Chapter 4
Four
Damien showed up at Sunrise Brews every morning for four days before he convinced himself Harmony wasn’t coming back. It was possible he missed her, but when he asked the barista, she confirmed Harmony hadn’t been in.
That was not a good thing.
Damien watched the press conference every day looking for more clues, but all he figured out was that Grant Pickens was a prick who wanted to look good when he gave Harmony that money, and Harmony did not like taking it.
Damien called Captain Patrick on his way to the office, hoping the police captain knew something about Harmony.
“Patrick.”
“Morning, Marcus. This is Damien Joseph. I was wondering if you’ve spoken to Harmony Gibbs.”
“Harmony? No, why?”
“She hasn’t been going to Sunrise Brews lately, and something seemed off at that press conference.”
“I thought the same, but she said she was fine.”
“You talked to her?”
“I escorted her to the bank so she could deposit that check. I didn’t think it was a good idea for her to walk in with it after being on the news.”
Damien huffed a laugh. “Probably true.”
“Why are you looking for her?” Captain Patrick asked with a hint of a smile.
“I wanted to make sure she’s okay.”
“Uh huh.”
“Do you know if she’s okay?” Damien asked, trying not to laugh at the captain’s amusement.
“I haven’t spoken to her since that day, so I can’t say anything, but I also haven’t heard of any reason to worry. You know I can’t give out personal information, but I’m guessing you have ways of finding out where she lives and works.”
“No comment,” Damien said.
Marcus chuckled. “That’s what I figured. Let me know if you need anything. Harmony seems like a nice woman. If she’s in trouble, I’ll be there.”
“Thanks, Marcus. I’ll let you know.”
“Talk soon.”
“Yep.” Damien hung up and parked in the lot in front of Rose Protection Agency offices.
The strip mall was unassuming and a good cover for the multitude of vehicles in and out.
The simple rose on the front door was subtle enough that most people didn’t think twice or wander in without knowing where they were going.
“Hey, Berkeley,” Damien said when he walked inside.
The office manager smiled up at Damien. “Hey, Damien. Any luck today?”
Damien shook his head. Berkeley was the only person who knew Damien was trying to find Harmony. “I called Captain Patrick, though.”
Berkeley’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? And what did he say?”
“He said she’s nice, and he hopes everything is fine.”
“Did he notice the same thing in the video?”
Damien nodded. He thought he was overreacting, but Berkeley watched the press conference with him once and said Grant Pickens gave off some seriously creepy vibes. Her words. “He said Harmony said something, but she brushed it off. He doesn’t have any reason to think she’s not okay, but…”
“But a woman doesn’t go long without her coffee.” Berkeley held up her favorite travel mug, the one with orange roses all over it.
Damien laughed. “That was my thought. Is it creepy of me to try to figure out where she works?”
Berkeley scrunched up her nose. “A little, but I know you, and I know you don’t mean it in a creepy way. You’re worried about her. If that comes through, I think she’ll see it as sweet.”
“You sure?”
Berkeley shook her head. “No, but I hope so.”
“Thanks, Berkeley. And I know you’re running interference for me so he doesn’t put me on an assignment, and I appreciate that, too.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Berkeley said with a wink.
Damien chuckled and swiped his keycard to go through the security door to the back.
The office was quiet with half the team on assignments and more in meetings.
Damien logged onto his computer and did a general search for Harmony.
It didn’t take long at all to find her work and home address, something that shouldn’t have been so easy to find without a reason.
It sucked that a simple search online couple provide all kinds of information about a person.
Damien made a note to scrub her data from online, then locked his computer and headed back out, waving to Berkeley but not stopping since she was on the phone.
“Where are you headed?” Jude was on his way in as Damien was walking out.
“Following up on something.” Jude made it clear he thought Harmony was involved in something and didn’t trust her. Damien didn’t want to have to defend himself to his partner.
“Need backup?”
“Nah, I’m all good.”
“Is this about the woman?”
Damien sighed. “I just want to make sure she’s okay. No one has seen her since the day of the press conference.”
“And you’re going to go knock on her front door?”
Damien shifted his feet. “No.”
Jude snorted. “Yeah. I’ll wait while you come up with a new plan.”
“I wasn’t.”
Jude raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
“I was going to show up at her work.”
