Chapter 5
Deep in thought on Monday morning, Gabriel rode the elevator up to his office. There were many loose ends regarding Brooke’s situation, and he racked his brain for a way to crack the case open. But until a missing person report was filed, there was no case. When he entered the office, Amalie smiled. With her blue eyes and blonde hair, she looked so much like her mom. For a while, looking at his daughter had been a constant reminder of the loss of his wife.
It was now a pleasure to see her at the desk, tapping on her keyboard. She was barely nineteen but mature for her age. Her competence was admirable, and Gabriel was pleased to have her on the team. The natural talent she had with social media and other current technologies was an asset.
“Hey, Dad,” she said, still looking at the computer screen.
Gabriel stood by the desk. “How was your weekend?”
“Ah, pretty good,” Amalie said. “Normal stuff. Saturday night I went to a party with a few friends. How about you?”
“That’s a story,” Gabriel said. “I’ll fill you in after I get some coffee.” Amalie gave him a wide-eyed look, but he held up his hand. “I need caffeine first.”
Gabriel went down the short hallway to find Weston in the lunchroom, coffee in hand. “Rough weekend?” he said, watching Gabriel go for the brew.
“You could say that.” After filling his mug, Gabriel sat at the table. “Any updates on our cases?”
Weston sat across from him. “I’m buried in work, if that’s what you mean.” He leaned back. “I made notes of any progress, so you’ll see that when you log in.”
Gabriel relied on Weston for research, a skill he’d honed over many years. As part of the younger generation, he’d grown up with computers. His specialty was cybercrime, and he had hacking abilities that netted a lot of information. Gabriel had learned not to ask too many questions, as long as his partner kept it legal—which he’d promised to do.
Amalie came in, got a bottle of water from the refrigerator, then sat at the end of the table. “Well…what’s the story you have to tell us?” She smiled. “You met a woman you like?”
“Yes,” Gabriel said, “but not in the usual way.” He started the story with the surprise of running into Brooke at the parade, then covered the events since, taking care to mention any important details.
“Wow, that sounds like the start of quite the relationship,” Amalie said with a frown.
“And still no word from the PD about the identity of the woman?” Weston said.
Gabriel shook his head. “Not so far, but I need your help. We won’t take any new cases this week. We can outsource temporarily, because I need you able to focus on this.”
“You’re expecting this to turn into something?” Amalie said. “I mean, so much happens during this season. Is it just because you know Brooke?”
“I would say that’s one thing,” Gabriel said. “I’ve volunteered to protect her, and I won’t let her down. But also, a woman doesn’t get carried off in an alley without a reason.”
“Hmm,” Amalie said, then gulped her water. “I’ll see what I can find.”
When she left, Gabriel said, “I know it’s not much to go on yet, but…”
“I’m on it,” Weston said, heading back to his desk.
If anyone could dig up a clue about the abduction, it would be his team. While they got to work on that, Gabriel went to meet Abe at the scene. Before leaving, he told Weston to text if there were any updates.
*****
When he arrived, Abe was already in the alley scoping things out. He knew what to do without Gabriel’s direction. Prior to joining the PD, Abe Stewart had been a Navy SEAL. At that time he’d been married, but that relationship hadn’t lasted. That had been a heartbreak for Abe, something he’d shared with few people other than Gabriel. His strong personality got him through many things. There had been no children in that first marriage, which Abe considered a good thing, as divorce was hard on kids.
Gabriel looked around the quiet alley. He could see it more clearly than he had that night. “You said you had an idea?”
Abe nodded. “I want to see what we can learn from the scene. As you can see, there are routes to escape without being too obvious.”
“I don’t have much hope of finding anything,” Gabriel said. “The perp could have grabbed his victim while drunk or acting like he was, so carrying her off wouldn’t attract too much attention. Besides, the parade was drawing all the focus. From what I could tell it was vacant in this alley, except for Brooke trying to use it as a shortcut.”
