18. Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Eighteen
Brooklyn Sloane January 2025 Saturday — 10:07 am
Snowflakes gently brushed against the glass as they fell outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of Brook's office. S&E Investigation had a privileged vantage point of the delicate flakes as they cascaded from the sky. The warmth provided by her space heater tucked underneath her desk had been too much to resist, and she had slipped off her high heels a few hours ago to embrace as much of the heat as possible.
The recent information gathered by Sylvie from Derek Haze only added to the complexity of the case. Mara had changed her mind and wanted to bring a child into the world—Jordan’s child. Such a discovery also simplified the investigation. Mara hadn’t wanted to divorce Jordan.
There was only one person inside the investigation who wouldn’t have wanted such a reunion. The same individual who fit every aspect of the profile.
Claudia Hart.
Only she had an alibi that was confirmed by her mother.
Brook contemplated the validity of such confirmation, and it was impossible not to think back to her own childhood. Would her parents have given Jacob an alibi if they had been cornered? While Brook had never outright lied to anyone about her brother, she had intentionally kept her opinions to herself. After all, there was always the slimmest of chances that he was innocent. Imaginations of young children tended to take hold and distort reality. She understood more than most that family loyalty could be blinding, and it certainly wasn’t unheard of for a mother to lie for her daughter.
The soft sound of footsteps interrupted her reverie as Bit entered her office without a word. She was surprised to find that he had yet to leave the office. Stewart Leone was expecting him to stop by his residence to access the private security system. The last-minute plans had Bit canceling his morning visit to an estate sale with Zoey’s mother. As for Theo and Sylvie, the two of them had decided to spend the morning tracking down two fertility specialists whose offices were within walking distance from the Persimmon Restaurant.
Bit approached her desk with slow, deliberate steps. Such demeanor was uncharacteristic of him, and she inhaled slowly to maintain a steady heartbeat. Whatever he was about to disclose had to do with Jacob.
“You’re going to want to take a look at this, Boss,” Bit said quietly, her attention drawn to the photograph in his hand. He set the picture on her desk, though she made no effort to reach for it. Three fishermen were smiling for someone, though a fourth could be seen over the shoulder of one. It was clear from the man’s expression that he hadn’t meant to get caught on camera. “Is that…”
“Yes.”
Bit’s uncertainty about the fisherman’s identity was understandable to Brook. The man in the background had his lower face wrapped in a thick scarf, and he wore a winter hat that covered most of his forehead and ears. Since the picture had been taken on a fishing boat, thick jackets and gloves obscured their bodies.
The photograph seemed to hold an ominous quality, as if it were a glimpse into a secret world she hadn't known existed. For all practical purposes, the captured moment was exactly that. Brook studied every aspect of the picture, noting the distinctive landscape in the background.
“Alaska.”
“Yes. I found it while going through some social media accounts of commercial fishing companies. Facial recognition failed because of the material covering Jacob's face. I’ve been manually combing through current and past fishing crew photos.”
The tremendous amount of effort to uncover this picture wasn’t lost on Brook. Bit’s determination and resourcefulness were evident, and now they had a possible connection between her brother and Mitch Norona.
Possible…because a fishing charter wasn’t commercial fishing, and fishing charters were completely different entities.
“See the guy on the right? That is Mekhi Hale, and while he used to work for a commercial fishing company over five years ago, he also used to make extra money on the side by taking tourists to some local fishing spots. It was Hale’s boat that Mitch Norona rented when he was on vacation in Alaska.”
“Retired?” Brook guessed as she silently calculated the man’s age into the equation.
“Yes, but Hale still lives up there. I have his phone number and home address.”
Brook considered their options, but she wasn’t ready to reach out to anyone just yet. She didn’t want to chance that her brother hadn’t somehow inserted himself into the lives of these fishermen. Jacob’s face had been plastered all over the national news, so why wouldn’t one of these men have alerted the FBI to his past history?
“Let’s keep this in-house for now, Bit. I want to think over our options first.”
Before Bit could respond to her request, they both caught sight of Jordan Miles stepping off the elevator. His tense posture and focused gaze on the sign for S&E Investigations told of his agitated state. It wasn’t long before he was striding toward the glass double-door entrance.
“Bit,” Brook cautioned as she gauged Jordan’s level of anger. “You should run that errand we spoke about earlier.”
“Arden is in the kitchen if you need him, Boss.”
