Page 45 of Master My Love

Chapter 12

STANDING ON THE PATIOof Brendan Cassidy’s Malibu beach house, Eric scanned the picturesque seascape before him. The sun-kissed sand stretched out before him, meeting the waves rolling onto the shore. The salty air mixed with the fragrance of tropical flowers on the meticulously manicured grounds.

Despite the tranquil coastal paradise surrounding him, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. He had hoped to find some clue, some shred of evidence that would shed light on Brendan’s mysterious disappearance. Yet, as he surveyed the scene, he felt a growing sense of frustration.

There were no signs of forced entry on any of the doors or windows. The alarm system, still activated, stood as a steadfast sentinel against intruders. The puzzling lack of evidence was consistent across Brendan’s other properties, from his townhouse in San Francisco to his downtown offices.

The only clue they had was an anonymous tip, phoned in to the SFPD in the last few hours. But for Eric, this created more questions than answers.

The actor’s publicist had reported him missing 72 hours ago, a day after filming wrapped for summer hiatus. It seemed too convenient. So did the tipster’s report of seeing Brendan being forced into the rear seat of a black sedan with blacked-out windows a half block from the coffee shop where they’d filmed their season-ending scene. Why would an upstanding citizen reporting a crime need to be anonymous? Why wait to call until days later? And a black car with darkly tinted windows sounded too much like a mafia movie cliché—again too damn convenient.

Eric suspected there was more to it than met the eye, and he wasn’t alone in his suspicions. He had been working closely with Nelson Jennings, the SFPD detective assigned to the case. With reporters and TMZ dogging him for information, Jennings shared his eagerness to wrap up the investigation fast. The police were diligently searching for evidence at both Brendan’s beach house and his other properties, but Eric felt in his gut they would come up empty-handed.

With his finance background, he knew the best source of information was often the money trail. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he came to Jonas Mitchell, the most skilled computer expert he knew. If anyone could uncover any suspicious transactions related to Brendan’s disappearance, it would be Jonas.

Although located in San Antonio, Jonas was doing double duty until they hired their own tech man in LA. Tony, their CEO, had been out several times to interview candidates; they even flew in a few highly recommended prospects, but they had yet to find a good fit for their team.

Jonas answered on the first ring. “Mitchell here.”

“It’s Eric. Have you got a few minutes?”

“Sure, man, what’s up?”

He explained the situation. “I need his credit card and banking activity for the past month.”

“Easy enough. It should take half an hour at the most. This is entry-level stuff. Are you guys any closer to finding your own IT support?”

“No clue. Running the club and overseeing finances in two locations keeps me busy. I’m usually not involved in the interview process until hiring is imminent. Not having an IT expert really slows down our investigations. It’s all about the money out here.”

“Same here, only we have less of it,” Jonas quipped. “Except for the cartel situation, which makes San Antonio all about the dope and nose candy anymore.”

“My hometown, a drug haven,” Eric said in disgust.

“We’re working on cleaning it up. In the meantime, T should be able to help you dig out. Cap is sending him your way until you can hire some additional men.”

Hell. Of all the people Cap could send, Lil T was his last choice.

“T knows computers?”

“He doesn’t have my skills, but few do.”

Eric smiled at his end. “That’s something I’ve always liked about you, Jonas, your humility.”

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