Indigo
S eated on the bed, alone in the room, Becca breathed deeply and realized how exhausted she was.
The digits on her phone told her it was nearly midnight.
How had it gotten so late?
It was the first time she’d looked at her phone since she’d text messaged Carter while hiding in the closet.
She glanced around the comfortable room.
There was a microwave and Keurig coffee maker with a counter, cabinets, and shelves that were fully stocked with snacks, plus a dorm-sized refrigerator that Carter had told her had bottles of water, juice, and soda.
No liquor, though, he’d joked.
And in front of it was a small table and three comfortable chairs.
The bathroom was on the other side of the table and chairs.
Behind her on the far wall was a large window with the drapes closed, and a television was atop a chest of drawers across from the bed.
They called it the apartment, but it resembled a hotel room more.
She grabbed her toiletries and pajamas from her backpack and went into the bathroom.
There was no tub, just an okay sized shower stall.
She turned the water hot and then disrobed.
As she’d planned, she stood beneath the downpour for a long time.
The bed was comfortable, the sheets crisp, expensive.
They held a hint of lavender.
She drifted to sleep immediately.
She was surprised when she woke up to find it was nearly ten a.m. And she was starving.
She made a cup of coffee and unwrapped a large chocolate chip muffin that was on the shelf.
There were even individual creamers in a variety of flavors in a basket in the cabinet.
Carter had said Angel kept the room stocked with comforts for guests.
She’d have to thank Angel if she saw her today.
She’d charged her phone overnight.
She grabbed it and reviewed emails, both personal and work, while she enjoyed her coffee and muffin.
It surprised her, but she did feel very relaxed.
After her second cup of coffee, she messaged Carter to let him know she was awake.
His reply came right away.
He was obviously awake already, too.
I hope you slept well.
Can I get you something for breakfast?
Thank you, not necessary.
There are packages of muffins here and coffee.
I already ate. What time is the meeting with your boss?
When can I come up? I really hate texting.
She smiled seeing his message.
She preferred talking on the phone or in person as well.
Give me ten minutes to get dressed.
In his office, Tessman called Angel.
“Hey, Becca Elliot just messaged me that she’s awake. When can we get in to see Shepherd?”
“He can see you in twenty minutes, if that’s not too soon,” Angel offered.
“That should work, thank you. I’ll let Jackson and Brielle know,” Tessman said.
“Bring her by my desk after the meeting,” Angel said.
“Will do, thanks, Angel.”
He sent Jackson and Brielle invitations to the meeting.
He’d already spoken to them both that morning and given them a heads up that he was working on scheduling it and why.
The revelation that her mother had been one of the founders and the chief research chemist at Well-Life still floored him.
Jackson agreed with him that it was more than coincidence that both her mother and brother-in-law had what was described as the same moral compass and were risk adverse.
And they were both dead.
Moreover, the bit about her brother-in-law, that he should have gotten her mother’s position but didn’t, sent up red flags for Jackson.
Tessman trotted up the stairs to the ninth floor and was outside the door ten minutes later.
He knocked once.
“Hi,” she said after she’d swung the door open.
She stepped back, inviting him in.
“Hi, how’d you sleep last night?”
“Good, soundly all night. I think I slept the best I have since it happened,” she said.
He noticed that with this statement, her mood instantly changed, and she suddenly looked incredibly sad.
She obviously tried to push it away.
She clutched her hands together in front of herself.
She always seemed so normal that he had to remind himself of the horrible loss she’d just suffered.
He reached out and took hold of her hands.
“Hey, I get it and it’s okay that you slept well. You were exhausted.”
“Thanks,” she said, taking a step far enough away to break the contact.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” she asked, motioning to the Keurig.
“No thank you. I’ve had a few cups already.” He noticed she had a half cup on the kitchen table with two muffin wrappers.
“But don’t let me stop you from finishing yours.”
She retook her seat at the table.
“Join me?” She motioned to one of the other chairs.
Tessman sat across from her, watching her school her sadness.
She forced a pleasant expression.
“We have a meeting with Shepherd in ten minutes. Will that work for you?” He noticed that not only was she dressed in a dark purple girly T-shirt and jeans, but her hair was brushed smooth, and she had a trace of makeup on.
Besides the momentary sadness she’d allowed to escape, she looked rested, put together, and beautiful.
He had to admit to himself that she impressed him.
She was intelligent and was dealing with the murders of her family with courage and determination that the guilty would be found.
She took a big drink of her coffee.
“Yes. Let me just finish this and brush my teeth.”
“His office is down on five. No rush.”
“So, I Googled him, Colonel Samual Shepherd, United States Army. It was hard to find information on him.”
“Yes, I’m sure he’s had most of it scrubbed,” Tessman said.
“What does that mean?”
“That most if not all of his career was classified top secret, so there should be no record of him or the work he’s done. And anything that managed to get out there about him, he would have made it disappear.”
“What should I expect during this meeting?”
