Authors: Camilla Chafer
I nodded. Lily set a glass down and picked up another. "That's what friends do. Why the questions?"
"My client's friend doesn't seem to support her."
"That what she said?"
"No, that's what my client said."
"Maybe her friend doesn't want to worry her even more by agreeing it's true."
"I thought that. She doesn't think her fiancé believes her either, but he installed a new home security system."
"Jord did that too."
"Because you were being stalked?"
"No, because he investigated so many burglaries that he's become super uptight about home security."
"Solomon installed mine because a maniac broke in and tried to kill me." We both shivered at the memory. It wasn't one of my favorite nights at home, but my security was now state-of-the-art, thanks to Solomon and his team.
"Jord thought about waiting for that, but decided against it. Wait, did you get a discount for potential maniac murder preventable security?"
"One hundred percent off."
"Sweet. What do you think about your client? Did you ask her about her purse?"
"It didn't come up, but I think she could genuinely have a stalker."
"Depressing."
"I know."
"On the positive side..." Lily brightened. "You don't have one!"
"Not all that positive," I pointed out, "but all the same... yay!"
"Sooo... are we staking anyone out?"
"Just as soon as I've got all the information I need from my client. I asked her for a list of suspects, and a list of all the incidents she could think of before I start surveillance. I'm still waiting."
"You want to help behind the bar until then? The dishwasher left salt granules on every glass so now I have to clean them all by hand."
"Don't you employ people to do that?"
"I do, but there's only me until the lunch shift starts in half an hour."
"I'd love to, but I have to talk to my client's friend."
"I want to know all the details as they happen. And I definitely want in on a stakeout. We haven't followed anyone for ages."
"You sound like a stalker!"
"A crime-fighting one. Can we get suits?"
"Suits?"
"Like superhero suits. We could wear them under our clothes... I'm thinking Spandex. Maybe, pink. When we go to fight crime..."
"We don't fight crime!"
"Not intentionally, but when we do..."
"Do you really want to wear pink Spandex when you're six months pregnant?"
Lily looked down at her bump and wrinkled her nose. "I don't know. Maybe."
"You'll look like a trouser snake that swallowed a peach."
"I'll be the only SuperPregnantWoman ever!"
"Bit of a mouthful." I put my hand to my ears and pretended they were a phone. "SuperPregnantWoman, only you can help me! Save me!"
Lily put her phone hand to her ear. "Call me back. I'm in labor!"
"You'll have to retire in three months anyway."
"I could be SuperMom, the transitioning superhero."
"Transitioning superhero? Sounds like you're becoming a man."
"I don't like the tone of this conversation. Can we at least have a secret handshake?" Lily stuck out her hand and wiggled her little finger. I placed my hand in hers and we both wiggled our little fingers.
"That doesn't look suspicious at all."
Lily beamed. "Exactly! No one will know... except Ruby. I'll tell her later when she starts her shift. We also need a secret clubhouse and cool gadgets. I'm so glad you work here now!"
"I'll leave you to iron out the details," I told her as I slid off the stool. "I'll be in my office."
Before Lily could suggest any more daring ideas, I jogged out of the bar and through the staff door, turning into the corridor that led to my office. Unlocking the door, I stepped through, shutting it firmly behind me. I dropped into my chair as I placed the file on my desk and opened it, glancing down at my supposition-filled notes and reaching for my phone. Juliet gave me a cell phone number for Penelope so I tried that. It went directly to her answering service. I left a message asking her to call me back and hung up.
Plucking a pen from the top drawer of the desk, I set about making my plan. Today and tomorrow I would find out as much as I could about Juliet and her life, mostly through interviewing her friends as she explained her family weren't currently around. With a lack of access to all the databases previously at my disposal, I had to rely on her. I hoped she would be forthcoming about her past and present. Since there was an element of financial crime linked to the stalking, I aimed to get the past year of her bank records and credit card statements too. That way I could gain a bigger picture of how the financial crimes occurred; and what the stalker might have done to access Juliet's money and credit. It would mean intimately combing through Juliet's life, but I figured she was worried enough that she would have been less concerned about me looking at her shopping habits and more interested in any answers I might find.
Just as I opened my laptop, preparing to connect to the bar's WiFi network and fire off an email to Juliet, I stopped. If the stalker had access to her credit cards, it stood to reason that he or she could also access Juliet's computer, including her emails. Maybe even access her cell phone. Electronic communication would have to be kept to a minimum, I decided; but the potential for creating an entrapment was also possible. Instead, I shot Juliet a text message. I asked her to call me from any number except the one she normally used. A few minutes later, she did.
"I don't understand," she said, "why can't I use my cell phone?"
