After all, it was pretty hard to ignore a murder. Carefully, he entered the house, making sure not to touch anything. The smell assured him that a body was inside. Decomposition was hard to mistake. But just in case someone else was in the place, he had to take a look.

The body was in the den. Tied to a chair—arms roped down and ankles secured to the legs of the chair. Stab wounds littered the guy’s chest and his head sagged forward, dirty blond hair hanging over his forehead.

“That’s Grady Fox,” Simon muttered. “Poor bastard.”

Someone had tortured Grady. Taken slow and careful time with him. Eric knew a torture scene when he saw one, and Simon sure as hell could spot one, too.

Eric also knew a thing or two about lividity. Sure, he was no ME, but judging by the way the body had, um, turned, he suspected Grady had been dead for at least two or three days.

He didn’t set the fire at Piper’s place. He’d probably been dead long before that happened.

Eric looked at the blood that soaked the guy’s body. All of that dark, red blood.

He’d been worried that Piper’s stalker would accelerate. The guy already had accelerated. He’d committed murder, and there was going to be no going back for the bastard now.

They backed out of the house, and Eric reached for his phone. The stench of the body filled his nose and mouth. He could freaking taste that horror. He retreated and dialed the agent he knew he could trust.

Julia answered on the second ring. “Yeah, boss.” Her voice was brisk. “What did you find?”

“A dead body. Grady was murdered.”

“What?”

“You stick to Piper like glue, understand? You and Rick make sure you’re her shadows. Wherever she goes, you follow.”

Piper’s ex had been brutally murdered—right down the street from her house. A cold knot formed in Eric’s stomach.

“Who’s the vic?” Julia asked him, her voice completely without emotion.

“The guy who was our number one suspect. Grady Fox.”

***

“Who’s the vic?”

At Julia’s low words, Piper stiffened. She’d been staring at video footage of her gallery, watching the customers come in and out, but as soon as she heard that question from Julia—

Rick swore.

Ben stopped tapping his fingers on the desk.

Piper whirled her chair around so that she could see Julia.

The other woman nodded and kept her easy grip on her phone. “Understood. You can count on us, boss.” She ended the call. Her gaze immediately went to Rick. “Protection detail, level six,” she said briskly.

He gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“What is happening?” Piper demanded. “Who’s the victim?”