The Perfect Appearance (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book Twenty-Nine) by Blake Pierce

Author:Blake Pierce [Pierce, Blake]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2023-10-09T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Jessie did her best to act like she had been waiting for them.

“Nice to see you, detectives,” she said.

“Not sure I can say the same thing,” Wagner replied gruffly.

Based on her research on the man, Jessie wasn’t surprised by the reaction.

Brett Wagner, thirty-nine, was a seventeen-year vet of the LAPD who’d been a detective for six of those years. Short and thick, he had the look of a guy who spent much of his free time in the weights section of his gym. His dirty blond hair was shorn tight against his scalp and his face was red, though she didn't know if that was his natural state or just because he was mad.

“I get that,” she told him, deciding that she needed to do some serious fence-mending if she didn’t want to be immediately ejected from the guest house and the case. “If I was one of the detectives assigned to this thing and some nosy profiler from another unit just showed up uninvited, I’d have my back up for sure.”

“Damn straight!” he seethed.

Next to him, Detective Ramon Ortega remained silent. That jibed too. Jessie’s research—courtesy of Jamil and Beth, just like the details on Wagner—indicated that Ortega was less volatile than his partner, but no less serious-minded.

Forty-six now, he’d spent twenty-two years on patrol before finally making detective. He had a reputation as being methodical, not making any mistakes that could undermine the promotion he’d gotten only three years ago. Unlike the divorced Wagner, he’d been married to his high school sweetheart for almost thirty years and had three kids. He was currently twisting his wedding band around his finger. Jessie wasn’t sure if the habit was due to nerves or anger. She figured it was better to err on assuming the latter as she responded.

“And if I was the case detective, I’d think that this profiler had better have an amazing reason for inserting herself into my business, way better than just the fact that the first victim was famous. And I’d want her to explain herself right now if she had any expectation of not getting drop-kicked out of the crime scene first thing.”

“Wait, you’re not assigned to this case?” Delco demanded, looking personally hurt.

“You ought to get drop-kicked just for looking at our evidence without our consent,” Wagner spat, not giving Jessie a chance to reply to the sergeant. “Or didn’t you think we’d find out about that? Not that it took any brilliant detective work. Almost from the second you left Wilshire Station, Dale Peterson was bragging about how the great Jessie Hunt came to his evidence room and he helped her out.”

“I kind of figured that might happen,” Jessie conceded.

“So this is your chance, Ms. Hunt,” Detective Ortega said, his tone hushed. “Convince us why we shouldn’t be cuffing you for interfering in an ongoing investigation?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Jessie noted Grover stiffen. He’d stayed quiet until now, but he clearly didn’t take kindly to the idea of anyone putting their hands on his protectee, no matter the reason.

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