Page 47 of Rebels and Roses

Until later, of course. Then they cared a whole bunch, but it was often too late.

What was that saying? Don’t stick your dick in crazy.

“I can’t believe he’s really gone,” Erica sobbed, more tears running down her cheeks. “I just talked to him the day before yesterday. He was coming home. He had his flight booked and everything. He said that he was going to hire a private investigator to look into his claims of being followed and watched. He seemed upbeat about it.”

“How did you feel about his claims?” Cooper asked. “Did you believe him?”

“I believe that he believed it,” Erica replied. “But I was honest with him that I couldn’t see why anyone would follow him. It’s not like he was a famous actor or a rock star. We lived a fairly quiet life most of the time.”

“What about his friends? Or co-workers?”

“What about them?” Erica said with a shrug. “He partied with friends a few nights a month. He didn’t socialize with his co-workers. He said they were all stupid. They wouldn’t follow him around. That wouldn’t make any sense.”

The problem was none of it made any sense. Erica had a decent point. Tom wasn’t a famous pop singer with an army of fans.

“Was he privy to any sort of business or finance secrets in his job?” Cooper queried. “Was he working on any sort of business development projects that other companies might want to get ahold of?”

“Listen, I don’t want to make it sound like Tom didn’t do anything, because he definitely did,” Erica explained. “But his job was routine. Nothing high-profile. He went in at nine and he left at four. It was kind of an open secret that the only reason he worked at the firm was because my dad insisted on it. He didn’t want me to marry someone who lived off their trust fund. Why are you asking me these questions?”

“I was wondering if Tom had a legitimate reason to be paranoid.”

Erica shook her head again as more tears flowed. Jane felt terrible for the young woman who had been dealt such a horrible blow. The poor girl wasn’t going to get the happily ever after that she’d been counting on.

Cooper excused himself while Erica tried to pull herself together, coming over to speak to Jane.

“Can we step outside for a minute?”

“Sure.”

The two of them exited the back door and into the deserted alleyway behind the building.

“I’m sorry I didn’t answer the texts from you and Lucy.”

“I get it,” Jane replied. “You were dealing with this. You found the body?”

“I did, and it wasn’t a pretty sight.”

“Is Fiona okay? Seeing her brother like that had to be traumatic.”

“Yes, she is upset.”

His tone was short and clipped. Jane had the distinct feeling there was more to the story.

“That sounded like half a sentence. Is there more?”

“Yes,” he sighed. “So far, she has refused to call her parents to give them the bad news. She wanted me to do it.”

“You? Why would you do that?”

“Because she threatened to tell my family that I’m S.S. Cooper.”

Holy shit, Fiona tried to blackmail Cooper. I bet that didn’t go well.

“And after you told her to get fucked, what did she say?”

“That’s why I like you,” Cooper chuckled. “You know me well. I told her to go ahead. I’ve been meaning to tell everyone anyway. The only reason I haven’t is because of my dad. Then I told her that I know more secrets about her so maybe she shouldn’t start thinking she held a winning hand here.”

That sounded like Cooper.

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