“A few letters sent here for Lori.” Levi handed over three unopened envelopes. “From the Dog Society of Poseidon. Probably junk mail, but I thought maybe I could call her and take them to her. She’s pretty great, or at least she was, and I guess maybe I wanted another chance. Even if it was just as friends.” He threw the other envelopes onto the coffee table and shoved his hands in his pockets, his expression turning even more sober. “The stamps on all three are of German shepherds.”

Angus frowned. “Didn’t she have her mail forwarded when she left?”

“Yeah, but those came here anyway.” Levi glanced at the envelopes. “Does that mean something? Should I hand them over to the cops?”

“We’ll hand them over,” Angus said, turning and heading for the doorway. “I doubt it means anything, Levi. It’s just junk mail.” Right. The envelopes hadn’t gone through the mail system. They’d been left here on purpose as another clue for him to find. “Thanks for your help.”

Jethro followed him out into the rain and down the sidewalk. “What are you thinking?”

“Nothing yet,” Angus said, his jaw so tight his head ached. “Let’s just get out of here before he calls the cops and they confiscate these. The dog angle is just the way Lassiter would play cat and mouse.”

“If that’s really his game, the fact that he killed a Chinese woman is significant, Angus. He’ll be coming after your team, and it looks like Nari is top of the list.” Jethro reached the truck. “Is there any way she’ll let you lock her down or send her on vacation for a while?”

Angus pressed the button, determination flowing through him. “She doesn’t have a choice. She has to go, and now.”

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Nari shook out her sopping-wet umbrella and rode down the ancient elevator, almost wishing for the first time that the darn thing would just crash to the ground. After a lonely dinner, she’d decided to return to the office and finish up whatever she’d missed. The elevator groaned, jolted, and halted at the basement offices. The doors remained closed long enough to increase her heart rate. Finally, they opened with the scratch of metal scraping against metal.

She leapt out before the doors could close, gasping in the small vestibule. The smell of whiskey hit her first. Then surprise. She moved hesitantly into the main room of the suite.

Wolfe, Jethro, and Angus sat to one side of the room, leaning against the wall, their long legs extended toward the empty bullpen. The very empty bullpen. Dust outlined the spot where the pod of desks had been.

“They even took those old desks?” she asked.