but things weren’t always what they seemed. It was possible that Mackey had nothing to do with what had happened to Rebecca, but that was definitely the first place, right after Rebecca herself and her former employer, that Shane would start looking if assigned to the case. That it appeared to Mary Jane that the couple had started seeing each other prior to Rebecca’s decision to thwart her boss might only be because Mary Jane hadn’t known her sister’s intent until well after the decision had been reached. “Was the relationship serious?”
“I think so,” Ms. Brooks said hesitantly. “Rebecca was stressed about the trial. She didn’t talk to me very much those last few weeks.” She clasped her hands in her lap. “And I was a little busy, so I didn’t push it.”
If she planned to leave that statement hanging she should think again. “Busy in what way?”
Mary Jane Brooks looked from Shane to Victoria and back. “Our parents were ill. I was their full-time caregiver.”
Was. “Who takes care of them now?” Shane needed specifics. Anything that related to Mary Jane’s life might have impacted her sister’s.
“They passed away.”
The undeniable shine of emotions in her eyes made him wish he hadn’t needed to ask the question.
“I’m very sorry for your loss,” he offered. That was a real shame. The woman had lost both her parents and now her sister. Talk about a triple whammy.
“What kind of relationship did you and your sister maintain?” Victoria asked. “Specifically, those final months before her disappearance. You indicated that you didn’t talk very often.”
Shane was glad Victoria had asked the question. He didn’t want to sound insensitive, and, coupled with the question he’d just asked, that one likely would have come across as unfeeling or accusatory.
“We were close on some levels,” Ms. Brooks said. More of that hesitation. “Not so much on others.”
“Can you elaborate?” Shane prompted. This was territory the lady clearly didn’t want to go into, which told him in no uncertain terms that all was not as it should have been between the sisters.
“Rebecca loved our parents a great deal, but she didn’t have the patience for taking care of their needs. Her financial resources allowed me to take an extended leave of absence from work and do what needed to be done. That arrangement put a bit of a strain on our relationship,” she confessed. “But we got past it, and I believe we were as close as most sisters. Still—” she shrugged “—I recognized that there was an aspect of her life that Rebecca never allowed me into.”
“Did you perceive that the things she kept from you were work related?”
Ms. Brooks considered Victoria’s question for a moment. “That, and, during those final weeks, her social life. We’d always discussed boyfriends and such in the past but with Jason that changed.”
More of those telltale signs of a possible setup: estrange the victim from those closest to her. “So, you didn’t know Jason Mackey at all?” Shane suggested.
Mary Jane shook her head. “I only met him once. But I knew that Rebecca was a little afraid of him.”
“Did your sister say she was afraid of him?” Shane pushed. “Or is that your perception of how she felt about him?”
“A couple weeks before she disappeared,” Ms. Brooks replied slowly as if she were taking pains to answer accurately, “she told me that he had been tense. That he made her nervous when he got that way.” Mary Jane turned to face Shane more fully. “You had to know my sister, Mr. Allen. She wasn’t afraid of anyone. This was not like her at all. I asked her why she didn’t break it off, and she refused to talk about it.”
“Anything else you might think of would be very useful,” Shane assured her. “Make notes whenever anything at all comes to mind. Frankly, my initial assessment would be that her former employer is responsible for her death, but your feelings regarding the boyfriend muddy the waters to some degree. I would suggest moving forward under the assumption that either one could be responsible.”
“The truth is all I want,” Ms. Brooks insisted. “She would do the same for me.” She looked to Victoria. “After Detective Bailen gave me the news about the possible connection between my sister and your agency, I did a little research. The Colby Agency is the best. I want you to find out what happened to her. So, how do we do this? I’m sure there’s a retainer fee.”
“Under normal circumstances,” Victoria agreed, “there would be a retainer fee. But this case is different. I had already decided that we would launch our own investigation after Detective Bailen’s visit today. There won’t be any fees involved with our taking this case, Ms. Brooks. We need the truth, as well.”
The lady’s relief was undeniable. “I appreciate that, Mrs. Colby-Camp.”
Shane’s senses went on alert. Something in her voice had changed. The change in inflection was so subtle that he might have missed it had he not noted the shift in her posture. She sat up a little straighter, poised for battle.
“But,” she continued, “you see, I need to be involved in this investigation. Fully involved. That may change the way you see things.”
Shane and Victoria exchanged a look.
Since Victoria was the boss, Shane let her take the lead. She asked, “Involved in what way, Ms. Brooks?”
Shane watched her chin tilt slightly as she braced to argue her position.
“My sister was murdered,” she said, “possibly for nothing more than her desire to do the right thing. As far as I can tell from the past eleven months, the only thing the authorities are worried about is finding a way to reopen their case. They don’t care about my sister. And I doubt that Chicago’s finest will get very far with the FBI and the U.S. Marshals running things to facilitate their own interests. I don’t want Rebecca forgotten, and that’s exactly what I believe will happen unless someone goes into this investigation with her interests as their primary goal.”
“Solving your sister’s murder would likely prove helpful to the Bureau’s case,” Shane countered. “Certainly, bringing down Horizon Software will be their goal, but don’t believe for one second that Rebecca will be forgotten.” He had to give credit where credit was due. Federal law enforcement took a bum rap for a lot of things. He couldn’t in good conscience fail to speak up when he was all too well aware of protocol.
Mary Jane Brooks shifted her attention to him. The doubt was crystal-clear in her eyes. “That may be, Mr. Allen. But I need to be sure. I’m not taking any chances where my sister is concerned. I want the truth. The whole truth. Not some version that serves the best interests of anyone else involved.”
“Rest assured, Ms. Brooks,” Victoria cut in, “we will find the truth, and it will not be diluted by anyone’s influence. You have my word on that.”
Shane couldn’t say whether or not Ms. Brooks understood what she was getting when she got Victoria Colby-Camp’s word, but he hoped she understood exactly how significant the offer was.
“Then you won’t mind if I follow this case with your investigator,” Ms. Brooks countered, a hint of defensiveness in her tone. “Generally when there’s nothing to hide, full
