Private Listing Tease Me, page 28
Phoebe blushes and glances over at Adam. “Um, we don’t have anything more to report.”
I rise and close my laptop. “Good. Meeting adjourned.”
Before the others even gather their materials, I’m out the door and opening my phone.
Blake:
Does anyone have their eyes on Madison?
I get in the elevator and tap my key card. What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Everyone is supposed to be on the office floor, but maybe they went to lunch early.
Me:
Heading up now. Are we at lunch? Should I go to our apartment instead?
The elevator arrives at the top floor and I step out into the office. Her desk is empty. That’s not surprising. I walk over to the other offices. All empty.
I go over the entire floor, but no one else is here.
Me:
Where is everyone?
Blake:
Seth, Coop, and Madison were in the office when I left.
Andrea said the stalker is taking her now
Her phone shows her at her old apartment
I’m already at the elevator and the doors open. I step in and press the button for the apartment floor. What the hell is going on? Why would she be at her old apartment?
Me:
I’ll check here.
Blake:
Yvonne might know more
Yvonne? The receptionist? Fuck.
As I step into our apartment, it’s clear she’s not here. I know it, but I continue my search with panic rising up to strangle me. How the hell did he get her?
Yesterday he had to use the fire alarm. Today she was upstairs working. Everything seemed like a normal day. She even gave me that smile when I left for my meeting.
Fuck, I need to check the main floor. Maybe she went to see Hope. Why the fuck aren’t Seth and Coop responding?
Chapter 160
Unraveling
Seth
Coop and I ride the elevator down to the sixth floor.
“Should we have left her there on her own?” Coop glances at his phone.
“Noah’s meeting is over in fifteen minutes.” Worry trickles through my blood, but we need to finish this. It’s only a few minutes. She’ll be fine.
When the elevator opens, Patrick nods to greet us. “Gentlemen.”
“Patrick.” Coop narrows his eyes on Patrick. We’ve all suspected him to be the stalker, but there are too many other possibilities.
“Theo is in the conference room and security is on their way.” Patrick leads us down the hallway. I study him for any sign that would prove he’s Madison’s stalker. She hit her stalker yesterday, but nowhere that would be visible.
“We didn’t see you yesterday,” I casually point out.
“Worked at the office in the morning and I spent all afternoon at the police station. I got mugged at lunch.” Patrick opens the door and we step inside. “I’m just glad the guy only wanted my wallet.”
“Sorry that happened to you,” I say. “I hope they get the guy.”
He couldn’t have been here chasing Madison yesterday afternoon then, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have hired someone.
“Hey.” Theo looks up from his computer with a smile. “We got them.”
Coop grins. “Finally, something goes our way.”
I nod and take a seat next to Theo.
“Security will escort them out.” Patrick sits at the end. “But we have time if you have some questions to ask them.”
I get my head in the game. “Sounds good.”
A knock sounds on the door. Then our security team walks in with Courtney and Peter.
“Please have a seat.” I gesture to the open chairs in front of me.
Courtney presses her lips thin and narrows her eyes but sits down. Peter looks like he’s sweating bullets.
“You two have been busy.” I take the paper with all the clients they contacted from my folder and slide it across the table.
Peter pales, but Courtney barely glances at it. She crosses her arms.
“This is your official exit interview. We’ll determine litigation soon.” Coop reclines like this is beneath him. “But there are a few things we’d like to know.”
Peter will be the weakest link. He already looks like he’s going to vomit.
“Tortious interference, defamation, potentially criminal charges if you used our information to create a new business.”
Peter swallows, but Courtney smiles.
“Defamation only works if what we said wasn’t true. If we said anything.” She leans back in her chair and crosses her legs.
“Do you have anything of use to add, Courtney?” I ask.
“Not without my lawyer.” She turns her nose up and I gesture to Matt who steps forward.
“Matt will take you to your office to gather your personal effects. You’ll need to give him all your access cards and keys for your office.” I gesture and Matt pulls her chair back.
She nods and leaves with Matt.
“Peter, do you understand what’s happening?” I study him. He’s still pale.
“I . . .” He stops and looks at Patrick and then Coop and finally me. He sighs like he knows he’s got no recourse at this point. “She asked me if I could help her. I knew what she was doing was shady as fuck, but . . .”
“You wanted to fuck her.” Coop sits forward with his elbows on the table. “I bet she made it worth your while.”
He swallows. “Yeah, but it was only smaller companies. Ones that wouldn’t make a huge impact. It was all good until Courtney told me to go after Madison. I’ve got nothing against you guys. Honest. But fuck, Madison kicked me in the balls and I worried I’d be pissing blood. I wouldn’t have hurt her. Courtney just wanted me to take her somewhere.”
Fuck. He was the man on the stairs. “You bruised her.”
“What?” Peter looks over at me. “Oh, sorry, man. The adrenaline was pumping through me so fucking hard.”
