aren’t you friends with Daniel Tate?”
A fast nod.
“My boy Jamie is working as a security guard there.”
“I saw him the other night.” Jonas turned away from the door. There was something in Carl’s voice. “There a problem?”
“I know it’s not your beat, but, since you know the family and all”—Carl leaned over the desk—“Jamie called about an hour ago. Said there was some trouble in one of the offices.”
“What kind of trouble?” Jonas’s phone vibrated in his pocket. “Hold on, Carl.” He stepped to the side as he put the phone to his ear. “Kirk.”
“Jonas! Shit, man, I need you.” Daniel’s voice was way more tense than normal—and normal usually was tense for Daniel. “Can you come down to the company? Someone…someone broke into Christie’s office and trashed the place.”
What? Fuck. “I’m on my way.” He spun around.
“Wait!” Carl called out. “Don’t you want to know—”
“On it, Carl, thanks.” The cold air hit him in the face as he raced for his vehicle. Christie’s office. What the hell? As far as he knew, there had never been any trouble at Tate Toys.
So why was it starting now? And why was some asshole targeting Christie?
Uniforms were on the scene when Jonas arrived at Tate Toys. A cop he recognized, Officer Larry Piner, stood just outside Christie’s office doorway, questioning Daniel and jotting down fast notes.
Daniel caught sight of him. “Jonas! Man, thanks for coming so fast.” Daniel ran a hand through his hair and gestured to Christie’s office. “Can you believe this shit?”
Jonas’s gaze raked the room. Piner’s partner was inside, carefully navigating through the wreckage. Papers and files littered the floor. The computer screen was busted into about a hundred pieces. The desk was overturned. The lamp smashed.
“You sure there was no one working here today?” Officer Piner asked.
“I’m sure.” Daniel’s hand dropped. “Everyone on this floor is off the rest of the week for the holidays. Hell, everyone but the folks in distribution are off, and they’re all down at the warehouse. We’ve only got a skeletal security staff in this building. No one else should be here.”
Just Christie’s office. Someone was sending her a message. One Jonas damn well didn’t like. “What about cameras?” he asked as anger built in his gut. “You got ’em turned on, right?”
Daniel nodded his head in agreement. “We’ve got them downstairs at the entrance, but that’s where a guard is posted. If anyone came in, he would have seen ’em.”
Not if he’d been in the john. “Get the tapes,” Jonas ordered, walking slowly into the room. “Have you called Christie?”
Silence.
He tossed a glance back over his shoulder. “You’ve called her, right?”
“No.” Daniel’s lips pressed together. “It’s so close to Christmas, and I mean, look at this place. I don’t want her coming in here and seeing this crap!” His hair stood up, probably from running his fingers through it too many times. “Christie can’t handle this stress right now, not on top of that whole mess with Charles. Hell, I just want you to find out who did this, and I want that asshole arrested!”
Jonas glanced toward the filing cabinet. Every folder had been yanked free and the contents scattered. The drawers hung open, deep and empty. He pulled out his phone.
“Are you calling in a crime scene team?” Daniel asked, and there was excitement in his voice. “Good plan, man, let’s CSI this asshole.”
Jonas just shook his head. A ring filled his ears. One. Two.
“Hello.” Her voice was soft and husky.
He took a breath. “Christie, it’s Jonas.”
“What are you doing?” Her brother’s desperate yell grated in his ears.
Jonas ignored him. “I’m not gonna be able to make that dinner tonight.” No, he’d be working this case until he figured out what the hell was going on. “There’s been a break-in.”
“But”—hesitation, confusion—“you work homicide.”
This case was different. Personal. “The break-in was at Tate Toys. It’s your office, Christie.”
“What?”
“I’m down here now with the investigating cops. I want you to come by. You’ll know if anything is missing.” He exhaled. “You can come in tomorrow and make a listing then, if you want. You don’t need to cut out on your parents—”
There was a rumble of voices in the background. Christie, spoke to someone else, then she told him, “No, I’m on my way. Mom and Dad will hold dinner a bit. Don’t worry, they’ve got plenty of guests here to keep things going.”
“Be careful, baby.” He ended the call and held the phone a moment, his gaze sweeping the office once more.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around. Daniel glared at him. “You called her—”
“She had a right to know. She’s not some fragile doll that’s gonna break with a little stress.” He’d been wrong about her, and Daniel was too. All those years…she’d known. Hell, no, Christie wasn’t going to break. She’d been right when she told him she didn’t live in a castle.
Sure, she’d been sheltered. The family had cosseted her in college. He’d helped by digging into old Benjamin’s background. But Christie didn’t need them to run interference anymore. She was a grown woman. Strong, smart, sexy.
“No.” Daniel’s eyes narrowed and his gaze seemed to shoot blue fire as he snarled, “You called my sister ‘baby.’”
Oh, shit.
“You’re sleeping with Christie?” A man’s voice shouldn’t get that high.
Jonas got ready for the punch he knew was coming. Daniel had a real killer right hook.
6
Christie hadn’t dressed for the office. She’d dressed for him. Bought the new emerald green dress to match the panties. Maybe that was overkill, but she’d been feeling sexy at the time. Good thing she’d brought her coat with her. Otherwise she’d be flashing a lot of skin as she rushed down the hallway.
Christie skidded to a halt on her two-inch heels, a very precarious halt, and she eyed the mess that was her office. “Sonofabitch.”
Daniel was there at once, reaching for her, his eyes worried, his face tense. “It’s okay, Christie, I know this is upsetting—”
“Yes, it’s upsetting.” Major understatement. “Some
