Page 47 of The Desperate Warrior

Jules hesitated, then drew a breath. "One of my coworkers, Mindy, mentioned that she thought someone was following her. But she’s paranoid by nature. I’m not sure if it’s actually happening or if Mindy’s imagining things.”

We need to treat every report seriously,” Sutton said firmly. “Brock, make sure you speak with her at the party.”

“Will do,” Brock said. He hesitated for a couple of beats and then said, “I know we have a PI involved already. But given everything that’s going on, I feel we should have the best on this.” He looked past Jules and homed in on Luke. “My vote is to have Luke do some deeper digging.”

The comment was met with a stilted silence.

Sutton drilled into Luke with eyes sharp enough to cut steel. Finally, he gave a clipped nod. “All right, if you think it’s a good idea.”

“I do,” Brock said immediately.

“I won’t let you down,” Luke promised.

Sutton’s voice turned brisk. “What else?”

Sutton certainly wasn’t giving Luke any slack. Jules couldn’t help but feel sorry for Luke. It was painfully obvious that he wastrying to regain Sutton’s trust. From the looks of things, it would be an uphill battle.

Brock told Sutton about the tornado that had touched down in Plano—not far from them. He told them about the tree damage and how the power had only recently come back on. He explained that repairs were needed for the broken window.

"I’ll take care of it," Jules’s dad said in a tone that suggested he was glad he could do something to help. "I’ve got contacts. I’ll pull some favors and get someone out there ASAP."

“Excellent,” Sutton said. “Also, I want the security system at Jules’s house evaluated. No half-measures.”

Brock nodded. “I was thinking the same. Luke offered to handle that.”

"I’ll start making calls today," Luke confirmed.

“It’s too bad Tippin’s still in Ireland,” her dad said with a sigh. “He would’ve been perfect for this.”

“Yes, pity,” Sutton agreed. "But we’ll find someone solid." He looked directly at Jules, his tone shifting from clipped efficiency to something softer. "How are you holding up?"

A hard lump rose in Jules’s throat. She forced herself to smile.

"I’m hanging in there. It’s been tough. But I’m going back to work on Monday. I think getting back into a normal routine will help."

“Good,” Sutton said warmly. “Keep your ears open at work. Listen carefully to what people are saying. Get a feel for the mood. If Randall’s targeting more than one of you, others may be feeling the stress.”

Jules nodded, her stomach knotting.

"One thing’s for sure." Jules’s dad leaned towards the screen. "We’re grateful to have Brock here, living right across the street."

“Oh, that’s right.” Sutton’s voice lifted slightly. "You got that all arranged?"

“We did,” He said with a note of pride. “I bought the house across the street. Brock and Luke can stay there for as long as needed.”

“Very good,” Sutton clipped. “Is there anything else?”

Brock glanced at Jules before answering. “In addition to trying to track down Steve Randall, we’re going to investigate all others in Jules’s circle of contact that give us cause for concern.” He briefly paused before continuing. “Starting with Dean Powell.”

Her dad furrowed his brows. “Dean Powell?” He looked at Jules as he spoke. “Has Dean been giving you trouble?” The edge in his voice suggested that he was fully prepared to take care of the situation if needed.

Before she could respond, Brock spoke up. “Not trouble, per se, but he showed up here during a hailstorm to bring Jules a bundle of roses. That struck me as odd.”

“That is odd. You cut the man loose a while ago.” Jules’s dad zeroed in on her. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

“It is,” she nodded, “but Dean can’t seem to get it through his head.”

He frowned. “Maybe I should have a talk with his parents. Jules’s mother is the one who set Dean up with Jules,” he explained. “His parents belong to the same country club as us.” He scrunched his face. “Dean’s a well-known realtor. I don’t think he would ever do anything to hurt Jules. He’s probably just lovesick because she broke up with him. I think he had high hopes for their relationship.”

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