.
“What do you think you’re doing?” It was a woman’s voice, and it was familiar.
Sara turned to find Natalie standing in the doorway. Her arms were crossed and her legs shoulder-width apart, testing the tensile limits of her skirt.
“We’re cleaning,” Sean responded in the strange accent again.
“In the dark?” Natalie came closer to them and looked around the room. “Do you normally clean without a vacuum or a cart?” She tightened her crossed arms.
“We’re new here and couldn’t find the light switch,” Sara said, realizing it was a weak improv. “I was just going to get a vacuum.” She made a motion for the door.
“Would you even know where to look?” Natalie asked drily. “Besides, I don’t believe you.”
“Why not?”
“Just a feeling.”
“Listen, we usually dust first. See?” Sean pulled out a cloth from his back pocket and waved it in the air—a true white flag.
“Let me see your ID badges.” Natalie uncrossed her arms now and wriggled her fingers.
Sara winced. “We forgot them at home.”
They really needed to prepare better for undercover missions…
“Hmm” was all Natalie said.
Sara didn’t care for the way the woman was looking at her, how she seemed to be analyzing Sara’s every breath, anticipating her next movement. Sara jutted out her chin. “We could ask the same of you.”
“Excuse me?”
Sara’s heart was pounding in her ears. “For your ID badge.”
“I obviously work here,” Natalie fired back.
“Obvious to whom?” Sara looked back at Sean, and he had this look in his eyes that they needed to squash this. It was time to go. She was already in it, though. She might as well see it through. “Your card?” Sara wriggled her fingers.
“I’m not showing you anything. I think you should leave.” Natalie pointed toward the door. “And I’d go before I call the cops.”
Maybe if Sara feigned illness, Natalie would take her out of the room and Sean would have time to poke around for the liquid caffeine. Sara touched her forehead and swayed a bit. “Oh.”
“What’s the matter?” Natalie asked, clearly more out of irritation than concern.
“I’m not feeling so well. Could you— Oh.” Sara put a hand on her stomach. “Can you take me to the watercooler?”
“You don’t know where that is, either?” The woman’s skepticism was snide now.
“I’m new. Oh—” Sara winced. “Please.”
“Fine. Come with me.” To Sean, Natalie said, “Don’t touch anything.”
Sara followed Natalie out of the room and winked at Sean over her shoulder. Hopefully, he’d find the liquid caffeine before she got back. But worst-case scenario, at least, they had Kurt’s prints.
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Chapter 25
BREAKING THROUGH TH
E COBWEBS
“THAT WAS BRILLIANT, SARA.” Sean was still laughing about the night before as he drove them to the lab to meet up with Dee Dee the next morning. Jimmy had called ahead and made the arrangements for them to meet hours before the lab officially opened and what they’d be doing would be off-the-record.
“What can I say?” She flashed him a smile, and his heart melted. He’d loved this woman for years before circumstances changed so they could be together, but it had been well worth the wait.
Sean opened the door to the forensics lab. “The moment of truth.”
“I think we have him,” Sara said as she walked inside.
“Me too.” Sean fell into step with her. “We confirm the prints are a match to the unidentified ones pulled from Chloe’s evidence, and we pass what we find over to Roland. Hopefully, he’ll be able to use that information to gather enough admissible evidence to make an arrest. But I hate that he gets the credit.”
She reached for his hand. “It’s not about the credit, though, darling. It’s about finding justice.”
He looked over at her and wanted to scoop her into his arms. And when they left here, he’d do just that. He’d won the lottery when she had said yes to his proposal.
They walked through the hallways to find Dee Dee. There weren’t too many other people in at this time of day, and that included no one at the front desk.
Dee Dee was in her office, adjacent to the main lab. Sean rapped his knuckles on her doorframe and lifted the plastic bag with Kurt’s glass in it for her to see.
“Good morning to you, too,” Dee Dee said with a smile.
“Good morning,” Sara responded, returning the smile. “How have you been?”
“Great. I live for this job.” Dee Dee always had a knack for sarcasm, and it was as admirable as it was annoying. “I take it this is what you want printed?” She pointed to the glass.
Sean nodded. “Yes, it is.”
Dee Dee snapped on a pair of gloves, took the bag from him, and removed the glass. She went to the next room, and they followed her.
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