Chapter 28 Unexpected
Tyler
“Bruce, maybe your sources are wrong, you should double-check. There’s no way…”
“Tyler, with all due respect, I’ve gone over this footage a dozen times already, and if we calculate the timing and the possibilities it all makes sense.”
“Don’t you think it isn’t too far-fetched? I thought she was abused, and now you’re saying she loves him and wanted revenge?”
“She was his longest assistant before everything else happened and she was under the assumption that he was practicing BDSM stuff with her. She was covering the tracks really well, and if my guy didn’t find out that she was a patient at a psychiatric hospital when she was still in high school, we wouldn’t dig deeper.”
“But she said Troy had another assistant that she was hired by her?”
“Kayleigh lied, or in this case, she was telling her version of the truth. She has a case of DID, Dissociative identity disorder though she looked like she’s functioning like everyone else.”
Bruce was showing me her files. It was all there, the multiple personality disorder, yet she looked sane, acted normal every time we interact with her.
“It wouldn’t really show, and people like her don’t have any control of her situation. That’s why it hides her perfectly. Her medical file was sealed unless you dig deeper, her mother makes sure of it.”
I took a deep breath before closing the file on Jess’s assistant, her best friend that she trust her life with.
“Treat this quietly, don’t tell Jessica, she might freak. Find Kayleigh and get her in custody, we need to check her alibi.”
“My team is looking for her.”
“What? isn’t she at the office?”
“She was taking a day off to be with her mom, I asked Gemma, your brothers PA.”
“Good, okay, leave Jess out of this. Make sure you have eyes on her, I have an important meeting to get to. I’m hoping this is a mistake, Bruce.”
“I will take care of this.” The man nodded and leave my office quietly. Bruce came highly recommended by my brother Dale when I appointed him as our chief of security. My oldest brother used to work together with him before he decided to settle down and become a coffee shop owner.
Dad still wants Dale back in the family business to this date though he knew it’ll be an impossible task. With his coffee venture growing like an octopus he was branching out faster than we would ever think. I smiled when I was reminded of Dale, you can leave the business but it can never truly leave your major behind. The business studies were most definitely engraved in Dale’s subconscious mind.
I made a mental note to call Dale after the meeting, I need to ask him a favor, I need to make sure Bruce was doing his best effort. I didn’t want him to chase someone who’s not the focus of the investigation.
It was two hours later when the meeting finally ended that I called Dale and decided to meet up at one of his coffee places.
“Thank you for meeting me here.”
Dale was already there, signaling his waiter to bring me another cup of the steaming hot espresso.
“It’s okay, I think it’s best to keep Amanda in the dark, for now, I don’t want to worry her, not with her pregnancy and all.”
“I understand, she’s quite close to Jessica.”
“She felt responsible for Jessica, still is.”
“I know, so… I assumed you talked to Bruce?” I paused as his waiter put the coffee to my front.
“Yeah, damn it, Ty, I didn’t think she would be that close to Jess. We have to make sure she’s alright.
“Jess is at my place, she’s safe. She just texted me.”
“But Bruce is still looking for her assistant?”
“Yes, Kayleigh. Bruce said he consulted with a doctor and was given a professional answer that her DID most likely happened after Jess move in with me.”
Dale was quiet, he was listening to my words but I can already see his brain forming his thoughts. Sometimes I envied his smarts and still don’t understand why he didn’t want to be more involved with the company.
“Feeling neglected, that’s why she switched. People with multiple personality disorder had issues in the past, Bruce informed me that she was sexually assaulted by her dad for years. Her mom kill him for self-defense, that’s why she’s very close and her mom was keeping everything quiet.”
I sighed remembering the report that his ex-business partner showed me earlier.
“Bruce told me that her mom most likely didn’t know that she had an intimate relationship with Troy. But I think she knew.” I explained after sipping the hot espresso.
“She must’ve known,”
I took another sip before I asked him if Bruce is that good.
