Page 30 of Be Very Quiet

While Liliana conducted her business, Luca met with his coworkers. “Thanks for coming. I think we’ve pretty much connected Ted Rader to the crimes.”

“Fill us in on what you know,” Christian instructed.

Luca told them about the similar, yet different crime scenes.

“That’s strange,” Audria said. “Usually, killers stick to their routine. I wonder why he deviated?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out. He was shot twice, with one bullet to the head. I’m not sure if it was a graze or if it penetrated, but blood sprayed from the wound.”

“A head injury could’ve caused the change in his MO,” Christian speculated. “Maybe you hit a part of his brain responsible for impulse control or decision-making.”

“Maybe.” That would explain the differences, but Luca wasn’t sure. Something felt off. He told them about the package left for Liliana and how the necklace almost certainly belonged to Rader’s first victim. “I need to get the jewelry to Detective Diego Torres of the Miami Beach Police Department, along with the card from the flowers that were delivered to her yesterday. Audria, do you mind running them over? I’ll call him and let him know you’re on the way.” He hadn’t wanted to do it earlier and leave Liliana alone.

“No problem.”

Luca handed her the evidence. “We’ll wait to go over security issues until you return.”

While Audria ran the errand, Christian and Luca researched Rex Raines and Warren Hopkins, the security guard from Liliana’s building. Luca gave Christian the task of looking into Raines’s background since he didn’t think he’d be impartial. When Liliana had introduced him to the real estate agent earlier, Luca realized he was the man who had escorted her to her SUV last night.

Luca found the number of the security company that employed Warren and asked for his supervisor. He was transferred to a woman named Murial Barber, who informed him that Warren had been an exemplary employee so far in his short tenure. He arrived on time, never missed a day, and no complaints had been filed against him. She had been reluctant to share Warren’s previous history, so he did some digging on his own.

Warren was twenty-three years old. He’d attended a community college and graduated with a degree in criminal justice. His grades had been average. He’d obtained a Class D Florida security guard license and had completed forty hours of professional training by a certified facility. He also held a Statewide Firearms Permit.

Warren had one brush with the law when he was seventeen. He’d been ticketed for drag racing. No other marks in his file. He’d run track in high school, but it was his only extracurricular activity, and his grades were average there too. No red flags that stood out.

“What do you have on Raines?” Luca asked Christian.

“Seems to be a model citizen. Graduated in the top ten percent of his business school. Became a real estate agent at twenty-three. Employed by a mega realty firm in Boston for several years before moving to south Florida and working for a smaller boutique company. After a couple of years, he opened his shop. He’s been extremely successful and owns a waterfront condo outright, as well as his Alfa Romeo. Diverse portfolio. Possesses over a dozen rental properties. Impressive bank account. Well-liked by the community. Single. Never married. No kids. No brushes with the law. Donates time and money to charity.”

“Hum.” On paper, he seemed like a catch. Why hadn’t Liliana wanted to go out with him? Just because he seemed normal didn’t mean he wasn’t a psychotic killer. Sometimes they hid in plain sight.

Chapter Ten

Audria Giroux relied on the SUV’s GPS to guide her to the police station. This was her first official job as a COBRA Securities agent, and excitement surged through her veins. Luca had requested her, and that made her feel special. An adrenalin junkie, she’d missed the rush since she’d stepped away from the Bureau a few months ago. At the time, she didn’t think she’d ever return to law enforcement. Her new position allowed her to be a part of the action without the rules and restrictions of the FBI. It was perfect for her.

Audria had spent time with several psychiatrists after her last assignment with the Bureau, where she’d been forced to kill a grieving mother. Logically, she knew she hadn’t been left with a choice. The woman had murdered five people in her rage and injured three. The body count would’ve climbed if Audria hadn’t stopped her. Still, it had been difficult to overcome, as had the deaths of the woman’s two young children at the hands of their father.

The automated voice instructed her to turn at the stoplight. Several police cars were parked along the curb as she pulled into the public parking garage adjacent to the facility.

Audria grabbed the envelope before stepping outside into the heat. She’d worn a short-sleeved polo shirt with her vest underneath, as well as a pair of tactical pants. When she’d worked for the FBI, she wore pantsuits and shoes with heels, which she’d hated. The boots were much more comfortable.

Audria entered the vestibule and gave her name to the man in a blue uniform sitting at the window. He buzzed her through a glass door and then took her to Detective Torres’s office. He knocked on the closed door and stuck his head inside when a voice called out.

“Ms. Giroux is here.”

“Send her in.”

Audria thanked him as she entered the office. She smiled at the man behind the metal desk and started to extend her hand when her gaze moved to another man sitting in one of the two visitor’s chairs. Her steps faltered, and she ground to a halt.

“Audria.”

She cleared her throat. “SSA Reneau.”

Supervisory Special Agent Reese Reneau’s eyes narrowed at the formal greeting.

“You two know each other?”

She turned to the man who must be Detective Diego Torres. With dark hair and eyes and tanned skin, his Cuban heritage was evident. He was handsome, but standing next to Reese Reneau, he wouldn’t garner another look . . . at least from Audria. Reese also had black hair, but his eyes were crystal blue. Some would call them frosty. She didn’t. But then, she’d had a crush on her former boss for years.

---