She could see Julia trying to decide what to tell her. She wasn’t in the mood to be handled, though. Piper just wanted the truth. “Did Eric find Grady?”

Julia swallowed. “Yes.”

Now Piper leapt to her feet. “Did Grady hurt someone?” Her heart squeezed in her chest. “Who? Who did Grady hurt? Who—”

“He didn’t hurt anyone.” Julia’s gaze assessed Piper. “I’m sorry, Piper, but Grady is dead. Eric and Simon are calling the cops to the scene now.”

Dead? What? Then a new fear hit her. “Eric! He’s okay? He’s—”

Ben jumped up, too.

But Julia raised a hand. “Eric is fine. He and Simon found the body. I’m sorry, but that’s all I know right now.”

Piper didn’t completely believe her. She thought that was all Julia was willing to share.

“We’re your guards,” Julia continued doggedly. “Eric wants to make sure we don’t let you out of our sight until—”

Piper marched for the door.

“What are you doing?” It was Rick who barked out the question—as he blocked her path. “You need to finish reviewing the footage.”

“I reviewed the footage three times already. I told you the names of all the customers there, and I told you the artist who came in to drop off his work is Richard Milo. I told you everything that I knew, and, now, I’m going to find Eric.”

Rick shook his head. “He doesn’t want you at the scene.”

Too bad. “Grady is dead. This whole nightmare is about me. I can’t just sit here!”

Ben shuffled closer to her. “Suicide? Is that what happened? The guy was obsessed with Piper and he took his own life?”

Her heart squeezed in her chest.

“It wasn’t suicide.” Julia’s flat answer.

She does know more than she’s saying.

Ben gave a rough sigh. “Well, I’m doubting the fellow died of natural causes.”

Silence.

A shiver slid over Piper. “I’ve got level six protection.” Whatever the hell that meant—it just sounded intense. “I’ve got it because Grady was murdered, wasn’t he?”

Rick didn’t say a word. She’d noticed the guy had a tendency to take the silent routine way too far.

Piper glanced over her shoulder at Julia.

Julia gave a slow nod.

Oh, God. Piper whipped her head back toward Rick. “Get out of my way.”

A muscle flexed in his jaw. “I have orders—”

“Come with me then, but I am getting to that scene. Grady is dead? He was murdered?” And—the part that pierced straight to her soul—was the fear that he’d been killed…because of me. “Give me the level six protection, fine, but I am getting to that house. I have to know what’s happening, and I’m not just going to sit on the sidelines. This is my life.” A life someone was screwing with.