Chapter 25
“I know who leaked it,” Max said, and I slowed my stride.
“Let me call you back.” I hung up on Ms. Delany.
“Who and how do you know?” I clenched the cookies in my hand, crumbling them to bits.
“That picture was from Christmas.”
“Great, so it could be any one of her friends or Dexter’s.”
He shook his head. “It’s not any of them.” Max hit the rewind on the DVR to the picture again and paused it. “Amelia did a photo shoot at Carter’s house. They took some pictures by the tree and some outside. My sister didn’t like the glare from the tree lights, so they used the outside ones for their Christmas cards. This one wasn’t ordered and never left the house.” Max jabbed his finger at the screen. “Amelia hated this one. Not only was she not looking at the lights but she was looking away from the camera.”
“Of course, she didn’t use that one. It wasn’t perfect,” I growled. Why would she use a picture that wasn’t perfect? Her little OCD heart would be freaking the flip out if she’d seen the news. I headed outside, pulling out my phone. I dialed Rose.
“What’s Amelia’s location?”
“Her office,” Rose answered. “She’s been in there all day. She hasn’t even come out to eat.”
“Neither she nor Petunia are to leave that house until I return. The bulls-eyes on their backs just got bigger.
“Wait, what?” she asked.
“Is Dexter still on the premises?” I asked, yanking open my car door.
“He on a flight. He left hours ago,” she answered.
“I’ll see you in fifteen minutes.” I hung up. Max was already standing at my open car door.
“You think Amelia would put Petunia in harm’s way?” he asked.
I slowly nodded, making no qualms about where I stood. “I do. I think it served her purpose and she knew that we wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”
“You’re wrong, Ms. Bennett.”
My brow rose at his choice of name. My suspicions had struck a nerve. “I hope you’re right, Counselor. You hired me to find a stalker and keep Amelia and Petunia safe, so let me do my job.”
“What motive would Amelia have for leaking the information?” Max asked.
“There are a dozen reasons, but the main one that sticks out is voter sympathy.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about. I should have never listened to Carter. We should have called the Feds.” Max’s gaze met mine as he stepped back, and I closed the door.
Anger thrummed in my veins and swirled with hurt. Hurt that I was failing, hurt that I was feeling, and hurt that I was falling. I’d never experienced the three F’s before. My heart clenched at the thought as I started the car. I pulled out my phone and called Ms. Delany, leaving it on speaker as I threw my car into gear.
She answered on the first ring. “I’m guessing you figured out your leak.”
“You’re guessing right.” I sighed and tightened my fingers on the wheel. “I need a phone trace on Amelia Pierce’s cell phone and the home phone. I need to know what calls were made today and if there were any to be concerned with. I also need the same thing done for Dexter Cline.”
“I already have our forensic department looking into it, dear, but Dexter is going to be an issue. With his announcement of running for office, getting our hands on his stuff will have to be aboveboard. We’re going to need a warrant or his authorization.”
The ride across town was quicker than I expected. I parked across the street from Carter’s house and grabbed my phone and gun before crossing the street. I waved at the security guard in the gate house and jogged up the drive.
The front door swished open and was held by one of the security guards. Max’s car came to a screeching halt behind me.
I stomped through the house and met Rose’s gaze. “Is she in there?”
“Yes,” Rose answered.
