Chapter Eleven
Camila waved at him through the entrance glass door. Jaeger sat at the last table of the coffee shop, holding a newspaper while everyone else in the place had a sleek laptop open in front of them while they sipped their lattes. He folded the newspaper closed, and she smiled to herself. Had she even ever dated a guy who read print newspapers? She enjoyed touching them, even if the ink rubbed off against her fingers. But guilt because of the trees always made her subscribe to the online version.
“Hey,” he said, standing and pulling out a chair for her to sit.
“What’s new?” she asked, and glanced down. Two cups of coffee sat side by side. Had he ordered for her? One of them had her name on the lid. Her heart fluttered. Not bad, IMP. Not bad. Maybe he had good news for her about Lee. “Do you have any tips on Lee?”
“Not yet. When was the last time you contacted Zoe?”
She ran her fingers through her hair. Hmmm. “A week ago, maybe longer.” With the last turn of events she hadn’t really stopped to think of Zoe. Besides, she figured Zoe would be busy with her aunt, and the last thing she wanted was to inconvenience anyone. “Why?”
“Because she doesn’t have a sick relative. She’s been in New York the entire time, holed up in Williams’s penthouse, screwing him.”
Her shoulders dropped a notch, and she wished she could slide down the chair and disappear momentarily. Had Zoe been dumb enough to have an affair with a married man? “Duncan Williams?”
“Yes. Did she ever tell you about the two of them?”
“No. She mentioned he flirted with her once,” she said in a small voice.
“And what did you say?”
Clearly, her argument hadn’t mattered. “I said it was gross. There are enough men in this city she shouldn’t have gone after someone else’s.” Could that have been why her friend had preferred to lie about her time away, to keep an immoral hookup private? Camila didn’t make a habit of judging people’s personal lives, but she had meant well when she lashed out at Zoe.
He glanced around them, in typical Jaeger Bauer fashion, to make sure no one paid attention to their conversation. “Did she ever say if his wife knew he flirted with her?”
“No,” she said. “What are you thinking?”
His eyes returned to hers, a glint flickering in his forest green pair. “I’m wondering if she mistook you for his lover. Maybe he walked into the building and she saw him. Besides, isn’t the lease in your name? You and Zoe both have dark hair, and you’re about the same height.”
“You think she’d want me out of the country if I were his lover?”
“If you represented a threat for her, yes,” he said. “That’s why I don’t want you wandering around for a while. I understand Omar goes everywhere with you, but try to keep outings to a minimum.”
She pushed away the apprehension thickening in her throat. “So I’m a prisoner? Listen, I can’t let whoever is doing this win. Tomorrow I’m expected at the hospital and I can’t not go.”
“That’s fine. I’m just saying be careful.”
She felt a shiver roll down her back and crossed her arms. When she’d been a poor student in Northeast Brazil, she had to change her route walking home. Now, even though she’d been fortunate to study abroad and could surely afford much luxury thanks to her billionaire brothers, the threat continued. “I’m sorry, but I’m anxious. It’s been days and we still have no clue as to who this person is. And to make things worse, we have no idea where Lee is.”
“I understand. I’m doing everything I can to speed up the process. The frustration with amateurs is they are unpredictable, but they also slip up. We’ll catch him.”
“Or her,” she said. Would Duncan’s wife go through the trouble of forcing a probable lover out of the country just to eliminate competition? “I have to get in touch with Zoe. If his wife wants to hurt me because she thinks I’m her, or did at some point, it’s only a matter of time until she figures out who Duncan’s lover really is.” She straightened her shoulders. When she’d advised Zoe against returning the affection of a married man, she never imagined fearing for her life would be one of the possible consequences.
…
Camila waited until Zoe said good-bye to the doorman before she tilted her head to Jaeger, and they both sprinted in tandem down the sidewalk of one of the most expensive neighborhoods in NYC.
“Zoe,” she called, prompting her roommate to turn around in her Juicy Couture workout clothes.
Zoe’s eyes widened for a moment, then her lips broke into a nervous smile, the same one she flashed whenever she gave guys the wrong phone number at a bar. “Camila, hey. I meant to text you. I got your emails about the new locks and everything.”
