Chapter 3 #2
“Those two do that all the time.” Cam shook his head. “Never expected Vander to fall in love, and definitely not with my cousin.”
“Siv?”
Turning, Siv saw the couple headed toward her. Brynn smiled and lifted a hand.
“How are you settling in? These guys aren’t driving you crazy yet.”
Vander tugged on Brynn’s braid.
“So far, so good,” Siv said. “I’m really enjoying the job.”
“That’s great,” Brynn said. “Look, I need to get to the station, but let’s grab a beer some time.”
“Sounds great.”
“I want to help ease you in before Gia or Harlow finally kidnaps you for a ladies cocktail night.”
“Oh?” Siv had never really had time for nights out with girlfriends.
“They’ll grill you on everything, and get up in your business.” Brynn shook her head. “They mean well, but you’ve been warned. They’re already plotting who to hook Cam up with.”
Cam made an annoyed sound.
“Right, I’m out of here.” Brynn went up on her toes and kissed Vander’s jaw. “Catch you later, Norcross.”
The detective strode out.
“Hey, Siv.” Ace popped his head out of his office. “I have more to show you.”
“On my way.” She nodded at Cam and Vander.
She spent the next few hours trying to memorize everything Ace was showing her.
Finally, tech man stood. “That’s it for now. I’ve got to meet my baby mama for lunch.”
“Thanks, Ace. I’m going to go over some of this a bit more.”
“I’ll quiz you when I get back.” He winked on his way out.
Siv’s cell phone rang and she saw it was her mom. She did a quick calculation and realized her mom had probably just finished dinner and would be curled up in her Oslo apartment with a mug of warm cider.
With a smile, she answered. “Hi, Mamma.”
“There’s my girl. How are you, darling?” Christie Pedersen sounded like she’d lived in California her entire life, although she spoke excellent Norwegian. She’d been a flight attendant when she’d met Siv’s father.
“I’m good. Busy with the new job.”
“You like it. I can tell.”
“I do.”
Her mom let out a gusty sigh. “I miss you, but I’m glad, my darling. I am certainly happy you’re rid of that slick, slimy Johan.”
“Mamma—”
“I’m just staying it how it is.”
Siv sank back in her chair. “I was the one who missed the signs.”
“That he’s exactly like your father.” There was venom in her voice, old and faded, but there. “Charming, always got excuses, worried about putting on a show for the ‘right’ people.” She sniffed. “He never appreciated you.”
“I know, Mamma. I told you, he hurt me, but he didn’t break my heart.”
“You steer clear of men, Siv. They aren’t worth it.”
It hurt Siv that her mom had never let go of her heartbreak over Henrik Pedersen.
“It’s okay, I have no plans to get involved with anyone.” A handsome face with green eyes popped into her head, but she squelched it. “I’m making do by enjoying looking at all my new work colleagues. They are s? kjekk and wear a suit so well.”
Her mom made a sound. “I don’t care how handsome they are—”
“They’re also mostly happily in love or engaged.”
“Good.” Her mom’s voice softened. “I miss you, darling, but I’m glad you’re happy and finding your feet.”
“Me too.”
“I’m proud of you.”
Those words warmed Siv’s heart. “Don’t make me cry, Mamma.”
“I wish your father would tell you that,” her mom added sourly.
Siv looked blindly at Ace’s wall of screens. Her father had always told Siv that she was not feminine enough, not graceful enough, not sweet enough. He’d never come to any of her sports games at school. When she’d joined the military, he’d been extremely disapproving.
Since she barely saw him, she’d never let his thoughts worry her too much.
“Mamma—”
“I know, I know.” Her mom paused. “I just wish Inger was here. So I could see both my girls as beautiful, accomplished women.”
Siv pressed her lips together. It had been two decades since her little sister had died, but Siv often thought of that smiling, blonde fairy. She wished she could remember Inger’s voice, but it was too long ago. “Me too, Mamma.”
“I didn’t mean to make you sad. Now, I’ll let you get back to work.”
“Okay. Love you.”
“Love you too, darling.”
Siv ended the call, then turned back to the computer screens.
“Siv?” Vander appeared in the doorway. “My office.”