Jude barked a laugh. “And that’s not less weird?”
“I just have a bad feeling. The whole thing is off. I can’t explain it—”
“Why didn’t you say that before? I thought you just thought she was hot. Let’s go.”
“What? Why are you ready to go now?”
Jude shook his head. “I’ve seen too many times where your gut instinct saved us. I’m not going to question it. You think it doesn’t feel right, I’m going to trust you. I’ll drive.”
Damien stared after his partner and smiled. Guess he didn’t have to argue too much.
Jude peppered Damien with questions as he drove, trying to understand Damien’s instinct that said something was off. When Damien admitted he was attracted to Harmony, Jude slid him a look.
“I knew it. She is pretty hot. But I’m not going to fight you for her. That’s a dick move, man. I wouldn’t even think about it.”
“Thanks,” Damien said. Jude had been his partner for three years, and Damien trusted the other man with his life.
But in that time, neither of them had been in a serious relationship.
Damien wasn’t sure what it would do to them if either was.
Most of their team was single. The older guys were married with grown kids, but the younger guys were only starting to pair up recently with three of them settling down within the last two years.
Damien never thought much about getting married. He wasn’t against it, but he knew his job was hard for most women to accept. Being available constantly and having to drop everything to pick up a case wasn’t always easy. All of them had women walk away as a result of the job.
Watching Zeke, Austin, and Lance settle down had given Damien a little hope that maybe there were women out there who could handle it. And maybe the job didn’t have to take over their entire lives like it had for all of them.
“Do you want me to walk in with you?” Jude asked, yanking Damien out of his thoughts.
Damien shook his head. “No. I… It’s weird enough I’m showing up at her job when she never told me where she worked. I think if you go in there with me, it’ll be bad.”
Jude chuckled. “You sure know how to charm the women.”
Damien flipped off his partner and walked away laughing. Jude wasn’t wrong. But Damien hoped neither was Berkeley and when he explained his presence to Harmony, she wouldn’t think he was a freak.
The front door was open, giving Damien access to the building that housed the pharmacology department. The wide-open entryway was lined with rugs and opened up to a three-story atrium that carried every sound nearby.
“Do you need directions?” a mid-twenties guy asked from a few feet away.
Damien walked over to him. He had a messenger bag over his shoulder, a sharp look in his eyes, and a wariness that said he knew Damien didn’t belong. “I’m looking for someone. Harmony Gibbs?”
The guy’s eyes widened for half a second before he looked away and shook his head. “Uh, don’t know anyone with that name.”
“She’s a Ph.D. student here.”
The guy pursed his lips and shook his head again. “Nope. Not ringing a bell. Are you sure you have the right school?”
Damien started to argue, then realized what was going on. “Listen, I’m a friend. I’m not trying to hurt her or get anything from her.”
“I mean, that’s good, but I still don’t know anyone with that name.”
Damien stared at the guy for a few more seconds, then stepped back. “Got it. Thanks for your help.”
The guy nodded and watched Damien walk away. Damien turned and pushed through the door, walking outside before he turned back. The guy was still watching him, but the angle of his phone made it look as though he was taking a picture of Damien.
Damien walked back to the SUV, surprising Jude when he got in.
“That was quick. What did she say?”
“Nothing. There was a guy inside who told me she doesn’t work here.”
Jude shifted in his seat. “Do you believe him?”
Damien shook his head. “No. But she was on the news and given a million dollars. God only knows what wackos have shown up to see her. I found her info online without using any of our stuff. All her data is public.”
Jude winced. “Not good.”
“Yeah. I made a note to remove some of it, but there’s only so much I can do.”
“Without permission,” Jude said with a smirk.
Damien rolled his eyes. “I’m not looking to cross too many lines.”
“What’s the next step?”
Damien looked at the building. “I don’t know. I think the guy took my picture. Probably to show her who I was. I’m hoping she appears.”
“What if she doesn’t?”
“Then I keep trying.”
“Nothing at all creepy about that.”
Damien snorted and shook his head, staring at the building and wondering if Harmony was inside and looking at his picture.
Harmony stared at the picture Reed sent her. Why the hell was Damien from Sunrise Brews at her college?
Do you know him?
Yeah, but not well. I never told him I worked here.
I told him I’ve never met you.
Thanks, Reed.
You’re welcome.