Page 39 of Fearless Encounter
But there was much to handle before she could hope for anything permanent.
After coffee and a light breakfast, Gabriel invited her to go with him to the office. “You shouldn’t be by yourself.”
Brooke couldn’t agree more, relieved that she could go with him. Maybe she could help. She certainly wanted to.
So, after showering and dressing, they went to his office, anxious for an update. On the way, it was difficult to focus. After the way Gabriel had touched and loved her, life had changed. Sitting next to him in the car felt different. The closeness was a welcome feeling, and her mind drifted to possibilities. At breakfast, the way Gabriel’s affection had melted her. His presence warmed her to her very soul. She’d nearly ended up back in bed with him, but settled for warm kisses filled with unrequited passion—to be satisfied later.
When they arrived at the office, Weston appeared immersed in his computer with Amalie looking over his shoulder. “Dad, you must see this.”
Gabriel stood next to them, and Brooke tried to figure out what she was looking at. It all looked like strings of computer gibberish. “You’ll have to explain all that to me,” she said.
“It’s the dark web,” Weston said. “Let’s start with your clue about the Russians. There is ample activity that could linkto our crime. Use of code names and aliases, cryptocurrency transactions, and other signs indicate cybercrime.”
“Is it related to the abduction?” Gabriel said.
“That will take more digging,” Weston said. “But I’ll tell you what’s interesting: Daniel Fontenot’s internet history seems to match with the crime.”
“You hacked his computer?” Brooke said.
Weston didn’t even glance at her. “The dude made purchases of soundproofing materials, restraints, and more. It doesn’t take much to extrapolate from there. He is holding someone against their will.”
“Meg…” Brooke’s heart sank. It must be awful.
“And that’s not all,” Amalie said. “I’ve been scouring databases, social media, other stuff. And everything I’ve uncovered supports the fact that Daniel is involved. I’m working on piecing together his movements.”
“He thought that he was so smart,” Weston said. “It was no easy feat to uncover clues to his activities. I’m sure he thinks that he’s safe.”
“Well, let’s not make him nervous,” Gabriel said. “We need hard evidence for the authorities to act on, not just theory. Document everything, look for patterns, trace contacts and money flows.”
“Got it,” Weston said. “I’ll work on linking suspects to real identities.”
“Yes, if he is working with the Russians, we need to find out who his contacts are,” Gabriel said. “The feds will be all over that.”
Brooke had trouble keeping up. All of this was new to her. What she was aware of was that Meg was in deep trouble. Her friend had been held captive for nearly a week, and if the Russians were involved, it might be hopeless. Yet she refused to accept that.
“I’ll let Abe know the new information,” Gabriel said. “Then I’ll set up surveillance. We want eyes on Daniel to see who he connects with, where he goes. His activities might reveal a lot.”
“And I can search for any calls,” Amalie said. “I’ll find those, unless he’s only using burner phones.” She smiled. “But criminals make mistakes. If he communicates on his cell, I’ll find the call for us.”
Brooke followed Gabriel to his office, wanting to ask so many questions. But before she could get a word out, his phone vibrated.
“Abe, I was just about to call you.” Gabriel frowned. “Really? What did you find? Okay, we’ll be right there.”
Brooke grabbed Gabriel’s arm as he swept out the door. “We gotta go,” he said. “The detectives are at Meg’s house. Her cousin allowed entry, without requiring a search warrant because she’s concerned.”
Racing to the car, Brooke said, “What did they find?”
“So far, nothing revelatory.” Gabriel stopped at the car. “That’s why he wants you there. You know Meghan better than anyone. Let’s see if you find anything amiss.”
*****
At Meg’s house, a couple of officers were going through papers, so Abe waved them into the bedroom. “Take a look,” he said to Brooke. “See if anything indicates that Meghan had contact with her abductors or any evidence of a crime.”
Brooke took her time going through things, with Gabriel quietly following. She recognized Meg’s clothes, some outfits she’d worn to lunch meetings. Seeing books on the nightstand and other items made her miss her friend dearly. They had similar tastes in reading and music, plus more. It wasn’t fair that Meg was in this situation. “I’ve looked, but I don’t see anything unusual.”
“Let’s try another room,” Gabriel said.
The kitchen, bathroom, and library netted no helpful evidence. Brooke knew her friend well. If there was anything useful, she should be able to figure it out.