Chapter 8
Brooke enjoyed a long lunch with her sister, who listened attentively while she poured her heart out. “Meghan is one of my best friends. I can’t bear the thought of her being held captive.”
“She’s my friend too,” Genevieve said. “There must be a way to solve the crime and get her back. Aren’t the police working on this?”
“Of course,” Brooke said, “but there aren’t many clues. I’m driving myself crazy trying to come up with something helpful. When I last spoke to her, everything seemed fine. Sure, there were normal work stresses, but nothing alarming.”
Brooke talked more about Meg, reminiscing about things they’d done together. Genevieve spoke of the last times she had seen her friend. Yet it didn’t lead to any revelation. The abduction seemed like random misfortune. But Brooke knew that couldn’t be true.
Afterward, they went shopping. It was difficult to enjoy herself, but Brooke found a few items she needed—like new shoes. Her job required standing for hours, and the right shoes were indispensable. It was nice to spend time with her sister. The comments from sales clerks on how much they looked alike was no surprise. They got that all the time.
Later in the afternoon, they stopped at a cocktail bar for a drink and to rest their feet. Genevieve entertained her with stories of failed dates. It was amazing how difficult it was to find the right guy to hook up with. Brooke was relieved that she wasn’t looking. Her thoughts drifted to Gabriel, but that wasn’t the same thing. And she had to face that the relationship may end with the resolution of the disaster she found herself involved in.
There were indications that Gabriel might feel something more. But Brooke focused on her sister’s story, unwilling to think about that possibility yet. She hadn’t shared the fact that he’d kissed her, which likely came from her insecurity that his interest in her was a passing thing.
As they finished their drinks, Brooke texted Gabriel. He replied that he had just dropped Abe at the station, and he would pick her up shortly.
It wasn’t long before he walked into the bar, looking as handsome as she remembered. Even after a day of work, he exuded sex appeal. Brooke glanced away to avoid revealing her true feelings.
“Hello, Genevieve,” he said, then sat next to Brooke. “From all the packages, it appears you went shopping.”
“Indeed, we did,” Genevieve said. “I tried to persuade my sister to buy a few trendy items.” She smiled. “But I suppose a pastry chef has to be practical.”
“You work in nightclubs,” Brooke said. “It’s not the same thing at all.” She motioned toward Gabriel. “Before we leave, why don’t you share with him what you told me?”
“Oh, sure,” Genevieve said, then turned to Gabriel. “You told me about the abduction, at least what you knew at the time. I followed up to see if I could get any skinny at the club.” She finished her drink, then continued. “I kept my ears open, and I noticed this one guy who frequents the club. Normally, I wouldn’t have paid attention. But I overheard him talking about a coworker, and his tone caught my attention. There was something suspicious about the guy.”
“Did you get a name?” Gabriel said.
“I stopped by his table later, after his friends left. He introduced himself as Daniel Fontenot. I was chatty, feigned interest in him and the company where he works, Capstone Security.” Genevieve leaned closer. “He has a fancy title, head of product management. Doesn’t mean much to me, of course. But he was pleased to tell me more, which I didn’t fully understand. I got that it has something to do with developing marketing strategy for the release of new products.”
“Anything more?” Gabriel said.
“He didn’t mind talking but clammed up about the employee he’d mentioned to his buddies. Not too strange, since he didn’t know me,” Genevieve said. “Then he used a lame line to ask me out. Not interested. He’s not my type. Too into himself. I’m sure I’d hear endless tales about his career and how important he is. I’m not inclined to hang out with the corporate types. Boring.”
Gabriel laughed. “There’s no need to date the guy. But keep an eye on him and let me know if you hear anything else. I’ll be interviewing the company employees soon, so any insight could be useful.”
“Happy to,” Genevieve said, then stood up. “I have to get going. I wasn’t supposed to work tonight, but I’m scheduled to perform one set.” She hugged Brooke before leaving.
Gabriel didn’t make a move to leave. “I’ll have one of those,” he said, pointing to Brooke’s half-empty cocktail. He flagged the waitress and placed an order.
Brooke nursed the rest of her drink. She didn’t really need more, as the alcohol had already gone to her head. It had been a while since lunch. “Was Genevieve’s information helpful?”
