Page 31 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
“I need access to a sealed file from the DA’s office in New York.”
His eyes meet mine. His brows are furrowed, and his gaze is troubled.
“I can’t, Izzy.”
“Please, Brandon, you know I wouldn’t have asked you if it weren’t important.”
From the personal stories Brandon has shared with me about his life, I can comprehend his hesitation, but I need access to this file for my ongoing private investigation on Hugo. Because the Bureau is focusing their investigation solely on Isaac, they’re missing several essential elements that warrant Hugo receiving his own investigation.
The only shred of evidence I’ve gathered on any Hugo Marshall in the country is a sealed court file for his sister, Marjorie. It’s sealed so tightly shut, not even an FBI agent can access it.
“I haven’t had any contact with her in years, Izzy. She’ll probably hang up the instant she realizes who is calling.”
My eyes plead with Brandon’s. Without this file, I’ll have nothing on Hugo, and my investigation will become stagnant. I can’t let this go as my intuition is telling me I need to follow this lead.
Brandon scrubs his hand down his face. When his eyes return to mine, they’re no longer brimming with mischievous. They’re tentative and apprehensive.
“I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to get the file for you.”
Childishly squealing, I sling my arms around his shoulders. “Thank you, Brandon, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
When I pull away from our embrace, which has gained us the attention of our fellow officers, I notice Brandon’s cheeks have turned pink.
“It will cost you, though.”
I eagerly nod. I’ll accept any meaningless task to get my hot little hands on that file.
“I need you to do a search on this lady.” I snatch the record he’s holding out for me while nodding. “And you have to go on a date with me.”
My wide eyes shoot to his. Confusion clusters in my mind on why guilt is the first thing clouding my judgment. In the past four months, I’ve only seen Isaac a handful of times, but he’s always in the forefront of my mind. I’m also shocked. Brandon hasn’t asked me out on a date in months. I assumed he either got the hint or another lady caught his eye.
“One date, Izzy, that’s all I’m asking.”
Ignoring the ridiculous notion there’s any type of relationship between Isaac Holt and me, I murmur, “Okay, but it will have to be after I return. I’m going away with Harlow this weekend.”
He nods as a grin stretches across his handsome face, easing my uncertainty. He’s a wonderful guy, and he’s been nothing but kind to me since I arrived, so I ought to be thankful someone like him is interested in me, not apprehensive.
“Why don’t you come to my apartment, and I’ll cook dinner?”
Brandon smiles a full-toothed grin. “Sounds great.”
Returning his smile, I open the manila folder he supplied me with. There are numerous surveillance photos of a lady with shoulder-length brown hair. She’s of medium build, and I’d guess her age to be mid-twenties. She’s attractive, but there’s something about her that makes me want to cringe.
“Who’s this lady?”
Brandon shrugs. “We don’t know. We’ve noticed her a few times hanging around the nightclub the past several weeks. We believe she may be a companion of Isaac’s.”
My stomach recoils from the way he says ‘companion.’ No wonder I got a peculiar feeling when I glanced at her photos.
“I haven’t seen Isaac with a girlfriend the entire time he has been under surveillance, but this lady has been in the picture a lot more regularly than his standard dates, so she may be someone significant in his life.”
“All right, I’ll see what I can find out about her,” I reply, ignoring the harsh bitterness rising to my throat.
It wasn’t difficult to track down Isaac’s mysterious companion. She was photographed several times sitting in a yellow vehicle in the parking lot of his club. Just entering her license plate into the FBI database gave me access to her driver’s license details.
Megan Patricia Shroud is twenty-six years old and lives in a country town four hundred miles from Ravenshoe. She’s unmarried and has no next of kin reported on her driver’s license.