"I want to get your phone and laptop checked over."
"What for...? Oh, you mean bugs? Do you think someone bugged me?"
"If they can access your home, car, and money, I don't want to rule it out until I'm sure."
"That's awful. They could be watching my every move!"
"Don't panic. They could, but they might not be. Can you bring your laptop and phone to my office so I can have them inspected?"
"Yes, but not until I finish work at six. I can get to you at six-thirty. Is that okay?"
"Perfect. Also, can you get copies of your credit card and bank statements? And highlight any fraudulent transactions."
"But I already reported them to the credit card company."
"Are they still investigating?"
"Yes, but it doesn't look good. Like I said, they're claiming I made those purchases."
"I need to see everything, going back a year should be far enough. Bring any communications from the credit card companies too, please. I can't contact them without your authority, but it won't hurt to look at those communications too."
"I still don't get why someone would do this to me."
"We'll find out."
"Is there anything else you need?"
"Not yet. I'll call you if I need anything else. If you need to call me again today, do it..."
"From another phone," Juliet finished. "I remember."
I had to reassure Juliet a couple more times before we said our goodbyes. It wasn't any good to make false promises to her, nor did I have a detailed plan yet of how to control her case. High expectations were something I often had to temper early on in a case. The simple fact was, investigative work was slow and time-consuming. The results often took days, if not weeks, to collate. Working on Juliet's side was: the stalking hadn't progressed to a serious level. What worried me was the possibility it could soon. Her stalker had no problems being invasive; and I felt sure that once I saw Juliet's incident log, I would see a pattern whereby the stalking would escalate soon.
I tried Penelope again, but once again, my call went to her answering service. Instead of leaving a message, I hung up and redialed my oldest brother. Garrett was a lieutenant in the homicide division and a go-to source whenever I needed help.
"Is this a babysitting favor?" he asked, hearing my voice.
"No, but I could work up to that."
"Hmph," he replied. "Hit me with it."
"Can you check to see if there are any incident reports for a street in Bedford Hills. Blossom Road?"
"Give me a minute. No. Nothing in the past two years. There was a DUI three years ago. Interested?"
"Nope. Too far back for my client."
"What are you working on?"
"A potential stalking."
"Is it credible?"
"I think so."
"Has your client spoken to anyone at MPD?"
"Yes, but there hasn't been any serious incident yet; so there was nothing they could do."
"What's the name? I can take a look at the report."
"Juliet Hart."
I heard him tapping keys.
"It's quiet your end," I told him even though I was pretty sure he could use his own ears.
"We just solved a case and we're waiting for the next one to roll in."
"Depressing."
"Tell me about it... oh, hey, this is weird."
"What is?"
"Your client's been flagged. Let me call you back when I find out what's going on?"
"What do you mean... flagged?" I asked, but Garrett was already gone, leaving me with a dead line.
I frowned at my notepad, wondering what was going on at MPD, but I figured Garrett would call me back soon. While I waited, I made a list of whom I should interview: Penelope, Rob, Juliet's employer, her neighbors. When my phone rang, I picked it up without checking the screen.
"Lexi, it's me, Juliet." Her voice came in quick, panicked bursts.
"Are you okay?"
"No! They're taking me to the police station. I've been arrested! Please help me!"
I waited in the Montgomery Police Department lobby for thirty minutes, a fashion magazine open and unread in my lap, until an officer arrived to talk to me. Detective Donahue came to Garrett's fortieth birthday party. I remembered him; he was fun and friendly and he flirted with one of my cousins.
"You're not Juliet Hart's lawyer," he said, approaching me without calling my name. I wasn't sure whether to be pleased or not that he remembered me. I hoped he didn't remember me dancing on a table.
I fixed him with a smile. "No, I'm not."
"Then what are you doing here? What's your interest? I hear you're a PI now, so is she a friend, or a case?" he asked, cutting straight to the punch.
"A case."
"Let's go somewhere and talk." He turned on his heel, walking away, leaving me no choice but to hurry after him as I stuffed the magazine into my purse. Instead of taking me to an interview room, he ducked into the squad room, grabbing a spare chair on the way to his desk. Setting it down beside his desk, he indicated I should sit as he took up his position behind his desk. "What's your involvement?" he asked. "And I mean honestly. No crap, Lexi."
I looked around the room before I answered, vaguely wondering whether or not to feel affronted at the suggestion I would give him a story instead of the truth. I'd already been in the financial crimes room before. My friend, and former boyfriend, Adam Maddox used to occupy the desk across the room. That was back when he was a detective at MPD. He switched to another squad after serving his time in financial crimes before becoming an agent with the FBI, but as I caught sight of his desk, it still reminded me of him. Instead of a pile of case files, the desk now was home to a coffee machine and a messy heap of paper cups. I wasn't sure how Maddox would feel about that, but I figured his desk at the FBI made up for it.