“I know you haven’t been out of town, so you don’t need to explain yourself,” she said. She stared Zoe in the eye and hoped her urgency could come through. Disappointment heaved her heart. What else had her bestie lied to her about? Merda. “Have you heard from Lee lately? He hasn’t been seen for days.”
Zoe angled closer, frowning. “I haven’t talked to him in a while. Is everything okay?”
“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Jaeger said, cutting in. “Does Duncan’s wife know you’re sleeping with him?”
Zoe withdrew and turned her attention to Jaeger. “Who’s this guy?”
Zoe hadn’t met Jaeger in person yet, and as far she knew he could be anyone.
“Jaeger Bauer. Zoe Callahan,” Camila said, waving her finger between the two of them.
Jaeger gave Zoe a close-lipped smile and quick nod. Zoe sized him up, probably wondering how much he knew and whose side he was on. After all, Zoe knew everyone Camila did. “He’s the guy I hired to protect me from the stalker and figure out who he or she is. If you had answered my voicemails, you’d be up to speed,” Camila said. And he’d make a dream boyfriend too, but we’re so not talking about that. Especially with him standing next to her, towering over them.
“What if Alicia knows about the affair and mistook you for Camila? Do you know if that would be possible? Did Duncan say anything about his wife?” Jaeger asked, his voice commanding.
Zoe shook her head, visibly annoyed. “Listen, I’m not going to discuss my private life with a stranger. How the hell do you know all this?” She rolled her eyes at Jaeger.
“I had you investigated,” Jaeger said, unfazed by Zoe’s skepticism. Camila imagined he’d seen it all in his profession and nothing really surprised him. He maintained his posture, his tone steady. “If you help us, we’ll be one step closer to finding out who’s harassing your roommate. You want to cooperate, yes? For Camila?”
Zoe’s jaw dropped a notch. Perhaps the wheels in her head turned when he’d mentioned Camila’s safety. Zoe let out a sigh then shared a glance with Camila before staring at him. Camila chewed on her lower lip. Crap. Pressuring her friend wasn’t cool, but they couldn’t have it both ways. Time was running out. “W-What do you mean? How serious is this? Are you okay?” she asked Camila, but kept looking at him.
“We have to make sure she’s okay,” Jaeger said. “That’s why we need your help.”
“Maybe she knows. She traveled to Europe to attend some fashion shows, but he told me she’s been distant lately.”
A lady walking her dog strolled by them, and Jaeger waited until she was far enough away to keep talking. “Do you have anything more concrete? Can you ask him for sure if he thinks she knows?”
Zoe shook her head, shoulders sagging a notch. “Oh, crap. She knows, okay? This isn’t the first time he had a relationship in his marriage. She didn’t want any details. They’re talking about a trial separation.”
“Why? Why are you wasting your time with a guy like that?” Camila asked, though her question had nothing to do with the case. “You deserve better, Zoe,” she said, lifting her chin, challenging her friend to be honest. If she didn’t mention, if she didn’t at least try to make her see the mistake she was making, she couldn’t forgive herself. At the end of the day, Zoe would do as Zoe wanted—her right, her life. But Camila couldn’t listen to a great friend say that her married boyfriend cheated on his wife before without stating her opinion. Maybe it was the Brazilian in her—keeping quiet and politically correct proved difficult in some situations.
“I love him,” she said, her big brown eyes flickering. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but if he’s willing to leave his wife in the future to be with me, I can get over how we got together.”
Jaeger stepped forward, exhaling. “Zoe, your life may be in danger. I’d feel more comfortable if we got someone from my agency to keep an eye on you until this mess is solved. I can make a call right now—”
“What?” Zoe cut him off, frowning. “No. Listen…she wouldn’t hurt me. I can’t believe you have a freaking lunatic after you. I’m so sorry. But I don’t think she’d do it.”
“If you hear anything or change your mind, here’s my card,” he said, giving it to her. The entire time Jaeger kept his focus, his face not giving away a thing. The restraint she’d judged robotic when she first met him now made complete sense. He needed to slip on an invisible mask for his work.
Zoe put his card in his pocket, and her cell phone beeped. Camila waited until she read a text message to say good-bye. Zoe’s eyes widened.
“What is it?” Camila asked.
“Oh God. Oh God.” Zoe’s hand flew to her mouth. “Lee is dead.”