Page 168 of The Stalker

“I was hoping you guys might have been given more information than I had. Anything that might help my contact find Daniel,” she told them.

“Cooper doesn’t exactly give us up-to-the-minute information,” Sebastian said and rolled his eyes.

Tatiana pulled her laptop out of her bag for something to do, and sat in an empty armchair. “Can you think of anything at all about Daniel that he might have said in passing during the tour that could help?”

They began a discussion between themselves about Daniel, and Tatiana took notes on her laptop. Nothing was new information, though, and she was frustrated that it wasn’t helping anything at all. She desperately wanted a new lead, something that might give them a clue to Hayden’s whereabouts.

They’d been talking for almost half an hour and there was a lull in the conversation when Lita appeared with Mirabella. Sebastian got everyone drinks, and Tatiana was sorely tempted to drink alcohol, but she wanted to have a clear head in case something came up.

“You know what’s weird,” Ariana said while staring out the window.

“What?” Tatiana asked.

Ariana turned to look at her, with her bright green eyes filled with concern as she frowned at Tatiana. “Didn’t the stalker use super weird and creepy language, calling him ‘my love’ and everything?”

“Yeah, he did.”

“I just really don’t think that sounds like Daniel. What if he’s not the stalker at all?”

Tatiana’s mouth dropped open, and everyone turned to stare at Ariana.

“I mean, he’s obviously involved, but everyone’s just started saying he’s the stalker, and I’m not convinced he is.”

Tatiana’s mind whirled with the possibilities. She ran through the emails she’d read last night. Ariana was right. It didn’t feel like they came from Daniel. In which case, who were they looking for?

She started to build a profile in her head. A woman and a Cruise Control fan. Definitely had some interaction with Hayden in the past. Likely in her twenties. Charismatic, though. Able to convince Daniel to help her in her endeavor to kidnap Hayden.

In the past, she’d been unable to put a finger on who his stalker might be, but now the profile seemed obvious. She picked up her phone and dialed Mark.

“He’s got an accomplice,” she told him as soon as their call connected. “Or the stalker has him as an accomplice, to be more accurate. We think the emails were sent by a woman, so focus on any you can find linked to this man. Any luck with the search for his true identity?”

“Good morning to you, too, Tatiana. No luck yet. I really could use that ID if you can get it to me. Also, have you been told who’s working this case yet?” Mark asked her.

“I’ll get the ID as soon as I can. No, I haven’t been able to get in contact with the agents on the case. Cooper’s cut me off and I’m out of all the email trails.”

“Derek Michaels,” Mark said, and her mouth dropped open.

She blinked for a few seconds before she snapped it shut. “Well, that makes things easier, I guess. At least I know how to get in contact with the agents on the case. Can you send me his number and I’ll call him?”

“Yeah, I thought that might make getting the ID a little easier. I’ve already started the search for his number. Shouldn’t take too long to get it. Send through the ID as soon as you have it.”

Tatiana ended the call and stared at her phone for a few seconds. It had been a long time since she’d seen Derek. Long enough for him to be working on a case for a kidnapped celebrity, she guessed.

“You know someone who’s working on the case?” Sebastian asked, and she looked up at him.

Tatiana nodded. “Yes. I came up in the military ranks with one of them.”

She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. They’d never been more than professional associates; she’d known he wanted to be, but had ignored it. She liked him as a friend, but dating someone in her unit was off the table for her if she wanted to be taken seriously, so she never even considered the possibility of a relationship with Derek.

It was a few minutes before her phone pinged with a number from Mark. It had the expected Washington D.C. area code, and she took a deep breath before pressing the button to dial it.

There was ringing in her ear for a few seconds before Derek’s deep voice answered her call. “Hello? Who is this?”

“Hi, Derek. It’s Tatiana Swanson.”

“I wondered how long it would be before you called me,” he said, a slight note of amusement in his voice.

“Shouldn’t you be contacting me for a statement?” she asked, sounding a little more accusatory than she intended.

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