The Men With the Golden Cuffs(14)

“I don’t hear anything,” he said after a moment or two. He tried again but nothing. “Maybe she’s not here. Maybe she’s staying with a friend.”

“Not according to Ian.” Jake walked back out to the driveway. “I talked to him before I changed out of my leathers. He said Lara spoke to her earlier in the evening, and Serena had promised her she would stay locked up tonight. Apparently she’s working on another book. Ian was going to call her to let her know we’re coming. If she’s pissed off, well, she’s in for a surprise. She’s not really the client. Lara is. I’m not about to let her little temper tantrum keep me from doing my job.”

Adam slapped his partner on the back. “Just keep talking that way, buddy. That’s the attitude that’s going to have her eating out of our hands.”

“I’m sorry.” Jake sighed heavily. “I just wish this case was a little more cut and dry. If she’s doing this for publicity, you’re going to get hurt again.”

And he wouldn’t? Jake was the badass, but there was a soft spot underneath that had been damaged in the past. It was up to Adam to gently push him toward the right outcome of this little mess. If Jake wanted to be the bad cop, Adam would let him play it that way. But only to a point. “Fine. But let’s not call her very reasonable anger, with you I might add, a temper tantrum.”

Jake’s face remained closed. “Fine. I was an asshole. But we both know I’ll be an asshole again. Let’s go around and check out the back. She’s got the front closed up, but she has windows everywhere. You want to bet they didn’t secure the small windows?”

Jake looked at the small metal sign that proclaimed which security firm proudly protected the home. “No way. I know that firm. They secure the doors and large windows. They never tag the smaller ones.”

Despite the fact that he didn’t want to scare her, he always did like a little breaking and entering. It reminded him of those days in the Green Berets, going on covert operations. He’d been a different person then. He’d loved being part of a team. It was why he’d been happy to join McKay-Taggart. “Let’s get going then.”

Jake’s lips curved up in a grin. “You know you would have made a good criminal.”

“Absolutely.” Adam followed Jake toward the back of the house, stopping at Serena’s car. “Wow. Nice ride.”

The little Audi A6 was a pretty car.

“Apparently writing has been good to her. Between this car and that house, she seems to be doing well.” Jake got to one knee, his hand tracing the sleek lines of the car. “Although if it was parked in the garage all the time, no one would guess that she lives alone.”

Adam could hear the suspicions underlying Jake’s tone. Some people would do a lot to keep a lifestyle like this. Some people would do even more to move up. An odd line on the car’s side caught his eye. It was a jagged white streak that looked wrong against the black of the car. “Is something wrong? Is that some damage?”

“Someone keyed her car.” Jake showed him the thin line that ran across the passenger side of the Audi from the rear all the way to the front.

“Bastard. She didn’t mention property damage this morning.”

Jake got to his feet. “No. She said it was just threats. Looks like this guy is escalating at precisely the right time. Just as she thinks we’ve turned her down, something worse happens. Interesting. I want security cameras around the perimeter of this house.”

Because he wanted to see if Serena had a hand in this herself. Adam didn’t agree, but there was zero reason to argue with Jake until he had some proof. Jake was a “guilty until proven innocent” kind of guy.

Jake came to the backyard gate and gave it a tug. It didn’t budge. “Good girl. She has a lock on it. Unfortunately, I can climb.”

Jake hefted himself over the tall gate without a care. Adam planted his feet, pulled himself up, and followed. If this stalker worked out at all, he wouldn’t have a problem.

Her small backyard looked like an oasis of calm. She had a lovely patio with sunny furniture and a little fire pit. The whole house was surrounded with old-growth trees—the kind that would be easy to climb and hide in.

There were five windows on the back of the house. Jake checked the largest two carefully.

“Sensors on these.”

Adam inspected the smaller windows. The blinds were drawn. It could lead to a bedroom, but he would bet his money that this was a kitchen or a dining room window. He didn’t see any wires or other sensors. “Here’s our in. Are you sure we shouldn’t just keep knocking on the damn door? We could easily prove this to her without giving her a heart attack.”