“You never know,” Gabriel said. “And she might hear more. I’m interested in key employees, starting with the CEO. Abe is setting up an interview with him.”
When his drink arrived, Gabriel leaned back and took a couple of sips. He filled her in on what he’d learned from the party attendees—although the interviews didn’t provide a clue where Meghan was. Yet Sandra Wilson’s perception of the man she left the party with substantiated Brooke’s claim that Meghan was abducted. It appeared she had been swept away from her friends at the party—and it had gotten worse from there.
*****
After drinks, Gabriel suggested going by his office. “Maybe Weston has learned more. I have him digging into the employee backgrounds. I’d like to have a good idea of who your friend worked with.”
When they arrived, Amalie motioned for Brooke to follow her. In the lunchroom, she retrieved a jacket from a narrow closet. “What do you think?” she said. “Does this jacket go with my pants? Is the color off? I have a date, and I don’t want to go home to change.” She held a faux-leather short jacket in front of her. The pale purple matched her hair.
Brooke looked at her purple hair then her striped pants. “The jacket is fine. Where did you get that one? I like the cut of it.” She felt the edge of the hem. “And the material.”
“It’s from Aéropostale,” Amalie said. “I like their stuff.” She turned to face a mirror on the wall and fluffed out her hair. “I’m not sure how long I’ll keep the purple, but I like it for now.”
“It suits you,” Brooke said. “I couldn’t pull off that look.”
Amalie chatted about her date, where she was going, and who else would be there. Brooke enjoyed talking with her and appreciated her youthful perspective. She remembered when she was young what things had been important to her. And Amalie’s verve for life was inspiring. “We should go shopping sometime,” she said, returning to the original subject.
“Absolutely,” Brooke said. “I would like that.”
“I’m doing an online course right now for my PI license,” Amalie said. “I only have about ten more hours of study, then I can take the state exam. After that, I’ll have more free time.”
Gabriel stood in the doorway. “Weston didn’t find out anything more on the party attendees than we already knew. But he’s following a new line of investigation.” He tipped his head to indicate they should come with him.
Weston wore a casual sweater and jeans. Brooke’s impression was that he worked a lot of hours and dressed for comfort. Apparently, he didn’t handle many of the in-person tasks. “As I was telling Gabriel, Capstone is a security company focused on developing better technology,” he said. “Where there’s valuable new technology, there’s a black market.”
“What does that mean?” Brooke said.
“Any new technology can be worth a lot of money,” Weston said. “When I looked at Capstone’s business model, it made sense to look for any developments that make them a target. And by that, I mean products that are in demand or will be.”
“Like I brought up the other day, the abduction might be related to Meghan’s job,” Amalie said.
“Very possibly,” Weston said. “I’ve been monitoring the dark web, and I’ve found a few items of interest.”
Brooke listened closely. Tech wasn’t her thing, but she knew of the dark web.
“Where there’s money there’s often trouble,” Gabriel said. “What do you have so far?”
“It’s not hard to find active participation on the web by those who want to profit illegally,” Weston said. “But it will take more time to get specifics. Dark web users mask their location, so it’s not easy to learn their true identities.”
Brooke looked at Gabriel, who said, “Don’t worry. Weston is a pro at this. If anyone can hack this data, he can.”
“I’ll help,” Amalie said. “I can research public databases, records, and documents to see what I can find.” She stood next to Weston. “After all, I’ll have my PI license soon. You should put my skill to good use.”
“Knock yourself out,” Weston said with a smile.
“But it will have to wait,” Amalie added. “I have friends expecting me.” She swung the jacket over her shoulder, gave her dad a hug, then left.
Brooke was impressed with how savvy she was at such a young age. Youth could easily be underestimated. She’d try not to make that mistake with Amalie. She turned to Weston. “How does this help us find my friend?”
“If I’m able to learn enough, I’ll get an idea of who the perpetrator was,” Weston said. “Provided that we’re on the right track with our theory that her abduction is connected to her job.”
“Utilize Amalie as much as you can,” Gabriel said. “That will free you up for what you do best. Tomorrow, Abe and I will interview the CEO and find out what he knows.”