“I put my life in his hand, Ty. His work is very detailed, look… I know you must’ve felt like you know Kayleigh. But this is where Bruce does his magic, he can detach himself from his feelings. He will be so focused that he can put himself in any shoes he wants. He’s the best profiler I know, he can read body language so damn well.”
Sighing and relaxing back to my seat, I continue to listen to Dale, then remembered about his text on my way to meet Dale.
“… there’s more, Dale, Bruce said Kayleigh had a miscarriage and it was Troy’s.”
“Fuck! that’s so fucking messed up.”
“Yeah, bruised on certain parts of her body, all the hospital records to back it up. Bruce thought that the miscarriage was deliberately caused by Troy.”
We talked for another half an hour before I decided to go back to my place. I texted Jess on my way back and she replied telling me that she’s fine and to stop worrying about her.
“Jess, where are you?” the sudden chill crept up the moment I arrived back at my penthouse. I can feel my blood drained, the silence was deafening.
The guard downstairs told me that Jessica was out. She told them that she was going to meet me. I scrolled Bruce’s number and he picked up within seconds.
“Tyler, I was just on the line with my men. I’ve already sent out a crew, following her last mobile location. We will find her.” The man sounded rushed, his words were firm and a bit choppy.
“She texted me when I was on my way back, Bruce! find HER! alive, I want her ALIVE!”
My hand was shaking from anger when I put down my phone, while my other hand was holding on to her note, looking and recognizing her handwriting.
I going to meet Kayleigh.
She needs help with her mom.
Be back soon.
Love you. Jess.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”
I growled in frustration, but snapped the note and send the goddamn photo to Bruce. I’ve never felt so helpless in my entire life before as I paced in my living room calling her mobile for the dozen times.
Larry and Dale were at my place in less than an hour. Dale was quietly discussing Bruce’s progress with Larry, and just be there for me while we wait for my chief of security to get back to us.
Ralph, our youngest brother arrived half an hour later.
“I need her brush,”
“Huh?”Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
“Her brush, I need her hair. Look, you know I have a questionable group of friends. I came here as soon as I heard! I like her Tyler, let me help find her. Her brush!”
“Dude, just give it to him, we can use the extra help.” Larry put his hand on my shoulder and I curse but walked into my room, our room… it didn’t feel like my room anymore. It smells like her, with her laptop on our bed and…”
“Tyler,”
Ralph was to my side and reminded me of his request. I must’ve taken too long that he was coming after me.
“Right, brush. I’m not even going to ask.”
“Just keep an open mind, Shani just got here. We need her location, whatever it takes, okay?”
“Right.”
He led me outside and I saw a woman dressed casually, yet there was something about her and I know she’s one of Ralph’s friends the moment she took out her stuff from her satchel.
“I’m not even going to ask, just find her.”
Larry and Dale were looking at Ralph then at his friend.
“She’s a…”
“Witch,” Ralph finishes Larry’s words.
“All the help, brother, soon as possible.”
Dale was looking at her, his expression was unreadable while Larry watched in full amazement as she put out her old-looking book, then putting a couple of strands of Jess’s hair into a bronze-like container from her bag. A little pouch was pulled out, then she scattered what looked like black dust onto the hair. Her soft chants were heard throughout the silence, then all of the sudden the room became cold and eerily quiet.
“The mountains, cabin, mother’s… wait no, mother’s neighbor. Duck fountain…” Her eyes were closed as she blurted out her words.
It didn’t take long before Dale called Bruce, telling him about the hints, landmarks and asked him for the address then instructed him to send a couple of his men there.
“Come on, Ty, let’s save your woman. Larry, Ralph you wait here just in case. Shani thank you, I hope this is it.”
The witch nodded and gave us a sympathetic look.
“How do you know her leads are solid?” I asked as I rush to follow Dale.
“I don’t, but do you want to wait here and go crazy without doing anything? Bruce is doing his thing with his leads, this way it’ll be faster.”
The elevator door closed and that was all it takes for me to follow my brother and pray that Ralph’s witch friend is giving us the right information.