Page 34 of Magnus
“Here.”
“Here?” he echoed incredulously.
The building had twenty-four-seven security guards. Numerous cameras. Best of all, they were twenty floors up. How the fuck could there be a situation here?
Linus nodded. “They only called me because they didn’t want to disturb you, something about you having gone down to the underground garage at one o’clock this morning, left in your car, and then returned at almost three o’clock. I thought they were mistaken about you having gone out, but I realize what happened now I know the spider story.”
Magnus’s gaze narrowed. “What situation?”
“Apparently, the guys lock up the front door at midnight and then open up again at six o’clock. The tenants have a code they can use if they want to come in during those hours.”
Magnus nodded. “I already know that.”
“You wouldn’t have seen anything unusual when you went out because you exited and returned to the building from the underground garage,” Linus continued. “But when the guys unlocked the building at six o’clock this morning, stepping out to make their usual checkoutside, they discovered red paint graffitied all over the frontage of the ground floor.”
“What the hell? They saw nothing until that time?”
“They do a check of the perimeter downstairs on the hour, every hour. Which probably means that for a few minutes at least every hour, there’s no one at the desk or front of the building. I think the person doing the graffitiing knew that, probably after surveilling the building for a few hours. They probably then waited for the right moment to attack.”
“Well, that system has to change.”
Linus nodded. “I’ll leave you to sort that out. But it’s not pretty down there.”
“Let me guess. Whore. Bitch. Other words along the same lines?” When he went to collect Henry earlier, Magnus had seen those same words graffitied on the walls of the apartment Sapphie and Angel had so hastily vacated two days ago.
Linus nodded. “Exactly along those lines. A team of our men should arrive in an hour or so to clean it off before too many people have a chance to see it.”
“Thanks. But how the fuck did the Carluccis discover where Sapphie is right now?” Magnus rasped.
“We don’t know for sure it was them.”
“Who the hell else could it be?”
Linus grimaced. “Those words are personal. Very personal. Which is why I’m thinking a disgruntled ex-employee might be a better guess.”
Magnus thought for a moment before frowning. “You’re referring to the woman from the nursery who was dismissed a couple of days ago? Francesca Fuller?”
His brother shrugged. “The two attacks, one to the nursery and one on this building, were both in London. I think if it was any of the men the Carluccis had hired to find Sapphie and Angel, they wouldn’t have wasted time graffitiing her apartment they would have followed them to Scotland. Whoever is doing this is obviously based in London and, between the two of you, you and Sapphie did get the woman fired from her job,” he pointed out.
“Her own behavior got her fired.”
“We know that. But she doesn’t sound like the sort of woman who would rationalize it or see the situation in the same way we do.”
“Was there anything on the security cameras?”
“Again, they only show a shadowy figure wearing a hoodie and gloves this time.”
“What shadowy figure?” Sapphie prompted sharply.
Magnus turned quickly to see her standing in the doorway with an empty plate and glass in her hand. Obviously, Angel had finished eating her breakfast.
Magnus had no idea how long Sapphie had been there or how much of their conversation she had overheard, but it was obviously long enough for her to have heard his last comment.
He could see the stress had returned to those lovely violet eyes.
Sapphie’searlier good humor and the feeling of well-being from having eaten the delicious calorie-filled donut were completely forgotten at hearing Magnus say they would have to leave London. Again.
“What’s happened?” She put the plate and glass aside to run her hands nervously down the thighs of her jeans as she looked at the two men. “And no prevaricating or avoiding the truth,” she warned as the brothers looked at each other as if for guidance as to how much they should tell her.