“I’m sure he’ll ask you to sign the nondisclosure agreement. And we’ll recap everything that happened yesterday and where we are on the investigation.”
She nodded her head.
“Okay.”
“Were you able to make notes of everything we talked about last night?”
“Yes, I have them here on my phone.” She tapped her iPhone, which sat on the table beside her.
“I was also able to recall a few names of people at Well-Life that my mom had mentioned over the years. And I remembered that my brother-in-law went through my mom’s home office after the plane crash. He brought all her files into the office. So, I didn’t even see any work-related documents then. But seriously, Carter, do you really think my sister and her family’s murders were committed by someone at Well-Life or was related to anything at work?”
“Becca, it’s the only possible motive we have on our radar. And I want to warn you, Jackson and I are going to ask our boss that we look at the plane crash that killed your parents to be sure it was an accident and nothing suspicious.”
She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
Her parents’ accident had been just that, an accident.
No one had ever thought that it was anything but a tragic accident.
“The NTSB did an investigation and found nothing suspicious.” Becca finished her coffee in one gulp and then stood.
“I have to brush my teeth. I’ll be right out.”
He watched her enter the bathroom and close the door.
***
Becca would admit that she felt intimidated by Colonel Sam Shepherd.
He was a tall man with broad shoulders, who wore a dress shirt better than anyone she knew.
He looked solid and strong, and he threw off an air of authority that would make a judge cower.
She could easily envision him in a military dress uniform with many ribbons and medals.
She already sat at the conference table in his office with Carter, Jackson, and Brielle.
She watched Shepherd finish what he was doing at his stand-up desk before he crossed the room and joined them at the conference table.
He had a manilla folder in his hand.
He’d introduced himself with a handshake when they’d entered his office, but had retreated back behind his desk for the last four minutes, typing on his computer keyboard.
Becca assumed he was completing an email that he’d started before they’d entered.
“Thank you for your patience while I finished that,” he said.
“Miss Elliot, Becca, I’m sure you understand confidentiality and promise it with your clients.”
Becca nodded.
She eyed the folder.
She’d bet anything a nondisclosure agreement was in it.
“I do.” Her gaze flickered to Carter and then back to Colonel Shepherd.
“Is that an NDA?”
The corner of Shepherd’s lips ticked up.
“It is. Unless you have no questions regarding what you saw last night?”
“You mean their federal badges and the security you have in place to enter this building through the private parking garage?”
Shepherd nodded.
“I am prepared to fully read you in, provided you sign our NDA.” He passed it across the table to her.
She took her time and read every word, unconcerned that the others sat, waiting.
It was more strongly worded than any NDA she’d ever read or written.
Federal prosecution would be the penalty for disclosing any information covered by the NDA, which was basically everything about Shepherd Security and the people associated with the organization.
When she gazed up from the paper and made eye contact with Shepherd, she nodded.
“Obviously, I already know things about your organization that would be covered under this document.”
Shepherd nodded as well.
“In order to properly protect you last night, you were exposed to classified information regarding this organization.”
Becca picked up the pen that had been provided and she signed the document.
She fully understood the document and the ramifications of signing it.
She slid it back across the table to Shepherd.
“I thank you and your organization for accepting my case and for the assistance last night. And yes, I have many questions.”
“This agency is a hybrid. We have staff that carry federal credentials and badges and those who do not. We work federal, military, and civilian cases with all our assets. There is no segmentation of our cases or our staff,” Shepherd began.
Becca processed his words, wondering how that could be.
“We have a multi-tiered reporting structure to the military and federal authorities whose cases we work and who sanction our missions,” Shepherd continued.
“What this means is that we take on jobs that other entities can’t or won’t. And we have a greater latitude in working those cases, which makes this agency more effective.”
The words military and federal were not lost on Becca.
“Detective Davis told me the majority of your personnel are former military,” she said, suddenly wondering if former was the correct term.
“Yes, the majority of our staff came from military units, predominantly from the Special Forces. The training and skills possessed by Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, Green Berets, Delta Force, and Marine Raiders make them ideal operatives of this agency.”
Operatives?
Marine Raider? Her gaze went to Carter.
He wasn’t just a Marine.
He was a member of the elite Marine Raider unit.
Jackson sat beside him.
She wondered what unit he’d been in.
Then her stare went back to Shepherd.
“I have to wonder why you even bother with civilian cases.”
Again, Shepherd’s lips ticked up.
“We evaluate the cases presented to decide if our special skills are required or if any run-of-the-mill detective or security agency can handle and resolve them. And of course, we reject any that are unfounded or would duplicate the efforts of local law enforcement. We are quite particular in regard to the cases we accept from civilians.”
“Then I am truly honored you took my case. After last night, I’m even more convinced that I’m right and my sister’s family was murdered by someone other than my brother-in-law. If the police reopen the case, will you please keep working it, too?”