“A parade during carnival season is a good way to hide a crime,” Abe said. “It’s a rowdy environment, creating plenty of distraction.”
Walking down the alley, Gabriel didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. “Well, I know you didn’t call me out here to search an empty alley.”
“Actually, I did.” Abe waved, and another officer strode toward them with a German shepherd on a leash. “These days, the canines are trained to detect Rohypnol. I’m sure you’re familiar with it.”
“Sure, that was used as a date-rape drug while I was still on the force,” Gabriel said.
“The dogs can sniff it out,” Abe said.
With the officer in tow, the dog lowered its head, moving back and forth in a sweeping motion down the alley.
Gabriel understood what Abe was after. Low doses of the drug produced muscle relaxation and had sedative effects for up to eight hours—plenty of time to make off with a victim. Chloroform had fallen out of favor. It was risky to use, since it could cause heart failure.
Gabriel watched the dog as he progressed down the row of buildings, sniffing the sidewalk and detouring into any openings. Then he said, “The drug could’ve been dissolved in liquid and injected.”
“Yes, which would be effective for an abduction,” Abe said. “It might have been a drug-facilitated sexual assault. But even if it wasn’t, injecting the drug could have suited the purpose.”
A couple of yards up the alley, the dog sat in front of steps up to a porch, then froze. Gabriel followed Abe to the spot, but they didn’t see anything.
“It’s here…somewhere,” the handling officer said, holding the dog steady. “I’ll let him get closer.”
Abe got down on his knees to see what the dog smelled. With a small flashlight, Abe peered into the short steps. They were old and broken. Shining the light into the open side of the bottom step, he said, “I think I’ve got something.” He took a glove out of his pocket and put it on before reaching under the step to bring out a dirty syringe.
The dog stared as if in a hypnotic trance.
The officer handed a plastic bag to Abe, who said, “I’ll bag this for evidence and take it in to verify that one of the rape drugs was used.”
Gabriel took the plastic bag to examine the syringe. “My guess is that the perp got spooked when Brooke spotted him. It might have caused him to drop the syringe. In a panic, he probably kicked it under the step before escaping with his victim.”
“We caught a break on this one,” Abe said.
*****
Brooke was knee-deep in pastry. Normally, Monday was her day off, but a couple of large parties had made reservations. Measuring ingredients accurately was key, since creating the perfect pastry was partly science. It was important to have the pastries from the regular menu on hand, and that included croissants, eclairs, and tarts. With the assistance of a couple of kitchen staff, those items were nearly ready. In addition, Brooke was diligently crafting a chocolate puff pastry, sure to delight the guests that evening.
Jasper came by to check on her progress, and she assured him the desserts would be finished before she left for the day. It looked like that would be later than she thought. Then Lisle walked over to them, holding out her phone. “Have you seen this?”
Brooke looked at the screen with Jasper leaning in to see what the fuss was about.
“I’m surprised you didn’t see this before I did,” Lisle said to the boss. “You’re always so on top of things.”
On the screen was an article about an award. Brooke was shocked to see her photo on the website. Then she remembered when it was taken, and that Jasper had forwarded it to the award committee before her interview. “We have a Zagat rating?”
Lisle beamed. “ You have a Zagat rating. It’s all about you, the illustrious pastry chef at Jasper’s.”
Brooke scanned the article. It talked more about her passions, desires, and ambitions than about the food. But there were photos of a couple of her finest creations. Publishing personal interviews of chefs was the way Zagat created articles. Their audience was interested in the person as much as the food. “Look at this,” she said, shoving the phone over to Jasper. “It’s all about the food, décor, and service at this restaurant.”
Jasper grinned. “That’s good for business. This kind of stuff increases our popularity.”
“But it’s only on the Zagat website,” Brooke said.
“No, it isn’t.” Lisle beamed. “You’re going to be famous… Well, at least in the French Quarter…for a while. Zagat shared this on social media.”
The butterflies in Brooke’s stomach weren’t due to the recognition for her creations. The last thing she wanted now was to have her photo plastered all over social media.
