Page 89 of The Forbidden Billionaire
“I told you that I always go into a room first.”
“God, you’re so bossy.”
“And you love it.” I cross into the kitchen. “I might have an early lunch.”
“Mr. Hollow Legs hungry again, is he?”
“I haven’t had any breakfast. It’s supposed to be the most important meal of the day.”
“That’s true, and I am hungry.”
We survey the contents of the fridge and decide on an egg and bacon sandwich. Aurelia takes charge, and I let her, sensing that she wants to do something for me. I lean on the counter and chat to her while she cooks, and then when she’s done, we take them out onto the deck with a cup of tea and sit and eat them, looking out over the ocean.
“I wonder how Ella’s doing with the police,” she says after a while.
“She’ll let us know if they find out anything.”
She sighs. “I have a job to do. And it’s really important right now, with the new division opening.”
“You can still hold interviews here by Zoom, if you wanted. You brought your laptop, didn’t you?”
“Yes… but what if he sees them? The interviews, I mean? And works out where I am?”
“You can hold them in a room with a plain background.” I frown. That’s addressing the symptom, not the cause. “Don’t be frightened,” I murmur. “He can’t get to you here.”
“But what if they can’t find him? I can’t stay here forever.”
“One step at a time. Try not to worry about it.” I know that’s impossible, though.
One thing Ella taught me that the close protection course didn’t mention was that men don’t understand how vulnerable women often feel. Ella’s tall for a woman, maybe five-nine; she works out, and she knows how to handle herself, having worked in self-defense for many years. But even so, she explained, her stomach still flips if she’s out alone at night and she thinks someone’s following her.
I hadn’t understood then that it’s not just about being afraid of a physical attack for women. Stalkers prey on women’s insecurities. Being watched. Being alone, and thinking someone is in their house. She taught me that having someone go through your things can cause sheer terror, even if nothing is taken, because it’s personal and invasive.
The stalker didn’t just rifle through Aurelia’s clothes. He chose the lacy teddy purposefully, because it was the kind of underwear a woman often wears for a partner. The garter belt and stockings also suggest seduction and intimacy. And as for the vibrator… Why did he pick that? He obviously knows I check the place first. So, to humiliate her? To make her feel vulnerable? Fucking bastard.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I take it out and see Ella’s number. “This is her now,” I tell Aurelia, and answer it, “Hello?”
“It’s me,” Ella says. “I have the head of the police investigation here, and he would like to go over a few details with you both.”
“Yes, of course.” I put the phone on speaker and rest it between us.
“This is Detective Inspector Swinton,” Ella advises.
A male voice says, “Good afternoon.”
“Afternoon,” I say. “I’m Luke Grayson, the close protection officer, and this is Aurelia Ashford.”
“Hello,” she says.
“I’m from the Criminal Investigation Branch in Auckland,” Swinton tells us. “We’re investigating the break-in, and looking at the case as a whole. I’d just like to ask a few questions if that’s okay.”
“Of course,” Aurelia says clearly, “anything we can do to help.” She has switched into professional mode, reminding me she’s the company’s public relations representative.
Swinton runs briefly through the information Ella has given him. It’s nothing new to me, and I’ve already told Aurelia most of it, but I can see her posture change as he talks about the messages, photos, and gifts; her spine stiffens, her jaw knots, and her hands clench in her lap.
He asks some questions about the in-house investigations I’ve done, which mainly involved checking local florists, questioning delivery personnel, and analyzing and comparing the messages to look for any clues.
“You did good work,” he says. “Saved us a lot of time.”
