Chapter Twelve

The upscale dining establishment in downtown D.C. buzzed with low murmurs of the city"s elite. The warm glow of the subtle overhead lighting cast faint shadows across the sleek black leather chairs and crisp white tablecloths. The wall panels were made of rich mahogany, and the dark wood was offset by the delicate lightbulbs encased in wrought iron fixtures. Each specific detail had been thought out to the nth degree, and it was obvious that this was not one's average dining experience.

Brook's high heels clicked softly on the wooden floor as she made her way across the large foyer to the hostess stand. A young woman was speaking with an older gentleman who was requesting something special for his wife. Brook didn't mind the short pause in her evening. Such an opportunity to gather her thoughts and take a much-needed calming breath had been few and far between in the past twenty-four hours.

Arden had scheduled a driver to pick her up at the airport yesterday, and the young man had taken her directly to the office. There had been business matters that she had put on hold due to her trip to Michigan last week. Although it had taken her longer than anticipated to get through the paperwork requested by the Bureau, Arden had done an outstanding job in organizing the proper forms and reports. It had been around two o'clock in the morning before she made it home, only to then leave for the federal prison by six o'clock this morning.

Her meeting with the warden hadn't gone according to plan, but she was confident in the outcome. It had been mid-afternoon by the time that she had made it back to the office. Arden had been waiting for her with Sylvie's new furry companion in tow. Brook was no longer left wondering how a two-and-a-half-pound bundle of energy could make one a puddle of sap.

Warm lips pressed against the sensitive curve of her neck. Normally, such contact would have taken her by surprise had she not caught the familiar woodsy scent with a hint of sage seconds before contact. Brook turned to find Graham standing behind her in one of his Italian cut suits and his favorite grey and blue tie.

"You look beautiful," Graham murmured as he guided her away from the hostess stand.

His dark eyes swept over her black cocktail dress with matching high heels before meeting her pensive gaze. She wasn't the type of woman who took the time to enjoy such social settings. Before him, she would indulge in the occasional need for gratification.

Yet here she was…because of him.

"You made it," Brook said softly as they came to a stop near the far wall. "I left you a few messages."

"I thought I would surprise you like you did me," Graham said with a warm smile. "It means a lot to me for you to be here."

The messages that Brook had left on his voicemail had also included her intent to visit the prison. Only he had been able to see beneath the surface. She hadn't expected anything less. One of the reasons that she was drawn to him was his honesty, as well as his patience.

Brook had returned home for him.

It was a constant struggle for her to maintain intimacy, let alone permit others to be in her life in such a…well, normal manner. She didn't celebrate her own birthday let alone someone else's milestone. Such a conscious decision was based on many valid reasons, but she was gradually becoming aware that she had allowed Jacob to have the upper hand all these years.

The entrance of Graham's mother pulled Brook from her private moment of understanding. With a grace unlike any other, Elizabeth Elliott made her way across the restaurant's foyer while raising both hands to embrace her son. Before too long, the woman turned her attention toward Brook.

"You look absolutely stunning, my dear." Elizabeth kissed Brook on both cheeks before pulling back and resting both hands over her heart. "How can I ever thank you for such a perfect gift?"

"Gift?"

"Brook wasn't sure that she would be able to join us this evening, so she left a present for me on the table in the foyer—an abstract painting by an up-and-coming artist who will almost certainly take the art world by storm over the coming years." Elizabeth's smile widened as she pressed her hands together once again, the small handle of her evening bag hooked over the crook of her arm. "I will cherish the gift, and you being here means the world to me."

The hostess caught their attention with a warm smile and an elegant gesture. Graham signaled for his mother to follow the young woman. Brook remained near him as they made their way into the main dining area. The other patrons were engrossed in private conversations while the waitstaff expertly maneuvered throughout the room, serving dishes that were artfully arranged on plates. The enticing aromas reminded Brook that she had neglected to eat all day.

"You continue to surprise me, Brooklyn Sloane."

The manner in which Graham had made such a statement had Brook grateful that she had made the decision to join him. They spent the next two hours engrossed in stimulating conversation and indulging in menu choices that clearly delighted Elizabeth throughout the evening. The raspberry mousse in honey tuiles was her favorite. By the time they were served coffee, Elizabeth was dabbing the corner of her eyes in sentiment over Graham's generous donation to George Washington University to provide an art scholarship for those in need.

He had done so to honor both his mother and daughter.

Kelsey's death and subsequent investigation were the sole reasons why SE Investigations, Inc. had opened its doors. Brook had been able to give Graham some closure, though no one would ever be able to heal the wounds of losing an only child.

