The Silence That Speaks (Forensic Instincts 4)

Upstairs in her apartment, she’d placed all her purchases in a proper tote bag that she’d sling over her arm.

And then, she’d begun waiting.

Twice, she’d unfolded the sheet of paper Casey had given her and read the encryption key she’d jotted down at the top of the page. A shiver had run up her spine. Oh, she could crack this all right. And she knew what she’d find. But that obstacle would have to wait till later. Tonight a more urgent situation required her attention.

She’d tucked the paper away.

Now she took the essentials out of her purse—her wallet, key ring and cell phone—and slipped them in the front pocket of her tote bag. Then she hooked the bag over her shoulder and hurried out of the apartment, locking the door behind her.

It was a very long drive. She had to be back in time to shower, change and be at her desk at 9:00 a.m. She’d make it. She’d take care of everything.

She always did.

* * *

Roger was still shaking as he paced around his apartment. He was totally devastated. How could Emma do this to him? Lead him on, then break his heart? She was just like all the other girls—fake, superficial and shallow.

Why had he fallen for it, thought she was truly interested in him, opened himself up? For what? Rejection as usual. No girls ever wanted him for anything more than fixing their computers. He was just a techie to them, only good for servicing their needs, and then they dismissed him like the loser he was. He was going to die alone, surrounded by the comic books and collectible figurines he found on eBay.

Time passed. Self-deprecation and depression slowly turned to anger. This wasn’t his fault. It was Emma’s. She was the two-faced bitch who left him the minute a better option came up. What did she see in that arrogant prick—Ryan—anyway? He was just a typical juicer, a glorified superhero wannabe. Totally plastic. And clearly not new-in-box, not with that kind of charm. This guy had had more women than Steven Tyler. And Emma had fallen for it like a goddamn brainwashed Barbie doll. More plastic.

What a slut.

As always, when real life let him down—which was often—Roger turned to his virtual world. Powering up his gaming station, he waited for the familiar green Sims logo to appear on his twenty-seven-inch LED HD monitor. Here he could do anything and everything he wanted.

And what he wanted to do now was put that bitch in her place.

Selecting the story of Roger Lewis, created around the avatar in his likeness, he zoomed into his Sims house. Unlike Roger’s own shit hole, this house was huge and totally pimped out. He’d spent quite a bit of his paycheck on SimPoints to get the latest and greatest content for his avatar’s lifestyle. He might as well be a baller in the Sims world since he’d always be a loser in real life.

Roger’s Sim ate a snack, then hit up the cell phone of Emma’s Sim. He’d created her the day he met the real Emma. She was totally perfect: blonde and thin with huge boobs, a tight dress and heels—every bit the woman of his dreams.

And this Emma always listened to him. Over the past few weeks, he’d been courting her. In the Sims world, they hung out and watched TV at his place, took long walks together and met up for dinner. When they’d finished dinner last night, she’d let him hold her hand. It was the best part of his day. His Sim had gone home totally love struck, with a little heart icon marking his thumbnail on the toolbar.

He was in love.

But now all that was ruined. Roger furiously clicked on his computer mouse. Emma was destroying him and she had to pay. Sim Emma picked up her cell and agreed to come over to his place. Roger waited. His anger was escalating. When Emma’s Sim walked through the door, she gave him a big hug.

Liar. Liar. Liar.

The word kept pounding through Roger’s head. Time to get forceful.

Roger walked his Sim up to hers and gave her a kiss on the lips. Just like the real Emma, her Sim shook him off, and their Relationship Bar dropped. The whole relationship he’d built was spiraling downward, fast.

In a last-ditch attempt to repair the damage, Roger had his Sim grab Emma’s and plant another huge kiss on her lips. This time, she struggled free and slapped him across the face. She was good at that.

Rage exploded through Roger’s head, adrenaline kicking in.

How dare she?

>

After all the courting he’d done, she had the nerve to reject him—and in the most insulting way possible. Well, now she’d learn some consequences.

With the click of a few mouse buttons, Roger compelled his Sim to angrily poke Emma’s Sim in the chest, screaming at her and rocking her back with the violent motion. In return, she started waving her hands in the air and yelling back.

Their Relationship Bar dropped again. It was red now, in the negatives. Roger had nothing to lose. He started shoving her, getting in her face and raging with all the anger he’d been holding inside. She tried to protest, but he was done with her excuses. He started hitting her, over and over. Before she could defend herself, Roger started beating Emma, engaging in a fight.

His superior strength—at least in the Sims world—was no match for hers. He destroyed her.