Page 59 of Silent Menace
Peter put an arm around her shoulders. He didn’t try to say anything. He couldn’t blame her for wishing this problem away, especially now that she was facing threats that involved her whole family.
But he was also curious about why Stefania Novak had wanted that particular client so badly. Had she just been overly ambitious, or had she known about the goings-on at Eukaria Investments? More than that, had she been involved somehow?
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Peter had stayedwith Hailey until her parents returned, but then they’d all decided that he should go home and get some real rest before heading into work. He’d been hesitant to leave, despite knowing Miguel was on his way back, and he’d even considered calling off until Jesse pulled him aside and gave his blessing. He’d assured him that he was former military and that, together, he and Miguel were more than capable of keeping his daughter safe.
The man might change his mind after receiving the newest updates, but, as Hailey quietly reminded him, she had been promised protection and given until Monday to make a decision.
Though he wasn’t sure he trusted the promises of a crook, Peter had seen the wisdom in her argument. And there was no doubt he’d be more comfortable in his own bed.
But that didn’t mean he’d actually be able to rest better at home. Concern for Hailey and second thoughts about leaving her kept him awake. The few times he started to drift off, he found himself jerking awake almost immediately, thinking he heard gunfire. After two hours of tossing and turning, he finally gave up and decided to restart his day.
As he did every morning—or, more often, afternoon due to his night-shift schedule—Peter flipped on a local news station andlet the talking heads provide background noise while he prepared his breakfast. Today he paid a bit closer attention, hoping to hear an update on the murder of Stefania Novak. If nothing was said during the program, he’d google it once he sat down. But as the bangers started sizzling in the skillet, he heard the words he’d been listening for.
“Police are investigating the case of a local woman found dead in her home this morning.”
He lifted his gaze in time to see a handful of photos fill the screen. He sucked in a sharp breath. Though the images were somewhat blurred, he could easily make out that the scene was as gruesome as Detective Thornton had indicated. One of Stefania’s hands was mangled. The other grasped something light colored, and she appeared to have sustained multiple gunshot wounds—one to each knee in addition to the fatal head shot. Blood was everywhere.
The screen shifted back to the reporters’ faces before Peter could try to get a better look at what was in Stefania’s hand. He considered trying to find the photos online, but the angle at which that photo was taken probably wouldn’t allow him to see what he was looking for anyway. Instead, he forced himself to listen to the reporters’ words so he wouldn’t miss any pertinent details. It was almost impossible to focus though. He knew that scene.
When the segment ended, he grabbed his phone and dialed Detective Thornton’s number. While it rang, he muted the television. He couldn’t believe they’d shown those photos on TV, especially not when the details were supposed to be hush-hush. How had the press gotten them?
More importantly, did the police realize what they might be up against?
Just when Peter thought the detective was going to let the call go to voice mail, he finally picked up. “Thornton.”
“This is Peter Lewis. I need to talk with you about Stefania Novak’s murder.”
“I told you earlier I can’t discuss the details.” The detective’s tone was abrupt, almost angry. He must have just heard about the leaked photos too.
“Understood. But this is important.” Peter smelled something starting to burn and moved back to the stove to rescue his breakfast. “Was Ms. Novak holding a note?”
There was a beat of silence before Eric said, “She was.”
“Written in blood?”
More silence. Then, “What do you know about this?”
Peter squeezed his eyes shut. He’d hoped he was wrong. “If that note is in her handwriting and is an admission that she deserved what happened to her, then you need to call the FBI. This guy has struck before.”
“Are you still with Hailey?”
He wished he were. “No, I’m at my place.”
“We need to talk in person. All right if I stop by, or would you prefer to come to the station?”
“Here is fine.” He gave Eric the address.
“Sit tight. I’m on my way.”
Ten minutes later, Peter welcomed Eric inside. He moved his nearly empty breakfast plate to the counter. Though he’d completely lost his appetite after seeing the crime scene photos, he’d forced himself to scarf down what he could of the meal before the detective’s arrival.
The two men settled at the table, and Eric fixed his intense gaze on him. “I need to know everything you know about this.”
“I don’t know much about Ms. Novak’s case specifically. However, I saw the photos on the news. That scene was eerily similar to one I witnessed several years ago.” Too similar to be coincidence.
“When was this exactly?”