Patrick leans in. “You just admitted to attacking a fellow employee. I’ve already texted my contact at the police department and they’re sending a car to take you down to book you for assault.”
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” Peter pushes his hands into his hair and pulls. “It wasn’t my idea. It was those bitches.”
“Bitches?” I ask, as in more than one.
“Courtney and Andrea. They have this whole plan to take you guys down. If they weren’t so hot, it wouldn’t have been worth it. Fuck, it wasn’t worth it. They keep saying you guys are morally corrupt, but I don’t want to go to jail because these bitches didn’t get the job they wanted. They wanted me to pretend to be the stalker so Madison would leave.”
“Alex.” I motion to the other security officer.
“Come on. I’ll tell you anything you want to know. Just don’t charge me. I can’t make it in prison.” Peter looks as panicked as he sounds. “Yvonne. Fuck, Yvonne is in on it. She tells us your schedule so we can go after new clients after doing research. She gave me the key card to get up into your apartment. Fuck, she had the black outfit all ready—”
“That’s enough.” Patrick stands and gestures to Alex. “Save it for the police.”
Alex looks to me and I nod, wondering what the hell was wrong with Patrick. When the door closes behind them, Patrick sits.
“He’s obviously making shit up to save his own ass.” Patrick straightens the stack of papers in front of him. “He probably took that card himself. But none of this interview is admissible in court, so better to save it for the police.”
Maybe. But Peter was talking. We could have gotten more from him. Even if they were lies, it’s information to look into.
“The assault charge will stick while we gather more evidence to support our other claims.” Patrick sighs. “You’ll tell your assistant that we’ve got the guy?”
“Yes. It will take a load off her mind to know at least this guy’s been caught.” My eyes never leave Patrick. But Peter’s not the stalker. I had Cross look into him. He didn’t ever have contact with Madison before she started working here. There’s no intersection. Why did Patrick cut him off? What more did Peter know?
Coop clears his throat. “We should probably head back upstairs.”
When my gaze meets his, he gives me a subtle nod to come on. “Right. Thank you, Theo, for all your work.”
He dips his head at the praise as he grabs his stuff. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat. That was fun.”
“Thank you, Patrick. Do you want me to walk you out?”
Patrick looks down at his phone. “No, I can find my own way out. I’ll head to the police station to give them the evidence. As always, if you need me, you know how to reach me.”
Patrick packs up his things and follows Theo. The door shuts, leaving Coop and I alone.
“Let’s review that tape again.” Coop stands. The tape of the security footage from yesterday at the receptionist station. We were trying to figure out who got the card and when. But now that we know who to watch out for, we might have better luck.
It doesn’t take us long to find Peter at the receptionist desk as Yvonne passes him the card, so subtly that had I not known that’s what was happening, I would have never realized it.
My phone has been going off, but we were too intent on the video.
Finally, I pick it up and look at the texts. Oh, shit.
“Coop, we have a problem.”
The door opens and Noah steps through the doorway. His hair is messier than usual. His eyes are wild and panicked. My heart plummets into my stomach.
“He’s got her.”
Coop
We head down to Yvonne’s desk. The elevator is so fucking slow, I think I’m going to lose my mind. My heart feels suspended, waiting to see what the fuck is up and what’s down.
We don’t know he’s got her, but she’s gone, and Blake said her phone is at her apartment. There’s no reason for her to leave us. We love her and she loves us. I can’t let my fear take over. I can’t let myself believe she left us willingly.
But if the stalker has her, that means Peter and Patrick are off the hook. They were both with us.
The doors open, and Yvonne sits there like all is right with the world. I should have guessed she was in on this. She always flirts with me like I’m her ticket out from behind that desk.
I stop the other two. “Let me talk to her.”
Seth looks like he wants to protest.
“If we all gang up on her, she’s going to balk. Let me charm her.” The idea makes my stomach churn, but I’ve got to know what she knows.
“Okay.”
“Let me know what Blake finds.” I run a hand over my hair to make sure it’s all in place.
Blake’s stuck in traffic. Every second is precious, but in this case, we have to wait. Madison isn’t responding to any of our calls or texts. But I can’t focus on that. Not right now.
The last time I talked to Yvonne, she’d let my mother up to the offices unannounced. Now this. If she’s somehow involved, I’m not sure I can control myself.
When I stop in front of Yvonne’s desk, she lifts her gaze to mine. There’s wariness in her eyes, but she pastes on a smile.
“Good morning, Mr. Graham. How may I help you?”
“Yvonne.” I give her a slight nod. “I just wanted to see if you might have seen Madison leaving the building.”
We watched the exchange on the video before coming down. Madison talked to her for a few minutes. Yvonne typed something on her phone and then sent it. Madison left with a box under her arm and went out the front doors. She didn’t come back in.
She didn’t leave a message. Nothing. She’s just gone.
