Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78631 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Haisley hurriedly dressed, covering her love bites with a high-necked blouse, then rushed to the bathroom. Her reflection startled her. Nash had sweetly washed her hair last night and tucked her in with wet tresses. Now it was a tangled mess, half sticking straight up. She quickly ran a brush through it, wincing at the knots, before twisting it up into a messy bun. Then she slapped on a light face of makeup, focusing on a hasty application of concealer, mascara, and lip gloss. It would have to do.
As she did all that, Haisley tried to think this situation through. Benedict had been having an affair? Mind-blowing. She couldn’t grasp why anyone would willingly sleep with the jackass. Then again, some people would do anything for money, which he’d had in spades. Had Mila found out about his mistress last night? Was that the reason she’d been crying during her midnight visit to the office? Had it caused their following deadly altercation?
That poor woman, offed by the man who had vowed to love, honor, and cherish her forever. Love might only be for the lucky few, but Mila had been among the most unlucky of all.
Haisley sprinted around the house to find her keys. As she brewed a cup of coffee to go, she fired off a message to her fellow CSI sleuth, Jasper, informing him about the awful developments and asked if he would reach out to his Lafayette PD contacts for any additional information.
He didn’t answer right away. Of course anyone who wasn’t up with the sun was still cozy in their bed, catching Zs. But Jasper seemed solid. He’d get back to her. At least she hoped so. She hadn’t talked to him since Tuesday night. She’d been so busy…and wrapped up with Nash. Maybe Jasper had lost interest in the case. Or moved on.
After all, he hadn’t contacted her for nearly four days, either. What was up with that?
Pushing the question aside, Haisley took a deep breath, forcing herself to compartmentalize her feelings and fears so she could focus on the task at hand. She couldn’t afford to be distracted right now. The women who had been abducted needed her effort and focus before bureaucracy and red tape limited her access to clues.
After finally digging up her keys, Haisley headed for the door, pausing to take one last steadying breath. As she drove to the mall, her mind kept whirling. What could she possibly tell the press about the Benedicts’ untimely end and the fate of the mall when she knew so little herself?
As she pulled into the parking lot, Haisley spotted a small crowd of reporters, photographers, and independent online journalists already gathered near the door. She gripped the steering wheel, steeling herself for the morning ahead. “You can do this.”
She wasn’t convinced…but it was nearly showtime, so she cut the engine and plucked up her phone, cutting off her music.
Before she darkened the device, she spotted a notification about a message from someone in her CSI group.
JasperThePrivateDick: Howdy, stranger. I hope you’re okay. I’ve been a little under the weather. Sorry I disappeared. Feeling better today. I’ll call my retired friend and see if he can get anyone who still works for the force to answer questions.
RedHotSavvySleuth: Glad to hear you’re feeling better. Thanks for any help you can give me. I’m at the mall now. I’m about to give a press conference. After that, I’ll poke around and see if I can find out anything. Maybe people will be more willing to talk now that Mr. Benedict is gone.
JasperThePrivateDick: I don’t think that’s a good idea. That place is dangerous.
RedHotSavvySleuth: It’s a long story, and I’ll tell you later, but all signs point to my boss having been the bad guy. Now that he’s gone, I’m thinking the mall is a lot less dangerous. But I promise I’ll check in.
JasperThePrivateDick: I’ll be waiting. If I don’t hear from you in two hours, I’ll send in the cavalry.
RedHotSavvySleuth: You don’t have to, but thanks for caring enough to worry about me.
Haisley smiled as she dimmed her phone and exited her car, striding toward the mall with purpose. She ignored the cluster of press shouting questions at her.
Inside the entrance, she found Julia pacing nervously. “Ms. Rowe?”
“Just Haisley.” She gave the young brunette a reassuring smile, but the girl still looked rattled.
“Thank God you’re here. Everything has gotten worse.” Julia wrung her hands. “The police have been calling, asking about Mr. Benedict’s recent visits and personnel decisions. The press won’t stop hounding us for information.” She dropped her voice. “And now I hear the FBI is at his house because they suspected him of being behind all the abductions here at the mall.”
Haisley tucked that nugget of information away to share with Nash and Jasper later. But if Mr. Benedict was the FBI’s prime suspect, she and Nash must have pieced things together pretty well.