The Perfect Secret (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book Eleven)

by Blake Pierce

  Hannah suspected that this exercise was as much about testing her boundaries as it was about checking to see if she was a cop. Despite the fact that she’d never undressed in front of a man before, she forced herself to act as if it was old hat, pulling off her top without hesitation.

  Elodie inspected the bra, then gave Rico the thumbs-up. He nodded his approval.

  “You can put it back on and get in,” Elodie told her before getting back in the front seat.

  As Hannah pulled her top back on, she saw that the other two were whispering intently. She decided that, with their attention off her momentarily, this was her best opportunity. As she slid back into the backseat, she “accidentally” knocked her backpack to the floor. Her stuff spilled out.

  Rico looked back at her, irritated.

  “Sorry,” she said. “I’m just a little nervous. This’ll only take a second.”

  She began shoving items back in the backpack. When Rico faced front again, she quickly opened the phone, hit the record button as she faked a cough, shut off the screen, and tossed it in the pack. She put it beside her on the seat and tried not to look at it while the others continued to whisper. Finally, Rico looked back at her again.

  “Are you a cop?” he asked.

  “No,” she answered.

  “Is your real name Hannah?”

  “Uh-huh,” she said.

  “Show me your ID.”

  She fished it out of her wallet and gave to him. He looked at it briefly, then tossed it back to her.

  “You turn eighteen in seven months,” he said. “That doesn’t give you much time.”

  “I’m a quick study,” she said, trying to sound confident but not cocky. “If I know what’s expected of me, I can hit the ground running.”

  Rico looked at Elodie.

  “I told you this one had potential,” she said.

  “What kind of experience do you have?” he asked.

  “Doing this for money?” Hannah said. “None. But I’ve had more than a few dates with older guys who were generous gift givers if I was liberal with my affection. Is this all that different?”

  Rico scrunched up his face as if she was a complicated algebra problem he was trying to solve.

  “I’m going to be straight with you, Hannah,” he said. “I don’t like to waste my time. You seem like you can handle yourself but if you’re not down for what I tell you next, this is the time to bail. I drop you off back at the corner, we go our separate ways, and everyone lives their lives. No hard feelings.”

  Hannah nodded her understanding. He continued without asking for a reply.

  “There’s a lot of money to be made here. But if I lay this out for you and you say you’re cool, and then back out, we will have a problem. The next step involves my boss, who talks to his bosses. They don’t like hiccups. They don’t like troublemakers. If they get upset with me, I get upset with you and that’s no good for anybody. Am I making myself clear?”

  “Crystal,” she replied, embracing the shiver of excited trepidation spinning up her spine. It was a rare thing for her—to feel something intensely. She allowed herself to get lost in it for a second, to let the tingling sensation called fear consume her.

  “Good,” Rico said, snapping her out of it. “Here’s the short version. I introduce you to my boss. He runs a full background check on you to make sure you’re cool. It’s way more than a wand and ID check. Some of our clients are big-time and they don’t want any complications. Are you going to be able to pass a background check, Hannah?”

  “Absolutely,” she lied.

  Any check they did would reveal not only that her adoptive parents had been murdered by her serial killer father, but that her half-sister was a criminal profiler who was cozy with the LAPD. That was likely an insurmountable hurdle to pass, which made it crucial to get as much intel out of this meeting as possible.

  “Excellent,” he said. “Assuming you’re right, you’ll be paired with a few of our more experienced, less…demanding clients. They’ll give us reviews based on your skill and enthusiasm. Consider it a probationary period. Assuming that goes well, you’ll be allowed to start dating whales. That’s where the big money is. You might even be asked to spend a few long weekends at our Big House.”

  “Big House?” she repeated, trying to project girlish enthusiasm.

  “Yeah—one of our sponsors provides a mansion with ocean views where girls can stay and get visits from clients. You’d have total run of the place—awesome media set-up, relaxing by the pool, unlimited access to whatever substances float your boat. It’s a constant party.”

  Alarm bells began ringing in Hannah’s head. Rico’s description sounded a lot like the house that Jessie had mentioned last night. As keyed up as she was, it occurred to her that this would likely be her only chance to make sure she was on the right track before she’d have to submit herself to the kind of interrogatory gauntlet she knew she’d never pass. In that moment, she decided she had to go for broke.

  “That sounds awesome,” she said as giddily as she could. “And Elodie mentioned that there could be travel too?”

  Rico shot the other girl a nasty look that seemed to suggest she’d spoken out of school. But when he turned back to Hannah, he had a big, clearly insincere smile on his face.

  “Let me put it this way. If you prove you’re a gamer, a lot of opportunities are definitely available. I know girls who quit school just months before graduating because they were raking in more dough than doctors and lawyers. But for that to be you, you’ve got to put in the work. Are you up for that?”

  She pretended to take a second to think it over, then gave her most animated nod.

  “I am,” she said.

  “Great,” he said. “Then I’m going to drop Elodie off and you and I can go get started on that background check.”

  For the first time since she’d gotten in the car, Hannah felt a flicker of what she thought might be real fear.

