Page 41 of The Murder Club

Zac made a sound of disgust. “Gage was too cheap to install any sort of security. He expected my deputies to be his personal guards. He was constantly calling to complain that we weren’t doing enough to protect his property.”

“Then there’s no way to know if he was alone.” Dom shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. Why couldn’t anything be easy? Like a crystal-clear video of the killer committing the crime?

Zac shrugged. “We’ll check any security footage in the area, but it’s doubtful they’ll have anything useful.”

Bailey wrapped her arms around her waist, as if she was battling back a cold chill.

“I’m sorry that Gage is dead. No matter what ugly accusations he made about me, it’s tragic that he died so young,” she said, eyeing her cousin with a wary gaze. “But I’m not sure why you came to tell me.”

Zac shifted on the couch, as if prepping himself to share bad news. “We searched his office at the lumberyard to make sure nothing was missing or out of place.”

“Was something wrong?” Bailey demanded.

“His secretary couldn’t see anything unusual.” Zac reached into the pocket of his jacket to pull out a clear baggie. He held it up to reveal the small black object inside. “Except for this.”

Both Bailey and Dom leaned forward. The item was about the size of Dom’s palm and looked like it was made from cheap plastic.

“Is that a phone?” Bailey asked.

Zac nodded. “A burner. It was found on a desk in Gage’s office.”

Bailey shook her head. “I still don’t understand.” “Gage had a far more expensive phone in the pocket of his jeans when we found his body.” He jiggled the baggie. “This appears to be an extra one.”

“Is it for the lumberyard?” Dom demanded. He had separate numbers for his business and his personal life. Otherwise he’d never have any peace.

“No.” Zac sent him a grim glance. “This phone didn’t make or receive any calls. In fact, it didn’t have any activity beyond sending one text a couple of days ago.”

A troubling unease spread through Dom, drying his mouth as Bailey studied the phone in the baggie with a frown.

“Was it new?” she asked.

Zac pursed his lips. “I don’t know yet. I’ll have to do some research.”

Dom wasn’t interested in where the phone came from or when it’d been purchased. There was only one thing that mattered.

“What was the text?” he abruptly demanded.

“Yes.” Zac nodded toward Dom, as if in approval of the question. Then he glanced back at his cousin. “It was sent to your number, Bailey. And it said . . .” Pausing, Zac once again reached into the pocket of his jacket, this time pulling out a small notebook. He read from the top page. “‘The club is officially open. Ready or not.’”

Bailey sucked in an audible gasp. “Gage sent the message? Seriously?”

Dom was equally shocked. Hadn’t they already decided Gage didn’t possess the intellect to be the cyberstalker? Obviously they sucked at this detective thing.

“All I can say is that the phone was in his office,” Zac said, implying he wasn’t fully convinced about the origin of the phone or the text. “I’ll have to check it for prints and try to trace where and when it was purchased. Do you know what the message means?”

Bailey sent Dom a quick glance before rising to her feet and hurrying into the kitchen. She returned with her phone, handing it over to Zac.

“There are more messages.”

Bailey explained about the Murder Club as well as the direct messages she’d received, as Zac silently scrolled through the texts, reading them with a grim expression. Dom didn’t have to point out that Bailey was obviously being stalked. Zac was well aware his cousin was in danger.

“The second time you were contacted was from a different number,” Zac said, catching the same discrepancy that had troubled Dom.

“Yes,” Bailey agreed.

“Maybe I should check Gage’s house.” Zac handed Bailey’s phone back to her and rose to his feet. “Make sure he doesn’t have another phone hidden away.”

Bailey wrinkled her nose. “It just doesn’t seem like him,” she muttered. “He hated technology and now he’s playing computer games and texting me from two different phones? I would bet good money he didn’t know his number popped up when he sent a message.”

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