Page 42 of Bringing Chelsea Home

“Just get me the information and I’ll do the rest,” Big Daddy said. “Can you get it today?”

“I’ll have to wait until tomorrow,” the man insisted. “There are cameras all over the buildings and if I’m seen going in on Sunday, someone will be suspicious, especially if I open the files and there’s today’s date on them.”

“All right,” Big Daddy said, conceding the point. “I guess Sunday being a day of rest, I can wait. But I’ve got people watching you. For all you know, I’ve hacked into your phone and can track not only your calls but your movements. But you damn well be started on this first thing tomorrow morning. You got that?”

“Yeah. Those guys standing next to Elaine Prescott in the photo you showed me. Who are they?”

“Not your business,” Big Daddy snarled. “Just get me the information by 8:30 am tomorrow or you’re gonna be very, very sorry. Best hurry along before your wife and kids wonder where you’ve gone.”

The man was shaking so hard he had to grip the edge of the desk to haul himself out of the chair. He started to speak but one look at Big Daddy shut him up. He stumbled all the way to the office door and closed it behind him.

“Little wuss,” Big Daddy announced to the empty room. “Guess I’ll have to kill him too when this is all over. But only after I’ve let him sweat for a day or two.”

He stretched out his legs and considered the upcoming week.The Honeyshad arrived last Wednesday, but every one of ‘em was on their period or something stupid like that, so they’d been useless for the past few days. Least that’s what Fritz and Wilma, the couple he’d hired to watch them, said when they moved them to the new place last Friday. He should kill them for letting the Driscoll kid get away after arranging a hook-up with someone. The man had paid good money for the kid, who never showed up and now wanted his money back.

At least Silas Clark wouldn’t be causing him any more problems. The man deserved to die for his betrayal Thinking he could cheat Big Daddy? The dude was too stupid to live. He wished he’d found out how the Prescott bitch and her BP boyfriend had learned aboutThe Honeysin the first place. They were a royal pain in his ass and a major disruption to his business.

But by tomorrow, Elaine Prescott and her BP boyfriend would be dead, and he’d have The Cadre right where he wanted them. He wondered what those two bartenders fromSapphire’sdid to get arrested. No matter. Let them rot. And now that damn Deidre was gone. Just cleared out her locker and left. You couldn’t trust women for nothing.

He’d have to get Tina to help him snatch Elaine Prescott. Now that he was letting her work at his club, she owed him. Like most women, butter ‘em up, and they’d do whatever you wanted.

Except for the do-gooders like Elaine Prescott, sticking her nose in his business. Only answer for a woman like that was to kill her.

Sunday Afternoon

“Wouldyou go through the lists and identify the largest rental properties?” Griff asked. “I’m going to go play on the Dark Web and see if there’s any chatter in the pedophile groups.”

They’d returned to the safehouse and put together a substantial Sunday lunch. Both Griff and Patrick had insisted she rest her arm and set about preparing an amazing meal.

“After all, it’s Sunday,” Patrick said as he chopped and stirred. “We need to rest some time, and we’ve got a lot to do today. Hank still has me doing some work on another case, so I’ll be gone for hours. Leftovers for dinner.”

He’d gone after lunch, insisting he do the clean-up. Now he was gone, and they were alone. “Pedophile groups?” Elaine now asked. “You visit them?”

“Yeah. Didn’t Anne tell you?”

Recalling her conversations with Anne and Mac about Griff Tyler’s ‘genius’ in all things IT, Elaine said, “Anne told me you have a double MS in IT and Web Design from MIT and can hack into anything. How old were you when you graduated?”

“Twenty-two. And before you ask, I got my bachelor’s degrees from UT Knoxville when I was nineteen thanks to all those Advanced Placement courses in high school. Had half my undergrad degree when I started, so…”

His voice trailed away, and Elaine leaned back in her chair. “Anne said you were ‘scary smart’ She was right.”

“Ah, shucks, Miss Elaine.” He put his hands on his cheeks and batted his eyes. “You’re embarrassing me,” and she laughed.

“But I created a persona for when I visit pedophile chat rooms,” he continued, the humor gone from his voice. “I’m ‘Loves Little Boys” and so far, no one has figured out who I really am or what I do. Used my computer skills in the private sector for two years before I joined the Marines.”

“Any reason for that? Joining the Marines?”

“Thought it would be fun,” he said simply.

“Even with a jar-head haircut?” she teased.

“That from a woman with super-short hair?” He winked at her. “Besides, I saved a ton of money in shampoo.”

They spent the next few hours working in companionable silence, occasionally punctuated by Griff’s soft exclamations of disgust. Finally, he shut down the computer and rolled back in his office chair.

“I need a break,” he announced. “I can only do this for so long. It’s sickening.”

“Any chatter?” Elaine put down her pen.

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