Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
They headed back upstairs. Noah let Danica and Ginger go ahead first. After their conversation on his motorcycle—and the view of Danica’s round ass just inches from his crotch—he’d needed to make some adjustments. His dick had been thickening up as he’d told that story.
Once we’re naked together? We can’t get enough.
He’d actually said that to her. Noah liked to flirt, but that had been overt even for him.
It had been mostly wishful thinking, combined with some truth. But she’d asked what he fantasized about. Now, she knew.
Of course, it couldn’t happen. Starting something with Danica had been a long shot before. Now that he was her bodyguard, she was off limits. It was too bad. But her safety was far more important than any of his fantasies about finally having her.
When they reached the front of the house, they found a plainclothes detective waiting there, along with a patrol officer in uniform. Rosie looked on, impassive as usual, hands behind her back.
“Ms. Foster-Grant. I’m Detective Angela Murphy. West Oaks PD.” Her cornrows were pulled into a bun, and she wore a pantsuit with a slim-cut blazer.
They shook, and Detective Murphy turned to Noah. “And you must be Mr. Vandermeer. Pleasure to meet you. I’m sorry you both had so much trouble this morning.”
“Trouble is an understatement,” Danica said.
The detective cringed, though Noah thought she’d overdone the gesture.
Like she was going out of her way to seem sympathetic.
“True. But I have some very encouraging news. Units responded within minutes after your security team notified us of the attempt. We blocked their escape route and arrested three individuals inside the vehicle. They were posing as contractors, and that’s how they got access to the neighborhood.
At this moment, they’re back at the station awaiting questioning. ”
Noah had been hoping for this exact scenario to play out. Yet hearing it now, he was surprised it had all gone so smoothly.
“Do you know yet who they are?” Danica asked. “What they want?”
“We’ll find out. In the meantime, I’d like to get your statement. Is there somewhere we could speak alone? The patrol officer here can speak to Mr. Vandermeer separately.”
Noah opened his mouth to protest, but Danica beat him to it. “Noah and I can speak to you together. We were both there at the same time, and…I’d like him to stay with me.”
Detective Murphy inclined her head. “If that’s what you’d prefer, Ms. Foster-Grant. The officer can talk to Ms. Consuelo, your bodyguard. I believe she was also present this morning?”
Rosie and the patrol officer stepped away.
“Shall we sit?” The detective gestured at the living room. Noah and Danica sat on the couch, while the detective took the chair across from them.
She pointed to the small square device attached to her blazer, which Noah recognized as a body cam. “All right if I record this? Saves the need to write up your statements, and it’s standard procedure.”
“I remember from my last interview,” Danica said. “Go ahead.”
The detective switched on the camera.
Danica proceeded to recount what had happened that morning. How they’d been out for a run and the men inside the van had tried to grab her.
Noah felt her tensing up beside him, and he put his hand over hers.
Noah added what he’d seen: three men inside the van, all wearing ski masks. One shot fired before they fled.
“Thank you,” the detective said, switching off the camera on her jacket. “Ms. Foster-Grant, I understand from your chief of security that you’ve been eager for updates on the investigation, and I apologize that’s taken so long.”
Danica laughed without humor. “I feel like I’ve been shut out almost entirely.”
“I assure you, that’s not the case. Even before these latest developments, I planned to meet with you today to share what we’ve found. If I may?”
The detective reached into a messenger bag and brought out a laptop. She opened it and typed in a password. When she’d pulled up the window she wanted, she turned the computer to face them.
Noah leaned forward to study the screen. It showed images of two white SUVs, obviously taken from street traffic cameras.
“Last Friday, two vehicles were involved in the attempt to kidnap you from outside the museum. The driver of the first SUV crashed into your security detail’s car. The second vehicle approached you and, we believe, intended to complete the abduction. Two suspects inside.”
The detective hit a key, and more images appeared. Three men in ski masks, exiting the vehicles in an isolated industrial area. It was hard to tell if they were the same three Noah had seen that morning.
“We were able to find this footage of them abandoning the vehicles outside of town. Unfortunately, their trail ran cold there. Of course, this morning’s events changed everything.
As frightening as today must’ve been? This is a huge advance in the case.
I hope you feel some relief, knowing that we’ve now apprehended them. ”
Danica didn’t respond immediately. Noah felt her indecision. It was great news that the investigation had suddenly made so many leaps forward.
But it just felt…easy.
“Are you saying the men you arrested today are definitely the same ones who tried to kidnap Danica at the museum?” Noah asked.
“Just what I was wondering,” Danica said.
Murphy inclined her head. “It’s early to be definite. But I believe so, yes. Their heights and builds match the three in our video footage. And their method matches as well.”
“Not exactly,” Noah pointed out. “One vehicle versus two. And they didn’t go after her bodyguard like the first time. Unless you count the shot they fired, but that was sloppy. Didn’t come close to hitting me or Rosie.”
“What about the man inside the museum with the tattoo?” Danica asked.
“Tattoo?” Detective Murphy looked confused.
Danica heaved an exasperated sigh. “The man I mentioned in my first interview. Dark coat, cap, staring at me. I saw him again yesterday? Outside the museum?”
“Ah. Right.” The detective nodded. “We’ve had no luck identifying him yet, but we’re working on that. He’s not one of the suspects we apprehended today. We can’t even say he is a suspect at this juncture.”
Noah could tell Danica didn’t like that answer.
“Do you have the surveillance footage of him from inside the museum?”
“We do, but there are no clear shots of his face.”
“I want to see the footage.”
“Any particular reason?” the detective asked.
Danica stared at her, eyes narrowing. “Because that man may have been involved, and I want to see exactly what he was doing.”
The detective shrugged. “Of course. I don’t have it on this device, but as soon as I return to the station, I’ll have someone send a copy to you. Could I get your email?”
Danica recited it. Detective Murphy jotted down the address.
“As soon as we’ve finished interrogating the suspects and know more, I’ll have an update for you.”
“Will I have to face another kidnapping attempt to hear from you?” Danica’s sarcasm was clear.
The detective smiled serenely. “I’ll make sure you don’t.”