"Thank you both for such a lovely evening," Elizabeth announced as she gently rested her cloth napkin next to her empty coffee cup. She covered Brook's hand with her own. "Brooklyn, thank you again for joining us this evening. My son is no longer walking through life without purpose, and it is all due to you. My son's happiness is the greatest gift by far."

Elizabeth picked up her evening bag that she had placed to the left of her place setting and tucked the purse underneath her arm. She stood while waving dismissively toward Graham, who had been in the midst of standing to assist in pulling back her chair.

"Nonsense. I'm joining some friends for a few after-dinner drinks," Elizabeth said as she stood from the table. There was no denying the woman's elegance. "Seeing as Brooklyn is flying back to Michigan first thing in the morning, I'm sure the two of you could use some alone time."

It wasn't long before Elizabeth walked gracefully toward the restaurant's foyer. The relief that washed over Brook from the sight of two men discreetly placing their napkins on their plates and following the older woman out of the main dining area was immense.

"Not until after he draws his last breath," Graham said casually as he reached for the stainless steel carafe that the waiter had set on the table. He refilled both their mugs as if they were having a normal conversation, though she had caught the edge of his tone. She also didn't need him to expand on the identity of said subject. "If I thought you would allow a protection detail, I wouldn't have hesitated to make such arrangements."

Brook had known about Elizabeth's protection detail since the very beginning, but such precautionary measures hadn't been brought up in recent conversations. Witnessing such a safeguard in person relieved some of Brook's stress.

"I can—"

"Protect yourself, I know." Graham took a drink of his coffee while maintaining eye contact. The way his brown eyes darkened told her that he was about to change the subject. "When do you fly out tomorrow?"

Brook lifted her own mug to cover her smile, which she had found herself doing more and more lately when she was with him. She had mentioned to Theo last week that she had to stop by Graham's estate to pick up some of her favorite suits. She hadn't realized until that very moment just how entwined her life with Graham had become.

Surprisingly, warmth had infused her instead of the usual flood of panic.

"I'll be here long enough for you to make me chocolate chip pancakes," Brook replied as she set her mug on the table. She kept one hand wrapped around the heated porcelain, but she slid her right hand into his. "I take it you're home for the remainder of the week?"

"A few weeks actually." Graham amended as he stroked his thumb over the back of her hand. "I have a few meetings lined up at Quantico. We also have that appointment with the accountants at the end of May."

Graham was her silent partner in SE Investigations, Inc. He only ever attended financial meetings, while leaving the day-to-day operations to her. He had kept his promise from day one.

"Is there any way that I can convince you to give the team hazard pay?" Brook was only half-kidding. Graham tightened his hold on her hand, prompting her to change the subject. While every single person involved in her life understood the risks, that didn't mean she was absolved of guilt. "You know who should have hazard pay? The nurses at the prison. It took me hours to convince the warden that Jacob should be kept in isolation. I remember when we were young. He had reactive airway disease. I don't want to take any chances that his breathing could become so impaired that he would require hospitalization."

"Has Jacob shown any symptoms?"

"No, but that could change at any moment if the warden doesn't take my suggestion regarding isolation."

"Jacob doesn't interact with the general population." Graham continued to stroke the back of her hand as he enjoyed the rest of his coffee. He made a valid point, but he also understood the different ways that Jacob could manipulate any given situation. "The guards in that section also don't oversee the main part of the prison."

"But those guards share break rooms," Brook pointed out as she caught sight of a woman pressing both hands to her chest, similar to how Elizabeth had done earlier this evening. Both gestures had bothered Brook, though she couldn't pinpoint the reason why. "All it takes is one of the guards to be contagious without realizing he is sick. He would then escort Jacob through the halls to the outside for his one hour of daylight, and then the transfer of droplets would be complete. I spoke to the two nurses myself, and they both say the strain of influenza making the rounds is severe. There is no reason to give Jacob an opportunity to escape when it could be fully avoided."

"Agreed." Graham followed her line of sight. "Do you know her?"

"No." Brook frowned, unable to explain what was bothering her about the reactions of both women. "It's nothing."

"It's always something," Graham said with a laugh as he released her hand so that he could signal for the check. "While we wait, walk me through the case."

"There's actually nothing to say," Brook admitted before taking the last sip of her coffee. She set the mug on the table before expanding on the lack of information. "We've hit a dead end. We're going to need to start at the beginning."

"Which is where you usually begin." Graham reached into his suit jacket to pull out his wallet. "Why is this one different?"

"Mary Four." Brook waved her hand when Graham arched his brow. "The team numbered the Mary Janes to keep the files separate. Anyway, you already know that Mary Four posted a video online, which was the reason the FBI contacted us. If the unsub is targeting women named Mary Jane Reynolds across the state of Michigan, it stands to reason that he has already started his surveillance on her daily routine."