"Lexi?"
I turned my attention back to Detective Donahue. "Sorry. Juliet hired me because she believes a stalker is targeting her."
He gave me a long look that could have meant anything. "Do you believe her?"
"I only just started investigating."
"That isn't a yes or a no."
What was with people demanding absolute answers?
I wondered; but I answered, "I'm veering more towards a yes, based on what she says, but I have nothing concrete to prove it. Like I said, I only just got the case."
"That's a fair comment."
"My turn. Why did you bring her in?"
"You know I'm only talking to you now because I know your family, right? Any other PI would be abruptly told to get lost."
I nodded. "I appreciate that."
"Okay," he said, leaning forwards, his bare arms pressing against the desk. I resisted the urge to reach over and adjust his crooked tie. "We were alerted to an insider trading issue at Lancaster Friedland, an investment firm, a month ago, and we've been quietly looking into it."
"At their request?" I asked. Juliet had listed the firm as her employer on my client sheet. I had a bad feeling about what Donahue planned to tell me.
"No, it came from higher up. Lancaster Friedland didn't call us in."
"How's Juliet involved in this?"
"The trail came back to her. We have a cyber trail proving she got tipoffs about a few major moves, and later acted on that knowledge to trade. The stock she bought skyrocketed, making millions; and in a couple of cases, she lost a few hundred thousand."
"She lost a few hundred thousand?" I gasped.
"Chicken feed in her job. That's not the issue. We're looking at the money she made."
"I don't understand. Making money is a
good
thing."
"Not in this case. Traders can't use information that isn't freely available to the public. We've found evidence that Juliet was given insider information and alerted to market moves before they happened. That creates an unfair market."
"So trading is based on luck?" I frowned, utterly perplexed.
"Kind of. Look, it's hard to explain, but what Juliet's done is illegal."
"Does she have to return the money?"
"It doesn't work like that, as such. She'll be struck off for starters, and could face a jail term if she's found guilty."
"What kind of jail term?"
"Twenty years."
"Holy crap!" I yelled as Detective Donahue waved me down. "Twenty years?" I hissed. "For getting a tip that made her firm and her clients money?"
"Again, it's insider... whatever. You need to get yourself acquainted with trading regulations."
We were silent a moment while I worked out what little I knew about insider trading. The amount? A big, fat zero. "How likely is it Juliet will be found guilty?" I asked, wondering how in the world this all fitted in with the credit card fraud and the stalking.
"Based on our evidence... one hundred percent."
The only thing more deflating than hearing my client was about to face a twenty-year jail term for committing a crime was believing she was innocent without being able to prove it. I had nothing to contradict anything Donahue claimed; and according to him, there was enough evidence to bury her. If I hadn't already spoken to Juliet, I would have probably agreed with him that it was a slam-dunk case, providing his evidence held up in court. But I spoke to her and now shared her suspicions. With all that in mind, I wasn't sure why I told Donahue, "I don't think she did it."
Detective Donahue slapped his hand on top of a thick file. "The evidence here says she did. I barely have to open this case to shut it down. It's one incriminating piece of evidence after another. The prosecutor agrees."
"Could she have been set up?"
Donahue took a long moment in which he stared at me, and I tried not to fidget under his glare. "Maybe," he said finally.
"How could someone do that?"
"They would have to access her email, her phone, and her computer at work. They would need all her passwords and could never be seen. It's virtually impossible."
But not impossible
, I decided as I twisted my mouth in thought. "Do you have Juliet on record saying anything about the insider trading?"
"No, and we've had her office and phones wiretapped for a month."
Clearly, I was right about the bugs, I'd simply gotten the wrong guys. It wasn't a comforting thought, but I hoped I was right to assume if law enforcement had Juliet bugged, then no one else probably did. "Nothing at all?"
"No, but that's not odd. She knew she was doing something wrong. She tried to cover her tracks, and she wouldn't be getting all chatty about her crimes."
"Or she didn't do it," I pointed out.
"I know she's your client, but face facts, this doesn't look good."
"You just said she could have been set up!"
"No, I said
maybe
, but it's virtually impossible. My evidence is tight, so I don't believe that happened. Neither does the prosecutor."
"If I can prove Juliet didn't do it, and I bring you the evidence, would you release her?"
Another long, unreadable glance from Donahue that I couldn't begin to fathom. "I would examine it, and if it were compelling, I could lift the charges," he said, barely concealing a sigh.
