“A hacker?” Adair stood, his brows pulled together in concern. “A stalker who is also a hacker?”
“Or a stalker with access to a hacker. If I were you, I’d talk with whoever installed and maintains your security system. They should be able to tell you if your security system has been hacked. Increased data usage will be a big giveaway.” I exhaled slowly—what I had to ask next would likely not be well received. “What you and I need to do is narrow down a list of suspects from within the club. Because it has to be someone who can move freely around the estate.”
“I’ve already given a list to Mac and to the police. It’s a short list. I’m not in the habit of making enemies.”
This comment surprised me. “Haven’t you been the subject of stalker-like behavior before?”
“It comes with being in the public eye.”
And being major eye candy.
“And what did all those people have in common?”
Adair gave a slight shake of his hand.
I gestured to him. “They didn’t actually know you.”
His expression hardened as understanding dawned. “It could be someone I don’t even realize I’ve snubbed or pissed off.”
“Exactly. But I’m not saying it’s someone you don’t know or who doesn’t know you. In fact, most stalkers know their victims and have formed an unhealthy obsession with them. I think in your case, we can say due to the high level of security around Ardnoch, this is someone from within the estate or inner circle of your family and friends.”
“No one in my family, not one friend of mine, would do this to me. It has to be someone on staff or one of the members.”
I gave him a pitying smile even though I knew it would piss him off. “Your loyalty is sweet, but I have to leave no stone unturned.”
“You will if I tell you to.”
“No.” I took a step toward him. “See, all this became less about you the moment my father was attacked. So every stone will be turned, and I couldn’t give a rat’s ass if you fight me or hate me for it.” Before he could reply, I strode to the desk and nudged him aside so I could open a new document on the laptop. Now that I’d started this conversation, I intended to get what I wanted from it. “The most obvious suspect is a scorned lover.”
“No.”
I glared over my shoulder at him. “I’m absolutely positive that it is.”
“I’m not discussing my private life with you.”
“Did you discuss it with Mac?”
“There was no reason to. I don’t have an angry ex running around the estate.”
“Oh, we are confident in our ability to charm the opposite sex, aren’t we?” I straightened, my expression mocking. “Believe me, Adair, women can be good at hiding when we’re hurt or angry.”
“Contrary to your example.”
“I’m not an angry woman. You’re just intensely aggravating.”
He curled his upper lip. “Pot, meet Kettle.”
I turned to face him fully but pushed the laptop toward him with the document open where Mac had compiled the messages in chronological order.
You’re everything to me. I have to be everything to you.
You aren’t you without me.
Why won’t you see me?
You were once so very dear to me. But now so very dead to me.
I’ll make you see me. And I’ll be the last thing you ever see.
“Look at the pattern.” I pointed to the screen. “Mac’s noted it too. The messages start off kind of lovelorn and obsessive. The third is starting to sound desperate and hurt. Then it abruptly changes with the dead deer carcass to a threat. What happened there? Did you have an altercation with anyone on the estate between the time of the third and fourth messages?”
“No, I wasn’t even on the estate. Mac suggested I leave him to run things and take a break. I went to Glasgow.”
“Why Glasgow?”
Adair looked so put off by my questioning, I actually enjoyed it. “There’s a woman there. It’s a casual thing.”
Oh.
Right.
Of course.
The guy probably had a woman in every city.
Something occurred to me. “Did anyone know that’s where you were?”
He shrugged.
“Who?”
“Why?”
“Because some obsessive stalker who, up until that point, was trying to get you to ‘see them’ suddenly turned violent after you got back from spending time with whom I’m inferring is a woman you’re in a sexual relationship with. Was this the first time you’d seen any woman sexually in a while?”
Anger brightened Adair’s eyes. “Again, I am not discussing my private life with you.”
“Oh, give me a break, Adair. I’m investigating a stalker, not compiling gossip to sell to a tabloid.”
“That doesn’t mean I trust you.”
“Considering you’re the most uptight, mistrustful son of a bitch I’ve ever encountered, I’m not going to take that personally. But Mac trusts me, so you’re going to have to unshrivel your balls and share.”
He spluttered comically. “Unshrivel my what?”
“This is getting us nowhere.” I slammed the laptop shut and picked it up. “When you realize I’m right and there may be a correlation between you leaving for Glasgow and the acceleration of events, call me. I’m staying at the Gloaming until I can find cheaper accommodation.”
I’d just touched the door handle when Adair bit out, “Everyone knew about Glasgow. Everyone in Scotland, that is.”
I turned to face him, surprised he’d given in so quickly.
His tone rang with bitterness. “Someone sold photos of me and Leighanne kissing outside a coffee shop on Buchanan Street. The photos were all over the Scottish tabloids the next day. I made sure Leighanne was okay, that the tabloids had left her alone, then I cut short my stay and returned to Ardnoch. You showed up the next day, and so did a dead deer carcass.”
“I’ll assume that last sentence wasn’t meant as some kind of tonal comparison for that particular day.”
To my utter shock, Adair’s lips actually twitched.
Was that humor in his eyes?
Who knew?
Then I realized what he’d relayed meant