  “Now?” she said.

  “Why waste time, right?” he told her. “The quicker you get the go-ahead, the quicker you can start making big bucks. And like I said, the clock is ticking for you. Once you’re legal, your market value drops big time.”

  There was no way she could go with him. Once they did the background check and found out who she was, they’d immediately suspect her motives for agreeing in the first place. That severed head scenario suddenly seemed uncomfortably realistic.

  “I would totally do it today,” she said. “But I promised my mom I’d pick up my grandpa from chemo today. She usually does it but she had a double shift. If I’m not there when he’s finished, they’ll call her and I’ll be screwed.”

  Rico stared at her silently for so long that she almost felt uncomfortable.

  “This isn’t good, Hannah. How can we count on you when you can’t even do the first big meet that I ask for? And how are you supposed to do your client work if you have to pick up your sick grandfather all the time?”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “Normally it’s no big deal. I usually only have to get him about once a month. This just happens to be the day. But I didn’t want to miss meeting with you. I just didn’t know it would be more than a quick thing.”

  “We need to know you’re reliable,” he said.

  “I am,” she assured him. “Now that I know what’s involved, I’ll make it work. I really need this. I mean, the mansion and the travel sound great, but like I said, my grandpa’s sick. This money could really help with all the medical bills. That’s why you can count on me to be very popular.”

  He pondered that and seemed to find it compelling.

  “What about tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Tomorrow’s perfect,” she said. “I can totally make that work.”

  Rico glanced over at Elodie, who gave him a pleading look of her own. Her commission must be pretty nice to stick her neck out like this.

  “Fine,” he said. “Same time, same corner. Just you and me, got it?”


  Hannah nodded.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  They drove back to the corner near the school, this time taking a much more direct route. When they got out, Elodie leaned in through the passenger window to have a private word with Rico.

  Hannah stepped back, as if she was giving them space. But the real reason was to get a clear look at his license plate. She would have liked to have snapped a photo of it but knew that was out of the question. Instead she silently repeated the combination of numbers and letters until Elodie joined her.

  Rico pulled away and the two of them walked back to campus.

  “Good job,” Elodie said. “Other than the grandpa thing, I think that went well. And even that’s not so bad.”

  “Why do you say that?” Hannah asked.

  “You need money for his bills. That makes you desperate. They like desperate.”

  Hannah wondered how they’d like it when they got busted because of her. She couldn’t wait to tell Jessie.

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

  Jessie was paranoid.

  After what happened with the thumb drive and Detective Parker’s secure locker, she had to assume her movements were being monitored. That’s why she took forty-five extra minutes to get to her destination.

  First, after they left Percy Avalon’s castle, she had Karen drop her off near the busy intersection of Sunset and San Vicente. Then she made the short walk to the Book Soup bookstore a block away. She walked through the front door and wandered a few aisles, keeping an eye out for tails. When she was confident she wasn’t in anyone’s line of sight, she darted out the back door to the parking lot where she’d ordered her rideshare. The car was waiting.

  She was dropped off several miles south at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a place she knew all too well due to multiple, injury-related stays. After getting out, she hurriedly navigated multiple halls, stairwells, and elevators, ultimately emerging just across from the Beverly Center shopping mall.

  She joined the crowds there, exiting on the east side and hopping into another rideshare waiting for her on La Cienega Boulevard. Only then did she proceed to a house a block from her actual destination: the rented cottage of Beto Estrada.

  Once she got out, she walked slowly, eyeing every car that passed by. No one slowed down or gave her a second glance. Still, she cast nervous looks over her shoulder as she walked up to the front door and knocked. It took much longer than she liked for him to respond.

  “Go away,” he said through the door. “You can’t be here.”

  “We need to talk, Mr. Estrada,” she insisted.

  “It’s not safe—for either of us.”

  “I took precautions getting here, Mr. Estrada. I wasn’t followed. But if someone guesses that I was coming here and they see me on your front porch, all that effort is for nothing. Please let me in.”

  There was no answer. Jessie began to think that he’d simply walked away and planned to ignore her presence.

  “Go the side gate,” he said. “I’ll unlock it.”

  She darted over quickly to the wooden gate. While she waited, an unpleasant sense of guilt overcame her. It wasn’t until she had decided to come here to see him that she started to think about taking evasive measures. And even then, she hadn’t considered the extent to which he might be freaking out.

  At least she had the support of the LAPD behind her as she fought the power of Jasper Otis. Beto Estrada might be a successful attorney, but ultimately he was just a private citizen going up against a billionaire with unlimited resources and apparently, few scruples. He must be terrified.

  When Estrada got to the gate, he opened it just enough for her to slide through. Without a word, he led her to the small backyard.

  “Wouldn’t you rather go inside?” she asked.

  He shook his head.

  “I don’t think it’s secure,” he said. “Besides, you won’t be staying long. Why are you here?”

  Even before she’d arrived here, Jessie suspected that Estrada would be reluctant to sign on to what she had in mind. Looking at him now—exhausted, grief-stricken, and even more suspicious than she was of everyone around him, the chances seemed almost impossible. And yet she had to ask.