Brooke was anxious about how long the investigation was taking. It had been less than a week. But for a woman held captive—or worse—it must feel like a lifetime.
*****
Gabriel headed to his house with Brooke. She was starting to think of his place as home, which was an indication that she’d overstayed her welcome as his guest. But she didn’t want to have that discussion again.
On the way, Gabriel shared his thoughts about the case. “The bad guys want Meghan Reid, enough to take her by force. That could work in her favor. If they need her, they may keep her alive.”
Brooke wished that she could agree but wasn’t able to think in such simple terms. To her, the whole thing was messy. It involved a woman in an unknown location, alone with her captors—a situation that she’d only seen in movies. But one that was never good. “I only hope this has a happy ending.”
Once they were home, Gabriel said, “Let me make dinner for you.” He smiled then opened the freezer. “I think it will be lasagna again. Is that okay?”
“Yes, absolutely. I’ll make dessert.” Brooke stood next to him. “Do you have ice cream? Oh, I see vanilla in your freezer. I’ll use that, and I’m sure you have the other ingredients in your cupboards.” She started to look around. The treat could be created from stuff most people had on hand.
While Gabriel started preparing the meal, she began creating a yummy dessert. It was amazing what could be done with butter, salt, cocoa, baker’s chocolate, and a few other items. It didn’t take long to make the hot fudge sauce. She set it aside to share dinner with Gabriel.
After pouring wine, they retired to the dining room. Drinking a red blend and eating lasagna was a pleasure. Simple meals could often be the best. And she enjoyed the company.
Brooke hadn’t quite acclimated to having him around so much, but it was a situation that she could easily get used to. But it was better not to get ahead of herself on that, and she tried not to be obvious about the attraction.
Gabriel smiled. “I could get used to cooking for two. It’s no fun eating alone.”
His tone implied more, but Brooke dared not open that conversation. “It is nice.”
“And I’m looking forward to this dessert.”
“It’s the same old-fashioned fudge sauce I make at the restaurant,” Brooke said. “It has a deep, rich flavor that goes well with vanilla ice cream.”
Gabriel took a sip of wine then continued eating. Sensation spiked through Brooke as she considered how eating delicious food was like foreplay—if the meal included a sexy guy.
“A penny for your thoughts?” he said.
She took a gulp of wine. “Uh, I better not.” Her awkward laugh likely gave her away.
When the plates were empty, Brooke took them to the sink then heated the chocolate sauce and served dessert. A couple of fancy bowls in the cupboard gave it a festive touch. She watched as Gabriel took the first bite, then the second. His eyes closed briefly. “Seriously, this is the best hot fudge sauce I’ve had. Is there a secret ingredient?”
“Not really,” Brooke said. “I use salt to round out the bitterness of the dark chocolate.” She took a bite, pleased that it was as divine as she remembered. “It makes it sparkle on your tongue.”
It didn’t take Gabriel long to finish his. When they were done, he suggested they move to the living room to relax.
Instead of taking a seat across from her, Gabriel sat next to her on the sofa. The electricity between them warmed Brooke all the way to her toes. In the quiet of the room, Gabriel reached out and stroked the back of his fingertips along her jaw.
Brooke closed her eyes and leaned in. The touch of Gabriel’s lips to hers was more delicious than the dessert—by a long shot. Tenderly, his lips touched hers, making her sigh. Then he pulled her closer. With his hand in her hair, Gabriel gave her an unforgettable kiss. It was sweet and sexy, all at once. The kiss lasted and lasted.
When Gabriel pulled back, he said, “You’re special.”
Brooke hadn’t expected him to say that. Since her marriage had ended, she’d had little hope that there was another man for her. This late in life, it didn’t seem realistic. Yet it was happening. “I like you too,” she said.
Gabriel didn’t attempt to take things further, as if sensing that she needed a chance to figure out how she felt. That was the best thing he could have done. He had her heart—that was all there was to it. For a few delicious minutes, Brooke made out with him on the couch as if they were teenagers. It warmed her to her very soul. When they retired to their separate rooms, she snuggled under the covers with images of Gabriel’s touch fresh in her mind.
But sleep didn’t come easily. She tossed and turned, worried about Meg.