“Babe? What’s wrong?” he asked.
“That name. Brockman. Was he around mid-forties, average height and weight, brown hair with a bit of silver?” she asked.
“Yes. I think maybe forty-seven or so, but that’s him.”
“Jonas, I think you were right. I think Archie knew Brockman. He said that name on a phone call once and mentioned that Admiral Harris was creating issues for him. It was a very heated phone call while we were at dinner. I was angry because he was taking a call during dinner. He’d been drinking before I even got there after a long shift in the ER.
“He excused himself from the table, and I could hear him yelling that name ‘Brockman’ over and over again. When he returned, I asked if everything was okay, and he said that someone wasn’t fulfilling his promise. It was a threatening tone when he looked at me and said that he didn’t like it when people didn’t do what they said they would. I felt threatened by him.”
“Did he hurt you? Did he grab you in any way?”
“I tried to leave the table, and he gripped my arm, holding me in place. I didn’t move, knowing that he could get out of control when he was drinking. He didn’t say anything, just held my arm for a few minutes. When he released it, I told him I had to get back to the hospital. I didn’t. My shift was over, but I just wanted to leave. That’s when I called Claudette and told her I wasn’t sure about accepting his marriage proposal. I wanted to get out of it.”
“Did he follow you?”
“No. I left and hailed a taxi, but as I was leaving, a black car pulled up with a man in uniform. I briefly looked at him but caught the name on his chest. Brockman. Jonas, they knew one another. They were working together on something. I’m sure of it.”
“Me too, honey. Are you attached at all to your ex?”
“God, no! I’m terrified of him and don’t want him anywhere near me. That’s why I left the area and came home. Why?”
“Because I’m going to find him and kill him.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Once the rain slacked off a bit, everyone made their way to the cafeteria for lunch. While Ajei and Gabi did a quick check on Khloe’s hand, Jonas filled the others in on what he’d learned about her ex-fiancé.
“They were working together on something,” said Jonas. “I’m not sure what, but Archie Mansur and Colonel Brockman knew one another.”
“Jonas,” said Wade in a low voice, “when Khloe told us she’d gotten engaged, we were thrilled for her. But once she voiced some concern about her decision, we decided to do some checking on him. Honestly we should have done a background on him before then. I don’t know why we didn’t. Probably the girls telling us we were prying. Anyway, we knew that Khloe was coming home soon, and we’d have a conversation with her. As it turned out, she broke off the engagement after what he did, and it wasn’t necessary.”
“What did you find?” he asked with a frown.
“Archie Mansur was working in the same firm as his father. Copeland, Mansur, and Vaughn. They handle a lot of corporate law but specialize in anything to do with image.”
“Image?” he frowned.
“If your image needs improvement or someone wants it destroyed, they were the firm to do it. We think they were helping Brockman to slowly destroy Harris. In the end, none of that mattered. But if Archie owed Brockman a favor, this whole bullshit might have been it.”
“I knew it was all connected, but we were never able to prove it. Frankly, after my wife’s death, all I could focus on was whatever Harris needed. Most days, I forgot to eat or shower. He wasn’t happy about that,” smirked Jonas. “Ordered me to go home, shower, sleep for two days, and eat a whole pizza by myself. Bastard even had it delivered to my house. Then, when Harris died, it just seemed unimportant, and with Brockman dead, I felt like I had my peace. But if Archie was a part of this and killed my wife intentionally, I’m going to have to make that right.”
Wade stared at the young man, then looked at Garr and the others.
“No one understands revenge better than a Belle Fleur man, Jonas. But my concern right now is that you don’t hurt that girl over there. See, she’s family. Our family, and she’s been through enough in her life,” said Wade.
“Yes, sir. I understand that, really, I do. I care for Khloe. More than care for her. She is my priority, and I hope that we can make a life together.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” said Wade. “What did she say when she found out about all this?”
“I asked her if she had any ties to him at all, if she cared for him at all, and her response was no.”
“That’s right,” said Khloe, taking a seat beside him. “Wade, I appreciate your concern for me. I always have. You’re like my adopted father or uncle, but I don’t have any love loss for Archie. If he intentionally or unintentionally killed Jonas’s wife and unborn children, I want him punished.”
“I won’t place you at risk, Khloe. Ever. But I need to find this man,” said Jonas.
“I know. I want him found so that I can sleep better at night.”
“What do you mean?” frowned Garr. Jonas looked at her, then back at the others.