"Okay, then, I'll do that."
"If you uncover evidence that makes your client guilty, will you also turn that over?"
"Maybe."
"If you don't, I could arrest you for perjury or accessory or obstructing justice."
I wracked my brain for the knowledge that would tell me Donahue just made that up, but I couldn't. "Is that true?" I asked.
"Want to try me?"
"Huh. Okay, deal. I'll turn over any evidence I find; and if it's to her advantage, you'll cut Juliet loose. What happens next?"
"Next, your client requested a lawyer. I can't talk to her without one, so you find her one and I can go back to grilling her until she breaks."
"Since when did you turn into such a hard-ass?"
"Since a promotion just came up and I want it."
"Makes sense."
"If she's lucky, she'll get bail until the hearing."
"She's engaged, and a law abiding homeowner. She's not a flight risk."
"She's got a ton of money. She is so a risk. The judge will probably order her to surrender her passport."
"Sounds reasonable in return for bail."
"Can you get me your cousin's phone number?"
That threw me. I didn't expect it, however, I didn't need to ask which cousin. I guessed it was the one I last saw him sucking face with. I was pretty sure she was still single. "I could put in a good word," I said.
"Fair enough."
I rose, shaking his hand. "I'm going to get you the evidence you need."
"Lexi, I wish you luck," he started with a shake of his head as he guided me towards the station reception. "She's as guilty as hell."
After ushering me into the waiting area, and hurriedly saying goodbye, I watched his retreating back, wishing he hadn't said those words. Instead of feeling relieved that my concerns about Juliet's case were being listened to, all I could do now was worry. Sure, Donahue listened, but he was already convinced of her guilt, which left me with a huge problem. How could I prove Juliet wasn't some kind of master criminal? Even harder,
could I actually
do it
?
Deciding my first step should be to call Rob, I turned around, immediately colliding with a tall man with a broad chest... one who felt very familiar. My hand ran across the firm pecs. The nipples attached to the pecs seemed to like that a lot.
"Lexi, we're not alone," warned Solomon. "And you're feeling my nipples like they're Braille."
I looked up. "You're obviously pleased to see me."
"Keep your hands where I can see them, Graves!"
I dropped my hands to my sides and pouted. "What are you doing here?" I asked.
"That was my first question for you."
"I asked you first!"
"My target got arrested. Your turn."
"My client got arrested." I paused, narrowing my eyes as my heart rate quickened. I smelled a rat. "You said your target is suspected of insider trading."
"Yes."
My mind clicked the puzzle pieces into place as my jaw dropped open. "Oh crap!" I whispered before grabbing his hand and tugging him outside. A cool breeze hit us as we stepped out onto the wide brick walkway. It sent a chill down my spine that was echoed by the sudden realization that just hit me. "Your target is Juliet Hart."
Solomon's brows knitted together. "How did you know that?"
"She's my client!"
"For real?"
"No, I'm making it up!" I quipped. "Yes, for real. How the hell did this happen? How did my client become your target?"
"When did Juliet engage you?"
"Yesterday. When did your client engage you?"
"A week ago."
"This is unbelievable!"
"It's a coincidence. A weird one."
I looked up at him and took a deep breath. My surveillance hadn't even begun on Juliet, but Solomon might have gotten something I could use, something I could take to Donahue. "I need everything you've got on Juliet. Surveillance notes, photos..."
"Whoa! I can't do that, Lexi."
"Why not?"
"Client confidentiality."
"My client..."
"No,
my client
," Solomon pointed out. "We're on opposite sides of this fence."
"I'm on the side of the truth. Which side are you on?"
Solomon laid his hand against his forehead and muttered something that sounded like "damn you," but I couldn't be sure.
"Here's the thing," I told Solomon. "Detective Donahue is on Juliet's case and he's convinced she's guilty. She's your target and you're..."
"Undecided," he said at my prompt.
"So you think there's a possibility she could be innocent?"
"No." He shook his head. "I
think
, I don't know, but I'm following my client's direction and that finger is pointing at Juliet; we need to find the truth to know whether she's the guilty party or not."
"That's the same thing! We both want to know if Juliet is guilty... or not!" I emphasized. "So why not have two heads looking at this? C'mon you know me, Solomon. You trained me. You know if I find something hinky in all of this, I'll tell you."
"
Hinky
? Did you get that from Scooby-Doo?"
I shrugged. "What of it?"
"What if you find something that indicates your client is guilty?"
"Detective Donahue asked that too. Like I said to him, I'll tell him and I'll tell you."
"And what do you tell your client?"
"If it's negative, I disclose what I find, wrap up my investigation, and she can continue her case with her lawyer."