Jordan paused momentarily as he spotted the biometric scanner. Brook pressed the button underneath her desk, buzzing him into the office. He wisely acknowledged Bit silently as they passed one another in her office.
“Answer me this, Brook,” Jordan demanded once they were alone, his voice tight with barely contained annoyance. He hadn’t even made it over to her desk. “Is this how you treat all your clients? By not answering their phone calls?”
Brook regarded him coolly, ensuring she betrayed no emotion.
“I did answer your first two calls, Jordan,” Brook reminded him, keeping her tone civil. “If you recall, the first one was to berate me for keeping Mara’s connection to Derek Haze from you. The second one involved Claudia and Stewart Leone. A third call would have made no difference. I'm not your sounding board. You hired me to prove your innocence, and that is exactly what my team and I are doing.”
Jordan appeared to want to push the issue, but he thought better of it. It dawned on her at that moment that despite his wealth and power, he lacked true friends. There was no one still alive who genuinely cared for him and supported him. He had come here to her offices, because she and her team were the ones who were doing everything in their power to prove his innocence. It didn’t help that Claudia's deception had only deepened his mistrust.
Brook would eventually need to reveal to him that Stewart Leone planned to resign first thing Monday morning. That news would only further destabilize Jordan's carefully constructed world, so she would put off informing him until after he reigned in his anger.
“Stewart isn’t answering my calls, and I was too livid to drive over there.” Jordan cleared his throat as he removed his coat. He tossed it over the chair in the sitting area before walking toward the window. “You should have told me about the connection between them.”
“I thought it best you hear that news from Claudia,” Brook replied cautiously as she reached for the photograph on her desk. She could have flipped it over, but she didn’t want it visible on her desk. She pushed back her chair to open the bottom drawer, tucking the picture safely into a folder. She wouldn’t make any hasty decisions about what Bit had discovered in Alaska. “As for Stewart Leone, I don’t believe he killed Mara. Bit is going to drive over to Stewart’s residence to access his security system. He has some interior cameras that will verify his alibi of being home that evening.”
Joran slipped his hands into his pockets while keeping his back to her. The delicate flakes outside the windowpane had turned into larger ones, causing Brook to make a mental note to check the weather. If there was a chance of significant snowfall, that could alter the team’s plans for the day.
“Jordan, where is Claudia?” Brook asked, figuring the men surveilling Jordan would be parked right outside the building. While Sylvie’s theory about Jordan being a target had been sound at the time, they had all agreed the intel gathered during the investigation pointed in another direction. The unsub had wanted the authorities to believe Jordan killed his wife. Nevertheless, maintaining a surveillance team had been the prudent thing to do. “Is she waiting in the car for you? At the penthouse?”
“I’m assuming Claudia is at her apartment.” Jordan didn’t turn around as Brook made her way over to the couch. “I don’t…I don’t understand why Stewart wouldn’t have come to me. I wouldn’t have betrayed his confidence. I also wouldn’t have—”
Brook figured Jordan was about to reveal how he wouldn’t have gotten personally involved with Claudia had he known that she was the biological daughter of his CFO. Nothing could change the past. The damage had already been done.
“You might not have realized it, but your decision to acquire Paul Teal’s medical device company played a large role in Stewart’s decision to remain quiet.”
“Stewart feels I ignored his advice,” Jordan replied before bowing his head in frustration. By this time, Brook had taken a seat on the couch. She didn’t doubt that Bit had informed Arden of their guest’s unexpected arrival. Coffee would be delivered momentarily. Jordan faced her, his annoyance brimming to the surface. “Brook, do you know how many decisions I make on a daily basis? Ones that don’t necessarily garner approval from everyone in management?”
“Arden spent yesterday afternoon with Paul Teal,” Brook revealed, immediately noting Jordan’s impatient reaction. He believed S&E Investigations was wasting valuable time and resources. She had repeatedly warned him that every aspect of his life would be torn apart, and he didn’t get a say in the direction of their investigation. While he might currently be their client, he had understood the contract between them. “It came to our attention during the course of the investigation that you and Mr. Teal exchanged some unpleasant words last Sunday when you and Mara were at the country club. Your server, Caleb Witt, was pressured by the country club’s manager to keep the confrontation under wraps. We’ve also learned that you were with Paul Teal that afternoon.”
“And I was upfront with you, Brook. I disclosed to you and your team that I had a business meeting.” Jordan closed the distance to the sitting area. He claimed the chair, but he was in no way comfortable. His agitation was still noticeable in the way he clenched and unclenched his right hand. “Paul deserves this buyout. I don’t want the specifics public until we sign the contracts. My business dealings with him have nothing to do with Mara’s death.”