  “I need you to go on the record about Otis. I need to you to say what you heard on that recording and reveal where you got it.”

  “Why would that be, Ms. Hunt?” he asked bitterly. “Could it be because you lost it?”

  “Why do you say that?” she asked, taken aback.

  “Because of this,” he said, pulling a thumb drive out of his pocket. It looked like the same one he gave her yesterday.

  “Is that what I think it is?”

  He nodded.

  “I came home early today,” he told her. “I couldn’t concentrate at work. When I went into my office, I found it on my desk, along with this note.”

  He handed over a small piece of paper with a briefed typed message: WE KNOW.

  Jessie’s heart sank. She understood why Estrada was so freaked out. She couldn’t blame him. But even as she felt sympathy for his plight, her mind was processing her own.

  As evidence, the note was mostly useless. She could collect it, but he’d already handled it, compromising it. She doubted that whoever had left it was foolish enough to leave personal traces anyway. Besides, the paper and type were pretty standard. There was no way to distinguish where it came from. Worse, the statement “we know” was general enough that, even if they found the culprit, it would be hard to charge them with anything more than breaking and entering. It wasn’t technically a threat.

  “We can check the security footage,” she offered lamely. “Maybe that’ll reveal something.”

  “That’s not the point, Ms. Hunt, and you know it. I gave this drive to you yesterday for safekeeping and a day later I get it back, completely wiped clean, by the way. This is a clear message to me. Shut up or you end up like that detective. I hear it loud and clear.”

  Jessie knew it was pointless to argue with him. He was right. She was supposed to be someone he could count on and she’d failed him. Worse, she couldn’t promise him that it wouldn’t happen again. She motioned for him to follow her to the corner of the yard, far from the house. When he got there, she spoke quietly.

  “You’re obviously already aware that if they broke into your house to leave the drive, they’ve likely bugged it too. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did the same at your office. They’ve likely geo-tagged your car as well. I wouldn’t trust that your phone is secure either.”

  “You’re really bucking me up here,” he replied sarcastically, his shoulders sagging notably.

  “I just want to be straight with you, Mr. Estrada. Clearly, we underestimated the resources and commitment of the people who want to keep this secret. That’s on me. But I can still help you.”

  “How?” he asked beseechingly.

  “I’m friendly with an FBI agent. I can make one call and get you put in protective custody.”

  “I’m not testifying,” he insisted.

  “This isn’t about that. We’ll find a way to protect you, whether it’s formally part of the WITSEC program or not. We can get in a car now and go to his office.”

  He shook his head.

  “You really think they couldn’t find me? Come on, Ms. Hunt, don’t be naïve. If I run, that will make them even more suspicious of me and more likely to take action. At least now, they see that I’m just leading my life, not acting as some kind of threat. If I run, they’ll assume I’ve spilled, and they’ll decide to eliminate me.”

  Jessie was desperate to convince him otherwise. It wasn’t just about the case now. It wasn’t just about his dead ex-wife. It was her fault that his life was in danger. He had put his trust in her and she’d failed him. She had to help him. She had to be straight with him.

  “Mr. Estrada, there’s nothing preventing them from doing that right now,” she insisted. “At some point, they’re going to decide that leaving you alive isn’t worth t
he risk. That’s when you’ll have a car crash or suffer a drug overdose. They can make it look like an unfortunate accident. At least if you’re under FBI protection, they have to think twice. They’d know that anything that happened to you then would put them at real risk. Either way, your old life is over. But if you come with me now, you might still have one.”

  Estrada stared off into the distance. Jessie didn’t know if he was considering her idea or just remembering better times. Whatever it was, when he looked back at her, she knew immediately that he’d made the wrong choice.

  “I can’t,” he said. “I have clients who need me. I have elderly parents and a sister with kids. They could be put at risk if I run. If I pretend none of this happened and just lead my regular life, maybe these people will leave me alone. Even if they take me out, that’s where it ends.”

  Jessie nodded. She could tell there was no point in pressing him further.

  “Give me your phone,” she told him.

  He handed it over without asking why.

  “Here’s my number,” she said, adding it to his contacts. “If you change your mind, call me and ask me if Milly’s personal effects are available to be picked up. Tell me where to have them dropped off. That’ll be the sign for me to have a team pick you up immediately.”

  He looked at the number, then back up at her.

  “Thank you,” he said. “But I won’t be calling. I’ll walk you out now.”

  He led her back to the side gate, unlocked it, and opened it slightly.

  “Think of it as your emergency SOS call,” she pleaded. “Good to have it, even if you don’t need it.”

  “That’s sweet,” he said resignedly. “But we both know you’re already talking to a dead man.”

  She managed to wait until he’d closed the gate and she’d walked down the block to order her rideshare before losing it. She kicked a brick wall and even though her foot stung, she did it again. She wanted to scream and if she hadn’t been on a residential street, she would have.

  Jasper Otis was getting away with everything, including destroying the life of a man who’d just lost the woman he loved. She couldn’t allow it. No matter what it took, she had to stop this guy.