“I already spoke with Detective Davis this morning. He has referred it back to the coroner with the new information from the crime scene report regarding the lack of GSR on Nick DeSoto. And he had some additional information for us. The tox screen had just come back. All four members of your sister’s family had lorazepam in their systems. With this news, he’s sure the case will be reopened.”
“Lorazepam?” Becca asked.
“That’s a sedative?”
Brielle spoke up.
“Yes. One could argue that Nick DeSoto sedated his family to make it easier to kill them, and that he took it himself as it is commonly prescribed for anxiety. But no one in that house had a prescription for it.”
“So that begs the question of who obtained it and fed it to that family,” Jackson said.
“And how was it given to them?”
“Nicole fought. She ran. Whoever drugged her didn’t give her enough to put her to sleep,” Becca lamented.
“How fast does it work?” Tessman asked.
“Twenty to thirty minutes,” Brielle answered.
“And it comes in tablets and liquid.”
“So, it could have been slipped into their food, and they may never have known,” Jackson said.
“Their dessert,” Becca said.
“They usually had dessert right before the girls got ready for bed. That would explain why they were in their beds. They were sedated from it when they were shot.” This scenario would make her feel a little bit better.
The girls could have been sound asleep and heard and saw nothing, hopefully felt nothing.
“There were no signs of torture on Nick or Nicole DeSoto,” Jackson reminded everyone.
“If the intruders were looking for something, they surely would have left marks on them, trying to get it. This isn’t adding up.”
“No, it isn’t,” Shepherd agreed.
“There’s something else going on. Becca, Tessman says you have information on Well-Life Pharmaceuticals related to your mother that hasn’t been disclosed to us or the police yet.”
“I didn’t think it was relevant,” she said.
And she still didn’t.
“But yes, my mother was one of three people who founded the company. You have no record of it, as she practiced under her maiden name. She was an MD and did cancer research before Well-Life was born.” She proceeded to go over the information and relationships at Well-Life Pharmaceuticals that she’d told Carter about the night before, plus the additional notes she’d made.
“When she died, my brother-in-law should have gotten her position as head of research, but he didn’t.”
“Brielle, have the Digital Team take another run at Well-Life’s department structure and staff. We need the names of anyone Nick or Nicole DeSoto worked with directly. And see what you can dig up on the plane crash that killed Becca’s parents.” Then Shepherd’s glance shifted to Tessman and Jackson.
“After she has something, badge your way in for a second visit. It’s unlikely you’ll get access to specific individuals but if you can get into talk with their head of HR and make a case for seeing the personnel files for both of them. I’ll work on getting you a court order.”
“I can help draft the probable cause justifications as well as the legal precedence for it, if you’d like,” Becca offered.
“If your own in-house counsel doesn’t have time.”
Shepherd didn’t react or respond.
He didn’t require such things.
One phone call to one of his federal contacts and warrants magically appeared.
“Aren’t search warrants usually done on the prosecution or police side of the law?” Tessman asked.
“While I was in college, I interned several summers with the Chicago Police Department, helping them complete their affidavits to obtain search warrants, amongst other things. I was considering a career in the District Attorney’s office while I was in law school,” she answered.
“Really?” Tessman said.
“Yes. Do you think I dreamed of writing wills and setting up trusts when I decided to be a lawyer?”
Everyone at the table chuckled with her.
“I’ll let you know if assistance is needed,” Shepherd said.
“What we will need is for you to go through everything you packed up at the residence with fresh eyes in search of whatever they may have been looking for. We’ll have it all moved to this building.” His gaze shifted to Tessman and Jackson.
“You can set her up in the rec room.”
Both men nodded.
“Sure,” Becca said. “I honestly don’t think anything is there. I didn’t see anything work-related in what I packed up.”
“They were looking for something, something important enough to get killed over,” Jackson said.
“The man you shot lawyered up,” Shepherd said.
“He’s not talking.”
Everyone at the table either cursed or muttered similar sentiments.
“Where are the boxes the police returned?” Jackson asked.
“My car, which is at the dealership for a recall. I almost forgot. They never got back to me yesterday regarding it being completed. I’ll have to call them and arrange to get my car back.”
“You’ll need to go through everything the police returned to you. Our Digital Team is already combing through the laptops and cell phones,” Shepherd said.
“Yeah, I didn’t have the chance to look at the boxes. I was leaving the house to go to my sister’s place when Detective Davis stopped at my house, so I just sat the boxes in the back of my car.”
“When you call the dealership, see if you can have someone else pick it up,” Shepherd said.
He nodded at Tessman and Jackson.
“One last thing,” Brielle said.
“I’ve still not found any trace of Nick DeSoto’s siblings. There’s no place else I can search.”
“I don’t think those men last night were sent by them, and neither was Nick’s brother. They were way out of his league,” Becca said.
“We’ll cross them off the list and focus on Well-Life for now,” Shepherd said.
“Keep me informed of your progress, team.”
Becca watched Carter, Jackson, and Brielle all stand.
Evidently, the meeting was over.
She stood as well. “Thank you, Colonel Shepherd.”
He nodded and then also rose.