"That makes sense." Graham paused long enough to hand his credit card to the server. "Why change avenues now?"

"Mary Four posted her video without reason. She hasn't noticed anyone following her, no phone calls, and no new people in her life." Brook studied the woman at the table, wondering what it was about her mannerisms and that of Elizabeth earlier this evening that garnered interest. "As far as we know, the victims didn't know one another. Bit can't find one connection to tie the three women together, either. We're wasting manpower by basically giving all potential victims twenty-four-seven security."

"If the unsub spends time monitoring his victims' routines, wouldn't the units posted outside the targets' homes push out his timetable?" Graham's question had been one that Brook had been mulling over for quite some time. "I suppose such efforts give you time to find him."

Brook had witnessed such initiatives before, and such actions had driven the unsub to ground…never to be heard from again. Those killers had been forced to either change their signatures or discover another outlet to ease their thirst for sin.

She hadn't stopped monitoring the woman, and when she rested her hand on her chest once more in a conspicuous fashion, it was enough incentive for Brook to reach for her phone. She quickly accessed the software program and pulled up previous online videos that Mary Four had posted to her social media accounts.

Brook rested her fingers on the display of her phone, pinching and zooming until the image expanded. Mary Four tended to rest her hand on her chest when she spoke to the camera. She had done so in their first meeting, but not because she was being dramatic.

"Mary Four is the target." Brook hastily accessed her speed dial list. She continued to speak to Graham while attempting to get Theo on the other end of the line. "The unsub stabs his victims in the heart. Mary Three was the only one stabbed in the back, but his focus was still on her heart."

"Shouldn't you be enjoying a birthday celebration?" Theo said in greeting over what sounded like live music.

"Mary Four had some type of heart surgery," Brook announced softly as the server appeared with Graham's receipt. She stood and motioned that she would wait for him out in the lobby. "From the tint of the scar, I'm guessing maybe a year ago? I don't know why such a surgery would trigger the unsub to want her dead, but Mary Four is his target. Touch base with Agent Tirelli and have him swap out the local uniform for a federal agent. I want someone by her side until further notice."

"Seeing as Mary Four is sitting behind me at a table at the Crestlake Bar Grill, I'll make sure to remain nearby until arrangements are made," Theo replied as the live music seemed to become even louder than before. "How could we have missed that in the background check? Or hell, even in her social media posts."

"HIPAA changed the landscape years ago. Also, Mary Four didn't post much over twelve or thirteen ago. It has only been in the past year that she started to post daily." By the time Brook had answered Theo's question, she had walked past the hostess stand and claimed a corner area for privacy. Even at this late hour, the restaurant was at full capacity. "We'll need confirmation, of course. It's difficult to make out in the videos, but there are times when the tip of her scar can be seen in the V of her blouse."

"And the only thing the victims have in common is that the unsub targeted their hearts." Theo must have shifted his position, because the bass level had diminished significantly. "It makes sense, especially since we know that Mary Two's husband was at the clinic the night his wife was murdered. We assumed it was to ensure that she was alone, but what if the unsub was searching for proof that Mary Two had heart surgery? If I recall correctly, Mary Two was a patient of another family doctor, so her husband's clinic wouldn't have had any of her records. I'll reach out to Bit and Sylvie. They can start compiling a list of those involved with the surgery, though given what we know, that won't matter. The unsub has no idea which Mary Jane Reynolds had the surgery."

If the unsub had been someone connected to Mary Four's surgery, there would have been no reason for other deaths. Brook's theory was missing something vital, but at least the investigation was once again moving forward.

"Have Sylvie contact the families of the three victims," Brook advised as she spotted Graham making his way through the main dining room. His dark gaze met hers, but there was no judgment in his eyes. He understood her, just as she understood him. "We can subvert HIPAA with a warrant, but that could take additional time. I'd rather Bit not circumvent any firewalls, either. Sylvie can ascertain whether the victims had heart problems. There is a chance the surgery doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. See if she can find a connection through cardiologists, specialists, pharmacies, or even alternative medicine facilities. Once we have the warrant signed by a federal judge, Bit can then run a deeper search."

"Copy that."

"Oh, and Theo? Thanks for the push."

Brook lowered her phone and disconnected the call, not bothering to listen for any reply. Theo would have understood the underlying meaning of her statement. Besides, she had gotten her point across—his advice had been impeccable. There was no need for further discussion when her time with Graham was limited to this evening.

"Are you heading back tonight?" Graham asked as he finally joined her.

"No."

Graham slowly smiled in response to her profound answer. She returned his smile and tilted her head in anticipation, accepting the warmth of his kiss. The soft brush of his lips over hers promised an unforgettable evening.

"I do believe I'm getting the hang of delegating tasks, General Elliott."