“I think she left a while ago. I rarely keep track of people’s lunch breaks.” Her brown eyes meet mine with no hesitation. She didn’t mention the package.
I lean down and give her my best smile. “Did she leave a message for someone?”
Yvonne gives that fake look like she’s thinking before she shakes her head. “I don’t remember her leaving a message.”
“We don’t have time for this.” Seth stops behind Yvonne and she stiffens. “Give me your corporate phone.”
She sets it in his hand. Seth scrolls through it.
“Fuck.” He holds up the phone so I can see the screen.
Yvonne:
Your bird is in the wind. She thinks I’m messaging one of them.
Him:
Good
“I’ll collect my things and go.” Yvonne grabs her purse and gives me a smile. “There’s nothing you can hold me back for. It’s been real fun working for you guys, but I’ve got someone willing to take care of me.”
When she stands, Seth moves out of her way. There’s not a lot we can do here. She has every right to leave, and if we detain her, they could charge us with unlawful imprisonment.
We don’t need her, anyway. The video showed her giving Madison a white box with a silver ribbon. Just like the one her torn dress came to her in. Madison took it and left. We know she went to her apartment.
I blow out a breath. “Time to follow the breadcrumbs.”
Chapter 161
Trapped
Madison
Part of me expects to open the bathroom door and be attacked. But when I open the door, nothing happens. I return to the bedroom, put on my jewelry and shoes, and pick up my phone. It buzzes in my hand and I scream a little.
Blake:
Where are you?
I automatically begin to type My apartment for now, but my phone buzzes again.
Unknown:
Don’t tell him or I’ll kill your little friend.
Fuck. I type a little more on Blake’s message. I’m saving Hope, but I don’t send it. Then I flip to the other conversation.
Me:
What next?
Unknown:
Leave your phone on the bed and go to the kitchen.
On the counter are instructions
Me:
Okay
On the message to Blake I type, Leaving phone and following instructions in kitchen. I don’t know where I’m going, but I will make it back to you.
Leaving it unsent, I swallow and set my phone on the bed beside the box, flipping it over so if they text, the stalker won’t see that I wrote something. Blake, Noah, Coop, and Seth. I hope they all know how much I love them.
All I want is to get back to them, but not at the cost of Hope’s life.
I leave my room hesitantly. Fearful he might be here, ready to pounce like all the others before him. When nothing happens, I walk to the kitchen. On the counter is a small box I didn’t notice before. I open it and inside is a folded note and a cell phone.
Somewhere in this room is a camera watching me. Maybe multiple. I unfold the note and read it.
Downstairs a car waits for you, get in the back seat.
They’ll bring you to me
Fuck, this is where I could call the police and let them know what’s happening. Or run back to my guys and be safe.
Let Coop hold me while we all discuss how to get out of this. Seth would tell me to be smart. Think things through. Blake would tell me to be strong. Even when fear takes the lead, I can hold my own. Coop would say something to break the tension and then hold me and tell me I’m fierce and beautiful.
And Noah . . . A tear slips from my eye to trail down my cheek. Noah would be my rock. He would stand beside me and support me in whatever I chose to do.
They all love me and I ache to return to their arms. But I also know they’ll understand why I’m doing this.
I leave the note behind.
The TV turns on. An image of Hope tied to a twin bed fills the screen. She wears the same outfit as Sunday with a blindfold over her eyes.
“Just let me go,” she whispers. Her voice hoarse like she’s either screamed too much or hasn’t had anything to drink. Maybe both. My stomach twists into knots. My pulse quickens with the need to help her.
“When my little one arrives, I’ll free you.” The modulated voice sounds from off to the side. “If she doesn’t . . .”
A gloved hand with a knife appears near Hope. I cover my mouth as it slides across her upper arm. She screams as blood runs down her skin from the opening wound.
“So much skin to cut, so much blood to lose. Too bad you’re so small. Get here quick, little one, or I’ll have to grab one of your other friends when this one doesn’t make it.”
Blood streaks down Hope’s arm as she makes little gasping noises. Tears track down my face. I can’t let him hurt her more. I pick up the phone from the counter.
When I rush out the door, I slam into Robert. He grabs my arms to steady me.
“Madison?” He releases me. “What’s going on?”
I shake my head. “I need to go. Now.”
“Are you okay?” His concern makes the tears flow harder. The guys know my number on the other phone, but not this one.
“Tell Blake that I’m following the instructions. I don’t know where they’ll lead, but I have to go.”
“Madison. How can I help?” His brown eyes hold mine. This guy has watched out for me since day one. He may have liked me more than I liked him, but I know he isn’t the stalker.
“Do you have your phone?” My whisper is barely more than a breath. I don’t have a lot of time. After opening the new phone, I find the contact page with the phone’s number, then cover the little camera on the front. I don’t know what the stalker has set up, maybe he can see and hear everything through this phone.
