Chapter 11

chapter

eleven

Gage’s thoughts continued to race.

Was the detective suspicious of Nia? Did Duncan think she was guilty?

Gage wasn’t sure. But there was definitely more to her story.

Duncan turned toward him, focusing his efforts on questioning Gage now. “When did you say you arrived in town?”

“Last night.” Gage shifted in his molded plastic seat. “Rob called me around four-thirty yesterday afternoon and said he needed to talk—in person. Asked if I could come right away. He said it was urgent, so I flew in from Kansas. I talked to him last at six-thirty, right before the first leg of my flight took off.”

Duncan grunted and wrote something else in his notebook. “It sounds as if something was going on with him. Mr. Lesner didn’t hint about what that might be?”

Gage shook his head. “He said we’d talk when I got here. It was ‘safer’ that way. I arrived around three a.m.—my flight was late—and tried to call Rob. He didn’t answer. I went to his apartment, knocked on his door. He didn’t answer that either. That’s when I remembered him mentioning a meeting with Nia, so I waited until a reasonable hour and tracked her down. It was all I knew to do.”

Duncan’s gaze flickered to Nia again, and he frowned.

The man wasn’t a fan. But why? What was the history there?

Maybe Gage would ask her sometime.

But he had bigger worries right now.

“You two are free to go.” Detective Duncan closed his notebook. “But I may have more follow-up questions, so stay in town.”

“Of course.” Nia stood. “Anything you need.”

Gage doubted she meant that. She was definitely hiding something.

He paused and turned back to Duncan before leaving. “What about surveillance footage here at the apartment building? Did it pick up on anything?”

Detective Duncan shook his head. “No, nothing. In fact, the footage doesn’t even show Rob coming home last night—and he clearly returned home.”

“Bizarre . . .” Gage squinted.

He’d deleted the footage of himself coming in.

But not the footage of Nia and Rob returning to the apartment building. He’d seen the images himself. So what had happened to that video ?

Had Nia somehow managed to delete it? She was a smart lady and good with tech. She was probably capable of it.

Maybe she was more cunning than Gage gave her credit for.

“I hope you find the guy that did this to him.” Gage was certain to say the guy , to not let on to the fact he thought a woman was responsible.

There was one thing Gage knew for sure. He’d need to keep Nia close if he wanted to find answers. His gut told him that demanding a confession wouldn’t work. She was too stubborn for that.

He would need to be more subtle.

The two of them stepped outside, and he paused. He needed to think of a reason to stay together without being too obvious.

Gage glanced at Nia, trying to remain casual. “What are you doing now? Going to work?”

She let out a heavy, burdened breath. Glanced around. Frowned.

“I don’t know. I really don’t.” She raked a hand through her hair and stared off into the distance. “I have so much on my mind.”

“Want to take a walk?” he asked. “We could clear our thoughts. I think it would do us both some good.”

Nia studied him a moment, a flash of distrust in her gaze. He couldn’t blame her after everything that happened.

He fully expected her to say no.

Instead, after another moment of thought, she nodded. “Maybe that is a good idea. I don’t think I should go into the office right now feeling like I do. I am the leader of the company, and I need to set the tone. Right now, I just want to fall to pieces.”

Her words sounded so sincere that Gage almost believed her.

Almost.

If you don’t do what I tell you, I’ll send that picture to the police. More instructions coming.

That was what the text had said, Nia mused as she stood outside Rob’s apartment building with Gage after the police interview.

Even though the two of them had talked about taking a walk, her feet felt cemented to the sidewalk.

Was Gage . . . dangerous?

She glanced at him. He didn’t have an air about him. His gaze was smart. His reactions quick. Yet he had a certain toughness to his actions.

Part of her wanted to run. But that wasn’t an option right now.

Despite the fact that it was humid and hot outside, Nia shivered. “What a nightmare. I still can’t believe it.”

Gage eyed her a minute. “Me neither. Who could have done this to him? Rob was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”

That was the question Nia kept asking herself also. She really had no idea. But she needed to think hard .

Maybe Gage was just the person to help her do that.

“I know Rob had some very innovative ideas. Maybe someone else wanted to take one of those ideas for themselves,” she guessed. “You have any theories about who that could have been? Did he ever talk to you about any of his competitors?”

Gage’s eyebrows flickered up, almost as if her questions surprised him. “I can’t say he’s mentioned anyone to me. But you’re right. That would be a possibility. I suppose you’d have to ask yourself who has the most to gain by his death. Usually, those things go back to gaining money, love, or power.”

Nia shrugged again before shaking her head. “Or maybe . . . maybe the whole thing was random? What if someone broke into his apartment intending on robbing him, only to discover he was home?”

“Maybe, but my impression after talking to the detective is that nothing was stolen from his place. Besides, the average, everyday robber probably doesn’t have the skills to erase security footage.”

Nia frowned. “Good point. That does seem to take this to the next level, doesn’t it?”

Her thoughts remained heavy as she raced through the possibilities of what could be going on.

Gage was right about one thing. The person behind this was clever.

The killer had set Nia up to make it look like she’d done this. He’d erased the security footage. Now this person was threatening her with that photo.

She couldn’t put all the pieces together .

She only knew she could see the figurative firing squad ahead and knew she’d be in front of them soon if she didn’t find these answers.

She let out a deep breath as someone pulled up to the curb in front of them. In the blink of an eye, the door opened, and a leggy blonde woman rushed out.

Tears streamed down the woman’s face as she hurried toward the front door.

Her gaze stopped on Gage.

The next moment, she veered toward him and threw herself into his arms.

Nia gaped.

Who was this woman, and what in the world was going on?

Gage looked equally confused as he awkwardly patted the woman’s back.

“I just heard.” The woman sobbed into Gage’s chest. “I can’t believe Rob is dead.”

Gage squinted, still appearing stiff and unsure.

Finally, he muttered, “I . . . can’t believe it either.”

After another moment, the woman untangled her arms from around him. She straightened and pulled a tissue from her pocket to dab her eyes.

When she peered up at Gage, she let out a long puff of air and shook her head. “I’m sorry. You don’t know who I am, do you?”

“I’m afraid not.” He grimaced apologetically.

“Rob talked about you all the time, and I saw the pictures of you guys together. The ones where you went camping in the Ozarks. He told me some campfire story about you putting his tent on top of his SUV.”

Gage’s expression loosened. “Guilty as charged.”

She sniffed again. “I’m Brittany. Brittany Stevens.”

He remained quiet as if trying to place the name.

“Rob’s girlfriend,” Brittany finally explained.

Gage blinked several times as he stared at the woman. “His girlfriend?”

She tilted her head. “You mean he didn’t tell you about me?”

Gage drew in a long breath. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid he didn’t.”

At those words, Brittany burst into sobs again and buried herself in Gage’s chest.

It appeared to Nia that Rob had some secrets of his own.