“Jordan, you left your college roommate with a ton of debt,” Brook stated matter-of-factly. “You wanted to carve your own path back then. I get it. You didn’t want to take over your father’s company. You were afraid you wouldn’t have anyone’s respect, and because of that, Paul offered to take out the loans in his name so that your father had no idea what you were doing. Only you didn’t count on your father having a stroke.”
“I offered to—”
“Your offer to help Paul repay the debt came a little too late, and he had already declared bankruptcy. After that, he wouldn’t take your money.” Brook heard the shuffle of Arden's pants, and she fell silent just as he entered her office. “Thank you, Arden.”
“My pleasure,” Arden replied with a nod of greeting toward Jordan. “Mr. Miles, is there anything else I can get you this morning?”
“No, thank you.”
Jordan had averted his gaze from Brook. He was ashamed of his past decisions, and he never imagined that those poor choices would come back to haunt him. She didn’t believe they had, but the circumstances surrounding his past still had to be investigated to rule Paul Teal out as a suspect.
“Paul Teal was the one who patented the medical devices. The forms had been submitted under his name. When the time came that he wanted to sell, you swooped in with a higher percentage than the company is actually worth.” Brook stood before walking over to her desk. She collected her mug before returning and pouring herself some coffee. “The argument at the country club was Paul Teal calling you out on your effort to ease your guilt for past mistakes.”
“Did you know Barry wants me to do a sit-down interview?” Jordan’s tone made it clear that he disagreed with the request. “Barry feels that coming clean about the loss of my father, my marriage, the affair, and the stress of running a multi-billion-dollar company might sway the public opinion about my reputation. How do you think that is going to play in the press, Brook?"
“Barry’s intentions are good, but he doesn’t know what I know at the moment.”
Brook’s statement had captured Jordan’s attention. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. He clasped his hands together as his dark gaze bore into hers with desperate hope.
“What did you find out, Brook?”
“We discovered the reason why Mara asked Derek for money—someone else was blackmailing her. Someone else knew of her past.”
The impact of her revelation rippled across Jordan's face, and a mixture of shock and disbelief contorted his features. It was as if a tidal wave had crashed over him, leaving him struggling to find solid ground.
“No.” Jordan’s response was adamant. He even lowered his forearms in denial. “No. You’re wrong. Mara would have come to me.”
“Would she?” Brook asked, instantly noting the flicker of uncertainty in his gaze. She leaned back, observing him intently, before continuing. “Mara shared something else with Derek Haze. She had a tubal ligation performed years ago. I assume she had it performed during her time as an escort. Only she had recently made appointments to reverse the procedure.”
“Mara had…” Jordan let his voice trail off, unable to rationalize Brook’s words. “No. I don’t know where you’re getting this—”
“I believe that Mara changed her mind about the divorce, Jordan. Your marriage wasn't over. At least, not in Mara's eyes." Brook paused for emphasis, letting her words sink in. “I believe she wanted to save your marriage, Jordan. She changed her mind about having a baby, only someone was going to great lengths to make sure that didn’t happen.”
It didn’t take long for Jordan to follow alongside Brook’s train of thought.
“You’re implying that Claudia—”
“Who else would be threatened by you and Mara having a child?” Brook understood Jordan’s need to deflect. If Claudia was the unsub, then he was to blame for bringing her into their lives. “Who else would resort to murder?”
“I swear to you, I don’t know,” Jordan whispered in anguish as his face contorted, his usually polished facade crumbling as realization and grief washed over him. His dark brown eyes, once filled with an air of authority, were now glassy and vulnerable. He was lost in the possibilities of what could have been. “A baby? Mara wanted to have our baby?”
Jordan’s body heaved with sobs as he buried his face in his hands. Brook wanted to comfort him, but he wasn’t an individual who displayed such weakness to someone who was basically a colleague. She silently placed her coffee on the table before quietly leaving him to grieve in private.
“Brook?”
She turned to find Arden approaching her from Bit’s office. His forehead held creases of concern as he held out one of the office’s portable phones.
“It’s Detective Kitsis,” Arden advised softly while peering down the hallway to ensure her door was still closed. Once he was certain he wouldn’t be overhead, he disclosed the reason for the call. “Vaughn Queller died of an overdose sometime last night.”