stack was now stuck to the base of her lamp, and the stapler had been moved from its position as paperweight to some loose documents in the middle of the piles.
Someone had gone through her desk in the last two hours.
Tessa froze, then told herself it was a little late for panic. Whoever had done this was gone. Besides, it could have been one of her colleagues looking for a file on a joint case. Maybe the person in her office had been spotted by the janitor.
She opened her door again and went looking for the man to put her mind at ease. He was nowhere to be found—which was strange, as it was obvious he hadn’t finished cleaning the floor. She shook her head and told herself the guy was probably taking a cigarette break.
She spent the next half hour organizing her files and locking information from inactive cases in the drawer of her credenza. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find the photocopied sheet with the names and numbers of the credit cards found in Kelly’s possession, which she was pretty sure had been in the stack of loose papers. Clenching her jaw, Tessa decided that Kelly’s files would be coming home with her from now on, at least until she had a chance to get the information duplicated.
But Aiken’s earlier taunt about files going missing wasgiving her a major case of the heebie-jeebies. She knew that someone had gone through her office, just as she knew she’d never be able to prove that Aiken had anything to do with it.
After stalling as long as she could, Tessa checked again for the janitor. The floor was dark and quiet, with no activity in any of the rooms. She locked her office door and took the elevator to the lobby. Once there she asked the security guard where the night cleaning staff was at that moment.
“They don’t come on duty until after midnight, ma’am,” the security guard told her.
“Are you sure? No one comes in earlier?” Tessa asked.
“No, ma’am. The D.A.’s office and some of the others complained about being disturbed by the cleaning crews when the employees were working late, so now none of the janitors comes in until after midnight.”
Tessa clenched her hands around her black leather briefcase, which now held her only copies of the information pertaining to Kelly Martin’s rape investigation.
As she walked to her car, she tried to imagine if Sledge Aiken would have the guts to pay a man to dress in a janitor’s uniform and go through her desk. And what he hoped to achieve by that act.
Because all he’d really done was put Tessa on alert. And make her more determined than before to see Aiken in an orange prison jumpsuit.
Chapter 14
Santa Monica, California
Tuesday morning, March 2
T essa heard a loud, persistent noise and rolled over with a groan. She swatted at her alarm clock, then squinted at the time. Six. But she hadn’t set the alarm that early—in fact, she hadn’t gotten to sleep until well after two. She frowned in confusion as the noise started again.
Phone.
Who the hell was calling her number—twice—at this un-godly hour? She sat upright, thinking abruptly of Kelly.
“Hello?” Her voice was husky from sleep.
“This is Luke Novak. I was wondering if you would have breakfast with me before going in to work. I have something important to discuss with you.”
“What?” Tessa asked. She wasn’t anyone’s idea of a morning person, and was having trouble getting her brain working after only a couple hours of fitful sleep last night.
“I have information about Kelly Martin that I think you will find interesting. I’d like to discuss the case further with you,” Luke repeated patiently.
“Uhh—”
“Say ‘yes,’ Tessa.”
“Yes, Tessa.”
He chuckled. “Then I’ll meet you in two hours at that little coffee shop by the courthouse. The place with the great buckwheat pancakes.”
Tessa mumbled a reply, then hung up the phone and dragged herself into the shower. She turned the water on full cold and stood shivering under
Someone had gone through her desk in the last two hours.
Tessa froze, then told herself it was a little late for panic. Whoever had done this was gone. Besides, it could have been one of her colleagues looking for a file on a joint case. Maybe the person in her office had been spotted by the janitor.
She opened her door again and went looking for the man to put her mind at ease. He was nowhere to be found—which was strange, as it was obvious he hadn’t finished cleaning the floor. She shook her head and told herself the guy was probably taking a cigarette break.
She spent the next half hour organizing her files and locking information from inactive cases in the drawer of her credenza. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find the photocopied sheet with the names and numbers of the credit cards found in Kelly’s possession, which she was pretty sure had been in the stack of loose papers. Clenching her jaw, Tessa decided that Kelly’s files would be coming home with her from now on, at least until she had a chance to get the information duplicated.
But Aiken’s earlier taunt about files going missing wasgiving her a major case of the heebie-jeebies. She knew that someone had gone through her office, just as she knew she’d never be able to prove that Aiken had anything to do with it.
After stalling as long as she could, Tessa checked again for the janitor. The floor was dark and quiet, with no activity in any of the rooms. She locked her office door and took the elevator to the lobby. Once there she asked the security guard where the night cleaning staff was at that moment.
“They don’t come on duty until after midnight, ma’am,” the security guard told her.
“Are you sure? No one comes in earlier?” Tessa asked.
“No, ma’am. The D.A.’s office and some of the others complained about being disturbed by the cleaning crews when the employees were working late, so now none of the janitors comes in until after midnight.”
Tessa clenched her hands around her black leather briefcase, which now held her only copies of the information pertaining to Kelly Martin’s rape investigation.
As she walked to her car, she tried to imagine if Sledge Aiken would have the guts to pay a man to dress in a janitor’s uniform and go through her desk. And what he hoped to achieve by that act.
Because all he’d really done was put Tessa on alert. And make her more determined than before to see Aiken in an orange prison jumpsuit.
Chapter 14
Santa Monica, California
Tuesday morning, March 2
T essa heard a loud, persistent noise and rolled over with a groan. She swatted at her alarm clock, then squinted at the time. Six. But she hadn’t set the alarm that early—in fact, she hadn’t gotten to sleep until well after two. She frowned in confusion as the noise started again.
Phone.
Who the hell was calling her number—twice—at this un-godly hour? She sat upright, thinking abruptly of Kelly.
“Hello?” Her voice was husky from sleep.
“This is Luke Novak. I was wondering if you would have breakfast with me before going in to work. I have something important to discuss with you.”
“What?” Tessa asked. She wasn’t anyone’s idea of a morning person, and was having trouble getting her brain working after only a couple hours of fitful sleep last night.
“I have information about Kelly Martin that I think you will find interesting. I’d like to discuss the case further with you,” Luke repeated patiently.
“Uhh—”
“Say ‘yes,’ Tessa.”
“Yes, Tessa.”
He chuckled. “Then I’ll meet you in two hours at that little coffee shop by the courthouse. The place with the great buckwheat pancakes.”
Tessa mumbled a reply, then hung up the phone and dragged herself into the shower. She turned the water on full cold and stood shivering under
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