Page 22 of Shattering Dawn

She made a face. “Don’t remind me. But you knew Luxford was the real deal?”

“It wasn’t hard to figure out,” Gideon said. “It was the main reason I took the case.”

She got another one of the intuitive pings that told her there was more to the story. “Themainreason you took the case?”

“Well, that, and I felt sorry for the parents. They are good people and they were devastated by what had happened to their son.”

“Wait a second,” she said, holding up one hand. “Are you telling me you specialize in cases that you suspect have a paranormal angle?”

“I do.”

She caught her breath. “LikeThe Lost Night Files?”

“I’m a licensed investigator,” he said evenly. “I’m not in the business of providing entertainment.”

She summoned up her sweetest smile. “As opposed toThe Lost Night Files?”

He flexed his hands on the wheel. “I think we can agree that true crime podcasts walk a very thin line between fiction and reality. I believe the term is ‘infotainment.’ ”

“The Lost Night Filesis not infotainment.”

“Do you want to hear the rest of my story or not?”

“Keep talking.”

“Turned out Luxford was more than just a con with some talent. He had bought into his own press. He was convinced he had a world-changing destiny and he was determined to build an army of followers. He didn’t care who he hurt in the process. He did a lot of damage.”

“How did you rescue your clients’ kid?”

“I coordinated with the local police and went in wearing a wire. Confronted Luxford. Told him that I was taking over the cult.”

“What?”

“The only thing people like Luxford fear is strength. I was stronger than him, but things got messy for a while because he had a security detail and his enforcers were definitely not kids. They were hard guys and they had guns.”

Gideon’s matter-of-fact, business-as-usual tone chilled her. She satvery still in the seat and did not take her eyes off the road. “What happened?”

“I cornered Luxford in his office. He tried to take me out with his talent. When that failed he panicked and called in a couple of his thugs. Told them to execute me. I got that on the recording, by the way, and it is what gave the cops grounds for arrest—not the fact that he was running a cult. Anyhow, the enforcers arrived. Shots were fired. One of them hit my leg.”

“That’s how you were injured.”

“What can I tell you? I got careless.”

“You could have been killed.”

“I wasn’t,” he said, “and fortunately the police were standing by, waiting to move in. That’s the thing about being a serious, licensed investigator. You can liaise with regular law enforcement.”

She opted not to take the bait. “What about your clients’ teenage son?”

“He’s in therapy but everyone seems to think he’ll be okay,” Gideon said. “Mostly I think he’s just embarrassed that he got taken in by a con.”

“So who is stalking you?”

“For the most part, Luxford’s hold over his followers ended with his suicide. But one young woman is still under his spell. Evidently Luxford told her that she was to be his number one bride. She’s determined to avenge him.”

“That is so sad. Do you know the identity of the woman?”

“No. There was a lot of chaos and confusion after the police arrested Luxford and the enforcers. Several of the followers simply disappeared.”