Page 58 of Behind the Scenes

Gideon blew the air out of his lungs into the phone, making a whooshing sound. “Jesus. She got another one? That was fast. What does it say?”

Sighing, Hunter read the letter through the plastic covering it. “I know. They’re starting to come more frequently since she got to New York. Damn, it sounds like this fucker thinks they’re best friends. Listen to this. ‘Alexis, I see you spent some time enjoying the beauty of the Upper West Side last night. Did you see me too? Someday soon, we’ll meet and you’ll finally get to know your #1 fan.’ Gideon, I was with her last night when she went out. How the hell did I miss this guy?”

“Hunter, you’re in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world. You can’t be expected to have eyes on every person in New York, for Christ’s sake. God only knows how many apartment windows you passed just getting a cab.”

His words were supposed to be helpful and supportive, but they weren’t working.

“We went out for a walk too. Fuck. He could have been anywhere. Damnit, I’m failing at this assignment.”

“Don’t do this to yourself, man. Just don’t. She’s safe, and he hasn’t gotten to her. Don’t forget that,” Gideon said sternly like he was scolding him.

Hunter began to pace around his room. “She’s practically a prisoner in her own home. I haven’t done a goddamned thing to fix that since I got here. Persephone should have sent someone else on this assignment. She chose the wrong one of us this time.”

He tossed the letter on the bed and lay back against the pillows, covering his eyes with his arm. “I’m sending the letter as soon as I get off the phone. Do me a favor and find whatever you can on it.”

“Okay. I’ll get on it as soon as I get it this afternoon,” Gideon promised.

“Thanks. Call me as soon as you have anything.”

His words were met with silence for a long moment before his friend said, “Hunter, you’re tying yourself into knots over this. I’ve never seen you like this on an assignment. What’s going on?”

He didn’t want to admit that what he felt for Alexis might be clouding his judgment on this case. Even if it was, that wouldn’t be so bad. Caring for a client didn’t hurt his efforts.

“Nothing’s going on. You try working on as many assignments as Persephone and Nick have dumped on me in the past few months. If I’m on edge at all, it’s because I’m fucking overworked. Call me when you get something.”

Before Gideon could say anything more, Hunter pressedENDand threw his phone onto the other side of the bed. He should have found out who was behind these damn letters coming to Alexis by now.

And what the fuck was taking Gideon so long with checking out twenty fucking names? It wasn’t like he had much else to do other than watch football, and those games didn’t take up every minute of the damn day.

Hunter took a deep breath. This wasn’t Gideon’s fault. This wasn’t anyone’s fault but his own. He had to solve this case, not anyone else in Project Artemis.

The problem was he had no leads. Everyone who worked for Alexis either had a clean record or couldn’t be connected to the letters in any way, according to the LAPD and a private investigator Paul had hired. Even the ones Hunter had vague suspicions about might turn out to be okay when Gideon finished his search.

Fifteen minutes later, the envelope with the latest letter from the stalker was on its way to Gideon. Hunter stood in the lobby of the apartment building watching the security guard and the doorman as they went about their business and wondered how anyone had gotten into the building to leave the envelope. He understood how Alexis and Lauren could get out because they’d already been inside, but the doorman let no one in he didn’t recognize. Just in the time Hunter had been standing there watching him, Chambers stopped two people from coming in already.

Hunter walked outside to where the man stood helping a woman into a car. The October sun felt warm on his face as he waited for him to have time to speak to him.

Turning around, Chambers smiled. “Mr. McKary, can I get you a cab, sir?”

“No. I wanted to speak to you about something. Miss Marchand received an envelope today. It didn’t come in the mail, so how would someone have gotten in to deliver it to you at the desk? I’ve noticed you don’t let anyone in who doesn’t have a reason to be here.”

The doorman puffed out his chest in his very formal doorman’s uniform and nodded. “That’s true, sir. Unless it’s a courier service like the one you just used or someone who we know will be coming to see one of the residents, we don’t let anyone in who doesn’t belong, especially those damn photographers who seem to be lurking around all the time since Miss Marchand moved in.”

A sheepish look crossed his face, and he added, “I know we didn’t see Miss Marchand and her assistant leave the other day, but I can assure you no one gets in if they don’t have business being here.”

“Then how did she get that envelope this morning?”

Chambers looked confused. “What envelope, sir? Miss Marchand didn’t receive any deliveries this morning.”

“Yes, she did. One of her bodyguards brought her a large manila envelope. Didn’t he get it from you? Wasn’t he down here all night?” Hunter asked, his mind racing.

“I only work seven to seven, sir. At night, a security guard is in charge of the door and we keep it locked so no one can just wander in off the street. As for Miss Marchand’s guard, sir, I didn’t see him this morning when I came on. No one was down here.”

“They’re supposed to be on every day and night. When was the last time you saw someone stationed in the lobby, Chambers?”

The elderly man thought about the question. “Yesterday afternoon, sir.”

Hunter’s mind raced. Why hadn’t her bodyguards followed his explicit instructions to be in the lobby around the clock?

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