One of the waiters motioned to Jasper, calling him away.
Lisle looked at Brooke. “What? You look like your best friend just died.”
“I don’t want to be recognized,” Brooke said. “This is terrible.”
Lisle furrowed her brow. “I’m not following you. This award is based on customer surveys, so the rating means a lot.”
“Friday night…” Brooke said. “I was a witness, remember? And the bad guy saw me.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh is right,” Brooke said. “My face will be all over social media today.”
“Let’s hope he doesn’t recognize you,” Lisle said. “I mean, it was dark out, right?” She paused. “And maybe criminals don’t check social media.”
Brooke’s phone vibrated, and she saw that it was Gabriel. “I have to take this.” She stepped away from her station to talk.
“We found something,” Gabriel said, then told her about the discovery of the syringe.
“Did you have it tested?”
“Yes, and it checks out,” Gabriel said. “This is the first clue we’ve had. When can you leave today?”
Brooke glanced back at her station and sighed. Her creation had been ruined by all the interruptions. “Well, my chocolate is getting too warm, so I have to start over on my pastry of the day.”
“I’ll leave you to it. Text when you’re done.”
She’d tell him about the new Zagat rating when she saw him. Maybe by then her shock would have worn off—but she didn’t think so.
After the call, Brooke pulled Lisle aside to update her on what Gabriel found.
“The police can test that fast?”
“I guess it only takes minutes, if they test for a specific drug they suspect.” Brooke glanced at Jasper. “I think I’ll wait to tell the boss until I know more.” Jasper was a good friend, and he was fatherly toward her. He was like family, since he’d known her parents well through the restaurant business. It was better to wait to tell him, so he wouldn’t worry.
Meanwhile, that didn’t mean that Brooke wasn’t worried herself. She had more questions than answers and couldn’t wait to talk with Gabriel. Just because a syringe was found didn’t mean it was related to the abduction. During carnival season, drug use was rampant. They’d need more information. She was starting to think like a detective—not what she wanted to be. Her talent was creating sweet treats, not tracking down criminals.
It was late in the afternoon before Brooke finished preparing the pastries. She planned to take a couple of days off, so made enough to last until she returned. If Jasper needed more, he could get some from the freezer. She kept a supply in there for when they ran short.
*****
Gabriel arrived soon after she texted. He entered the restaurant looking especially handsome. He was in jeans and a jacket that seemed suited to him. As he walked over, Brooke couldn’t help admiring his build. His strong thighs filled out the jeans in a tantalizing fashion. She smiled, looking into his deep brown eyes, which didn’t calm her emotions at all.
“Are you okay?” he said, warming her heart.
Brooke nodded. “We can go. I’ve let Jasper know.” Then she instinctively linked arms with him and headed for the door. His cologne wafted around her, tempting her in a way that it shouldn’t have.
When they were outside, Gabriel said, “You’re sure you’re okay? Maybe I should have waited to tell you in person about the syringe.”
“No, of course not.” She didn’t want him to think that she was a wimp. Certainly, she wanted him to share things as they happened. “But I could use a drink.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Gabriel helped her into the car then went to a local place and seated her at an available table. When he took off his jacket, Brooke tried not to stare. His cotton shirt hugged his bulging biceps and stretched across his broad chest.
While waiting for the drinks, Brooke had more opportunity to gaze across the table, trying not to be obvious. Images of running her hands over his short hair and brushing against his neatly trimmed beard were unwelcome. That wasn’t what she should be thinking of. It made her wonder what the stress of witnessing a crime did to a person—but that was only an excuse. She would have drooled over Gabriel under any circumstances.
The server came by with drinks. Brooke took a couple of sips to chill out.
Gabriel gulped his beer. “You seem different. Is there anything I missed?”
Brooke glanced away. “No, I’m just curious. Finding a syringe doesn’t tell us a lot, does it?”
