“Stupidity breeds stupidity. It’s not okay to drug babies, any baby, because you don’t want to be bothered taking care of them like you should. If you think you’re going to get away with a serious offense, you’re sorely mistaken. You’re going to pay dearly you stupid bitch.”
“I’m sorry! I won’t do it again, I promise!”
“Sorry? Promise? Tell me why I should spare your life, you wretched piece of shit? Leah and Thomas are helpless babies. You’re supposed to protect them, keep them from harm! That’s what you’ve been paid to do! And you know they’ve just lost their parents. Don’t you possess a heart, a little compassion for them—you miserable excuse for a human being?” Juliette roared. “Ugh. I’m so mad I can’t think straight! Maybe I should rip your gut out and strangle you with your intestines until you repent for what you have done!”
“No! Please, I’m sorry!” Leanne practically groveled for her life. “Forgive me!”
Juliette saw dark as her inner beast took over. But then a pierce of wailing grounded her back to reality. She recognized Leah’s cry from the nursery. She
turned around and found Leanne with her claws. The nanny had pissed herself from terror. The stench of fear and urine assaulted her nose. Ugh. Juliette tossed her unceremoniously like the piece of garbage she was. “I guess today is your lucky day. Leah has just saved your life, scum. But I’m going to report you to the police so you can’t do this to any baby in the future.”
Chapter Nine
Wilhelm yawned and stretched his arms over his head. He planned to review a few more files, then see if he could nap on the leather couch in his office. He hadn’t started to feel sleepy until he’d gotten to the office and began working. It made sense, because the office felt more like home to him.
The flurry of incidents that happened yesterday wore him out. If he could catch a nap, the rest of his day would probably be better. He only hoped every time he closed his eyes he didn’t see his brother’s frowning face, disapproving of him in some way or another even from beyond the grave. Fuck it, Halgar. When he’d managed to push aside his brother’s memory, Juliette’s face showed up every time he’d started to doze. Thoughts of her kept him awake for more pleasant reasons.
Wilhelm shook his head and opened another file on his laptop. The Benedict account. Everything should be in order, he’d only need to—
His cell phone’s ring drew his attention. At first, he didn’t recognize the number, then the area code clicked in his mind and he realized it must be Detective Frasier, the policeman who’d handled his brother’s case. They’d spoken yesterday after Wilhelm had called about the accident, and something about his unwillingness to go into detail bothered Wilhelm, so he’d asked the man to call back today. “Detective Frasier, good morning.”
“Sorry for calling so early, but I wanted to touch base with you before the day got away from me.”
“I was up, it’s no problem.”
“Mr. Sorenson, does your brother have any enemies?”
“Enemies?” Was that a standard question when someone died in a car crash? “Not that I know of. Why?”
The detective breathed loudly into the phone. “What about his wife? Could there be a jilted lover, or—”
“Detective, I wouldn’t know anything about Carol’s life. As I told you yesterday, my brother and I have been estranged for the past few years. Why are you asking me this?”
“It’s probably nothing, Mr. Sorenson. Only a hunch. Something about the accident just doesn’t sit right with me. The Medical Examiner just handed me the autopsy report. He didn’t find any substance that might cause your brother to be impaired while driving. Nice weather, no drugs or alcohol in either of their systems, one-car accident. I’m probably just being over-cautious, but I like to be thorough.”
All the sadness and loss Wilhelm had felt since finding out his brother was gone began to bubble into something else—anger. And purpose.
“Are you suggesting that my brother was murdered, Detective?” He forced himself to lighten his grip on the phone in his hand.
“I’m sorry, I can’t rule that out yet. I think it doesn’t sit right, that’s all. I have a couple of my best technicians going over the car in impound. Like I said, I want to be thorough, but there’s no need to be alarmed. I’ll let you know if I find anything that points toward foul play.”
“Thank you for the update, Detective. I really appreciate it.” Wilhelm wrote instructions for Gunther to have his corporate Gulfstream readied for tomorrow’s flight. Gunther had come in early, right after delivering the rent paperwork and flowers to Juliette. He called in his beta. “There has been a development about Halgar’s accident.” Wilhelm gave Gunther the short version of what Detective Frazier had briefed him on moments earlier. “I’m going to Aspen to inspect the scene of the accident with my own eyes. I’ll cancel my afternoon meeting,” he stated.
He called Gunther in and instructed him to ready a plane for Aspen in the morning. With all that settled, he tried to focus on the Benedict file again, but found himself unable to stop considering the possibility that his brother’s accident was actually murder.
At the very least, if he met Frasier he’d get a better sense of whether the man knew what the hell he was talking about. Maybe he saw something that was overlooked with the initial investigation. Maybe this was all for nothing.
No matter, he had to find out.
The sharp ring of his office phone snapped him to attention. Gunther knew better than to send calls through until at least nine. It wasn’t quite seven. He pushed the button. “Yes?”
“Wilhelm, it’s Juliette on the phone,” said Gunther.
That put a smile on his face. She was probably calling to thank him, maybe even scold him for bothering to give her flowers. Juliette was always a welcome distraction, so his morning just got a whole lot better.
“Hello, Juliette,” he said after he clicked over to the call. “I take it the paperwork is in order?”
“Wilhelm, you need to come to your brother’s place now.”