“Sure thing.”
In Vander’s spacious office at the end of the hall was a dark-haired, middle-aged man in a suit. Siv summed him up with a glance: well-off, designer suit and watch, contained, composed face. She guessed he was a successful businessman.
“Siv, this is Peter Wilcox. Peter, this is one of my employees, Siv Pedersen.”
She nodded. The man rose and held out a hand.
He looked hollow, tired, and tense, like he was holding back emotion. Thanks to the military, she was pretty good at reading people. She’d been through a number of training courses, and specialized in hostage situations, so she had the skills to read a person quickly.
“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Pedersen.”
“Siv is fine.”
He took his chair again, while Siv slid her hands into the pockets of her suit pants.
“Peter’s brother died,” Vander said. “He wants us to look into it.”
“Okay,” she said. “You haven’t had any luck with the police?”
Peter shifted in his chair. “The medical examiner ruled that my brother’s death was due to living on the street and his drug addiction.”
“I’m sorry.”
“He was in the Army, and when he came home, he had trouble settling. His demons haunted him, along with a healthy dose of PTSD. His mental health declined.”
Siv thought of the people Ryder dealt with in the Tenderloin.
Peter gripped the back of his neck. “I loved my brother. We all tried, time and again, to help him, but he always ended back up on the streets.”
“He used drugs?” Vander asked.
“Yes. Thomas dabbled, but he wasn’t a hard-core addict. Sometimes, he wanted to dull the demons.” Peter shook his head. “I idolized him when we were kids. He was friendly, athletic, always smiling. But after the Army… He was never the same.”
“Siv and I are both former military, Peter,” Vander said. “We understand.”
Peter nodded. “Thomas was in excellent health. I had lunch with him every week. Ensured he had everything he needed.” Peter sighed. “Or at least what he’d take from me.”
Siv’s chest tightened. How horrible to love someone, but be helpless to help them.
“The last time I saw him, he was happy. He said he was doing some odd jobs, feeling good. He was as fit as a horse, and he bragged about his daily sit-ups and push-ups.” A faint smile crossed Peter’s face. “It was why he never let his addiction go too far. He liked being fit.”
“How did he die?” Siv asked softly.
Peter ran his hands through his hair, mussing it. “He missed our standing lunch date. I searched for him, but there was no sign of him. It wasn’t uncommon. I just hoped he was busy.” Peter pulled in a shaky breath.
“But he wasn’t.” Sympathy for the man flooded her.
“No. A few days later, his body was found behind a dumpster at the edge of the Tenderloin and the Theater District. I thought maybe he’d been attacked or overdosed.”
“That wasn’t what happened?” Vander asked.
“No. I identified his body. There wasn’t a mark on him. The medical examiner said there were no illicit drugs in his system at the time of his death, but his long-term drug use must’ve contributed to his organs failing. It’s bullshit. He was healthy.”
“The medical examiner didn’t say anything else?” Vander asked with a frown.
“No. He rushed me out of there. I have some connections, so pulled in some favors. I got a copy of Thomas’ autopsy. He died from complete organ failure.”
Siv frowned, a chill running through her. “Caused by what?”
“They blamed his drug use. There’s no damn way that’s what killed him.
I don’t have rose-colored glasses on about my brother and his problems, but I’m convinced someone stole his life from him.
After everything he’d been through—” Peter shook his head violently “—he didn’t deserve this. I want justice for my brother, Vander.”
Siv saw the glint in Vander’s eyes. There was no way her boss would let this slide.
“Send through the autopsy report. I’m putting Siv on the case.”
She nodded. “I’ll find out who killed your brother.”
Relief flooded Peter’s face and he stood. “Thank you.”
Vander saw the man out, then returned.
“You need anything, you let me know,” Vander said.
She nodded. “He didn’t deserve this.”
“No, he didn’t. We need some medical knowledge to understand what exactly happened.”
She stiffened. She suspected she knew where this was headed.
“I want you to connect with Ryder. Go over the autopsy report together.”
Hell . She’d been afraid he was going to say that.
She pasted on a smile. “Sure thing.”
She’d do her damn job, and resist the charms of a certain medic.