“It’s a start,” Gabriel said. “We need to connect it to the crime. The police were able to lift a partial print, but no match yet. That may take a while.”
“I didn’t know you could get prints from something that small.”
“It’s more difficult,” Gabriel said. “Prints are left behind by substances that stick to the fingers, like dirt or blood.” He rested his forearms on the table and leaned closer. “Most of the prints were degraded or contaminated. And analyzing prints isn’t always conclusive. But more important is whether we can identify the victim. If the lab gets a good enough sample of her blood or other biological material, they can run DNA tests.”
“How would that work, since we don’t know who she is?”
“Good question.” Gabriel gulped his beer. “If the police get a sample, the lab will run a DNA analysis and create a profile. That would be compared to other DNA profiles in the database.”
“Not everyone is in the DNA database, though.”
“True, so there are no guarantees,” Gabriel said. “Let’s hope they get something we can use.”
Brooke sipped her wine and nibbled at a few nuts from a dish. “Meanwhile, we haven’t helped the woman.”
“The police are aware that the longer she’s missing, the more danger she’s in,” Gabriel said. “That is if…”
“Right… We don’t know that she’s still alive.”
“But you helped,” Gabriel said. “When you returned to the scene, you interrupted a crime. In his hurry, the perp made a mistake by leaving evidence behind.”
That was something, but Brooke knew it wasn’t enough. She pulled her phone out of her jacket, then scrolled. “I have something to show you.” She handed him the phone.
Gabriel studied the image. “This just came out?”
“Today,” Brooke said. “I gave the interview months ago and had forgotten about it. I figured there was no way that Zagat would choose to highlight my work.”
Gabriel handed the phone back. “We’ll have to stay alert. At this point, we don’t know if the criminal could recognize you. The photo in the article was taken in good light, but that alley was lit by streetlamps. A person could appear much different under those conditions.”
From the look on his face, it was clear that Gabriel was concerned. He was trying to reassure her, which Brooke appreciated. In the short time that she had been around him, it hadn’t been difficult to figure out that he was a caring person. Even more reason she shouldn’t ogle him. A man who was a good person and had a gorgeous body was a deadly combination for her. She needed to stay focused on her issue, so she could return to her real life—whatever that meant.
When Gabriel’s phone vibrated against the table, he grabbed it. Checking the screen, he said, “That was Amalie. She wants to share something but prefers to do it in person.” He finished his beer. “Care to take a drive with me to my office?”
Fortunately, the Guardian Investigations office wasn’t far. Brooke hadn’t seen it before, and there wasn’t a lot to recommend it. The space was filled with three desks, papers piled up, and a hallway that likely led to a breakroom. There was a large window providing a view of the city.
Gabriel ushered her into the office and motioned toward a young woman at the computer. “This is my daughter, Amalie.”
Brooke smiled. “Yes, the birthday girl.”
“And cake lover,” Amalie said.
At another desk was a guy that Brooke judged to be in his late thirties. He had dark hair cut in a trendy style, shaved at the sides, spiked on top. From his demeanor, he was a capable, intelligent sort. Gabriel introduced him as Weston Lang, whose superpower was busting cybercrime.
“Take a look at what she’s got,” Weston said, nodding toward Amalie.
Gabriel stood next to Brooke with a clear view of his daughter’s computer. “You’ve got our attention. What did you find?”
“Realize that I didn’t have much to go on,” Amalie said, looking pleased. “But I hit on something. The only thing you told me was that you suspected a woman had been abducted. I knew the general area. And you told me what she’d been wearing.” She tapped at her keyboard. “At first, I didn’t see much. Without a name or better description, I was kind of shooting in the dark.” She clicked her mouse. “But then…”
Brooke stared at the screen. It was a photograph of the woman she’d seen in the alley. It had to be. The purple costume and gold tiara were striking. But the long purple hair confirmed it. The woman was the same size and dressed the same. She seemed oddly familiar.
“Who is she?” Gabriel said.
