Page 43 of Echoes of Sin
Was she any better than her father?
The elevator doors had remained open as long as possible, and Sylvie had to reach out to prevent them from closing shut. She stepped out into the small entryway before closing the distance to the glass doors. The biometric scanner that Bit had programmed scanned her iris before disengaging the lock. Given the firm’s clientele, Brook had taken additional precautions besides choosing a building that leased to a national bank.
Such security provisions mostly had to do with Jacob Walsh.
Sylvie opened the glass door and crossed over the threshold until she stepped onto the marble tile. As the door closed behind her, the strong aroma of rich tea leaves being steeped to perfection wafted in the air. Since Arden wasn’t at his desk in the front reception area, she figured he was still in the kitchen preparing her favorite beverage.
The modern décor of the offices was basically a mixture of elegant glass panels and classic black furniture. Brook never had to explain to the team why she’d taken the office that faced the main entrance. She preferred to confront whatever and whoever might be headed her way. Sylvie couldn’t blame her given such a traumatic past and threatening present.
“Good morning, Sylvie.”
She hadn’t even made it down the hallway to where her office was located when Arden exited the kitchen with two steaming teacups in hand. She wasn’t sure why such a gesture brought tears to her eyes, but she quickly ducked into her office so that he wouldn’t witness her moment of weakness. The man had a knack for knowing exactly what a person needed at just the right time.
“Good morning, Arden,” Sylvie replied after clearing her throat. She also managed to wipe the corner of her eye as she opened the bottom drawer of her desk. Once she’d collected her phone from her purse, she then stored the designer handbag into its usual spot. “Do I want to know why you made two cups of tea? Not that I’m complaining or anything. It’s just what I needed this morning.”
“Brook mentioned that you had returned to the city to tend to a personal matter,” Arden revealed as he carefully handed her one of the teacups. The sides of his salt and pepper mustache were curled down in concern, though he shied away from the topic of her father. “The lot of you are all alike, though. Can’t stay away from work, especially during an active case. I figured you’d be in bright and early given the information that Brook had uncovered last night.”
“This coming from the man who couldn’t stand retirement?” Sylvie asked with a small smile. She then winced upon sensing the tightness around her hairline. She hadn’t realized how taunt she’d pulled back her hair to secure in a bun at the base of her neck. “I hadn’t planned on coming in this morning, but I got to thinking about the case while I was brushing my teeth. Brook found a lead?”
“One Tricia Zetter.” Arden gestured toward the door of her office. “I have everything up on the 4k monitor in the conference room for you. You’ll find that Tricia Zetter lived in Moonshine Valley until she was eighteen years old. That was in 2018. She then joined the military, and her parents moved south shortly thereafter.”
“2018. The year that Carissa Norman was murdered,” Sylvie murmured as she followed Arden out of her office, down the short hallway, and into the conference room. Sure enough, the 4k monitor was lit up with all the relevant information…including Tricia Zetter’s picture. “Wow. Tricia Zetter does look an awful lot like Carissa Norman. It looks as if we discovered the unsub’s catalyst.”
Sylvie set her teacup down on the table.
“I’ll be right back. I need my tablet and my leather notebook.”
Sylvie retraced her steps as she kept ahold of her phone. It was good to be back in her element. It was as if she hadn’t been on solid ground in days, and work was her tether to sanity.
No wonder Brook was a workaholic.
Sylvie’s thoughts had finally cleared upon being reminded that life was fleeting. Those women hadn’t expected to be abducted, tortured, and killed on a day that they’d simply wanted to enjoy nature. The job that Sylvie had been hired to do came with risks, and there was no guarantee that she would outlive her father.
Truthfully, such a thought was rather morbid.
Yet it was a reminder that forgiveness had an expiration date.
Sylvie remained beside her desk as she placed a call to her father’s lawyer. Once she had him on the line, she gave her agreement to be the one who provided a location for her father after his compassionate release request was granted by the federal prison. A list of requirements would be sent to her, and she would be given time to prepare for his arrival. First and foremost, she needed to contact hospice.
“I’ll reach out to them this afternoon,” Sylvie said as she picked up her leatherbound notebook. It had become habit to write down certain key facts regarding a case on paper. Such a routine made it possible for her to make connections that she otherwise couldn’t when staring at a computer screen. She would do the same when preparing for her father’s arrival at her apartment. “Please keep me apprised of any pertinent dates regarding the motion you’ll be filing in the coming days.”
Sylvie didn’t leave her office until she’d completed her phone call. She’d eventually break the news to the team of her upcoming plans. Given such a huge break in the case regarding Tricia Zetter, there was a good chance the investigation would be over and done with before her father’s motion was granted. Sylvie figured the list of what needed to be accomplished was quite vast.
“Alright, Arden,” Sylvie said as she walked back into the conference room. “What has Bit discovered about Tricia Zetter? I’m assuming that Brook has already spoken to her?”
“Unfortunately, no.” Arden waited for Sylvie to take a seat and enjoy a sip of her tea before continuing. “Tricia Zetter joined the Navy five years ago, and she is currently on deployment.”
Sylvie didn’t have to be told that Brook was in the midst of scheduling arrangements to connect with Zetter. A video conference would be set up at a specific date and time. In the meantime, Brook or Theo would have undoubtedly reached out to the family members.
“What do we have on Tricia Zetter so far?”
“Born and raised in Moonshine Valley. Typical childhood,” Arden said as he glanced at the screen. “Nothing stands out, and her record is squeaky clean. No arrests, no traffic violations. She graduated high school with honors and joined the Navy shortly thereafter. She’s been serving as a medic on a naval vessel for the past two years, and her commanding officer has nothing but high praise for her.”
“That’s surprisingly clean for someone who could be the catalyst for a serial killer.” Sylvie savored her tea as she read over the highlighted sections displayed on the monitor. There was no indication of past restraining orders, no steady boyfriends during high school, and no known past grudges. “It’s as if she lived—lives—a completely unremarkable life.”
“Shall we join in the morning meeting?”
Sylvie nodded, appreciating that Arden had waited until he’d caught her up before initiating the video conference. He hadn’t been joining in on the morning meetings regarding this case due to Brook needing him to oversee some projects here in the city. Arden had also been assisting Brook on her class at the college, as well as collecting potential cold cases that needed review.