Page 82 of Duty Unbound

“Corey, it’s Ethan Cross,” I said, keeping my voice low. “I need a favor.”

“Why do I get the feeling this is going to ruin my night?” His tone was wry but not unfriendly.

“Because you know me too well.” I glanced back at the freakish display. “We’ve got a situation at the Arts Center in Austin. Someone delivered a dead raccoon wearing Nova Rivers’s stage wig to her dressing room, along with a threatening note. They trapped her sister Mel inside with it by jamming the lock.”

“Jesus Christ,” Corey muttered. “Was Mel hurt?”

“Physically? No. Mentally? That’s another story.” I ran a hand through my hair, remembering how pale Mel had been. “I need your help on this, Corey. I know it’s not your jurisdiction, but I’d appreciate it if you could liaise with local PD. Keep Citadel in the loop so we can fill in any gaps in the investigation.”

“Consider it done.” I could hear him grabbing his keys in the background. “This is definitely an escalation. If this guy follows the typical pattern, actually harming Nova will be his next step.”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.”

“I’ll handle the departmental issues,” Corey assured me. “Just tell your team to preserve the scene until I get there.”

“Will do. And, Corey? Thanks.”

“Save it. You’re buying me dinner at that steak house you’re always bragging about when this is over.”

“Deal.”

I disconnected and rejoined my team, who were already documenting everything. Jace had his camera out, capturing multiple angles of the disturbing display, while Logan examined the box it had arrived in.

“We need to gather as much evidence as possible before police arrive,” I instructed. “Jace, get close-ups of the note and anything we can use to hunt him ourselves.”

“Already on it,” he replied, not looking up from his work.

The teddy bear with its ominous “Soon” note turned my stomach. Whoever was behind this wasn’t just making threats—they were promising action.

I turned to Ty. “Once the police take over, I need you to stay here and run interference. Nobody from Nova’s team gets in here—no dancers, no assistants, and especially not Dexter.”

“What should I tell them?” Ty asked, pocketing his phone.

“Water line break. Electrical hazard. Whatever works. Just keep them away.” I glanced at the horrific scene one more time. “The last thing we need is for this to leak to social media before we have a chance to handle the situation in-house.”

“You got it, boss.”

“Corey Hollis from Dallas PD will be here soon,” I added. “He’ll be our eyes and ears inside law enforcement, keep us informed about their findings.”

Jace, Logan, and I headed over to the hotel, where we’d converted one of the conference rooms into our command center. Several monitors lined one of the walls, displaying both the venue and hotel’s security feed for easy viewing.

Walking into the room, Jace went straight to his laptop. I dropped into a chair at his side, while Logan closed the door, then moved to the closest monitor.

“Let’s start with Clark Arici.” I leaned forward to study thescreen as Jace pulled up info. “If he’s not behind all this, then where the hell is he?”

Jace’s fingers flew across his keyboard. “Okay. Clark Arici, twenty-seven. Professional dancer, joined Nova’s group six months ago after dancing on Broadway for three years. No criminal record, tends to keep to himself, according to the other dancers.”

“Yeah, I’ve talked to him a little,” Logan added. “Stays in his room during off hours, while most of the others party together.”

I frowned, studying the image on-screen. “Any red flags in his background check?”

“Nothing,” Jace confirmed. “Clean record, good references from previous jobs. No history of violence or erratic behavior.”

“Then where the hell is he?” I asked, frustration evident in my voice. “I want every security guard and hotel staff member looking for him. Check all exits, stairwells, service areas—everywhere. And look for footage of him taking that wig.”

“Already on it,” Logan assured me. “I’ve got hotel security helping with the search.”

I turned to Jace. “Did we have cameras covering the backstage areas where the wig was taken?”

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