“Once I had this photo, it wasn’t that difficult,” Amalie said. “This picture was on social media because this woman’s boss is looking for her. He probably checked social media before going to the police, if he didn’t have any reason to think there was foul play.”
Gabriel leaned in to read the post, while Amalie said, “The woman’s name is Meghan Reid. She went to a party dressed like that, and someone at the party took photos. Luckily, they got one of her in that purple costume.”
Hearing her friend’s name was an arrow to Brooke’s heart. She sagged into a chair. “Oh my God. It can’t be.” She looked up at Gabriel. “I know her.”
Amalie turned to stare. “She’s a friend of yours?”
Brooke’s mind reeled. It was too much to take in. “How can it be? It’s hard to conceive of.” She was stunned. “Who would want to harm Meg?”
“How do you know her?” Gabriel said.
“We went to high school together,” Brooke said, “and became best friends.”
“When’s the last time you saw her?” Gabriel said.
“I…uh…not for a while.” Brooke stood to look at the social media post. Then she scrolled to see more pictures. Her heart sank. She’d hoped that she was mistaken, but it was definitely Meg. “We stayed in touch through college. With our careers, it’s been difficult. We have lunch to celebrate birthdays, but I haven’t talked to her in a year, at least. Or maybe longer. I don’t know.”
Gabriel turned to Amalie. “What else do we know?”
“Just what you read,” Amalie said. “Her boss says the party was the last time she was seen. He checked with a friend, who told him that Meghan left early. We don’t know why or what happened except that she was attacked by that man in the alley. There are other posts. I’m trying to piece together as much as I can.”
“Who is her boss?” Gabriel said to Weston.
“Meghan Reid is head of research at Capstone Security. Peter Schwartz is the CEO. He’s got some impressive creds in the technology field. It seems that Meghan didn’t show up for work today, which is out of character for her.”
Brooke paced. “She’s been with that company for a long time. She’s a cryptographer, and a damn good one. Not only that, but she also writes algorithms, code used for high-level security. She talked about it with me—without revealing company secrets, of course.”
“Capstone handles security for large entities like banks and tech companies,” Weston said.
Brooke was baffled. “What does that have to do with her disappearing?”
The silence in the room told her that was what they all wondered.
“We don’t know that her disappearance is connected to her career,” Gabriel said. “She was at a party. It could be personal. Considering the drug that was used, that is the most likely.”
Weston stared at him. “I don’t know. You could be right. I suppose that math and science geniuses party like the rest of us and have the same weaknesses.”
“I don’t think so,” Amalie said. “Just a gut feeling. It’s too coincidental that a respected cryptographer just happens to go missing.”
“You watch too many superhero movies,” Gabriel said.
“You don’t watch enough,” Amalie said. “There has to be a connection.”
Brooke tended to agree. If that was true, the situation had just intensified. This wasn’t a small-time crime, some idiot on drugs carrying her friend off. It involved data security and tech companies.
As if reading her mind, Gabriel said, “That means we’ve got something big here…if you’re right. I shudder to think what might be involved. This is only the tip of the iceberg.”
Before anyone could react to that, Gabriel’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen. “Hey, Abe. I was just about to call you.” He listened. “Oh, really? Yeah, I know. I’ll explain when I see you. We’ll be there.”
“What happened?” Brooke said.
“The CEO didn’t wait long to file that missing person report,” Gabriel said. “That was Abe. He has the report on his desk, along with more photos.” He looked at Brooke. “He wants you to come to the station to identify the woman in the costume…since he’s not yet aware that you know her.”
“Let’s go,” she said. “This is Meg. We have to help her.”
“And he has photos of other people from the party,” Gabriel said. “He wants to see if any of them resemble the man you saw in the alley.”
As he headed for the door, Gabriel said, “You guys stay on it. I need to know all you can find out about Capstone Security, the employees, what projects they were working on, anything…”
Brooke followed Gabriel down the hallway then stepped into the elevator beside him. She realized that her life wasn’t going to return to normal anytime soon.