Profile of Terror by Alexa Grace Page B

ran his fingers through his thick hair and thought about the email and how it had come from Abby's laptop.  Brody needed to get possession of her laptop and have the crime scene technician team examine it for prints and DNA.  The email was signed "Gamers," which meant there was more than one of them.  They'd written they'd left a "surprise" behind the bar specifically for him.  Were the Gamers people he knew, or people who knew him?  If the body was Abby's, did they target her to get back at him for some reason?  Or was it his brother, Brody, they had the beef with?  If the killers thought of this as a game to test the sheriff's detectives, this would not be the only victim unless they caught them quickly. 
     
    Gabe was so engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't notice that Brody had entered the restaurant until he sat down at his booth.  Within seconds, Mollie was hovering over them with a pot of hot coffee.  Once she warmed up Gabe's brew, she poured coffee into a mug for Brody.
     
    "Are you having breakfast, Brody?  We've got fresh cinnamon buns this morning."
     
    "No thanks, Mollie.  Just the coffee." 
     
    Brody waited until Mollie headed back to the kitchen, then leaned across the table.  "Talk to me.  Start from the beginning."
     
    Gabe explained how he'd learned Abby was missing and that he was looking for her. 
     
    "Why didn't you or Cam discuss this with me?"  Brody interrupted, obviously annoyed his brothers left him out.
     
    "There was nothing you could do.  She was missing from Tippecanoe County, out of your jurisdiction."
     
    "Besides being the sheriff, I'm your brother.  A woman you dated goes missing.  You don't think I'd be interested in that?"
     
    "I'm sorry, Brody.  Everything was moving so fast.  All I knew was that I had to find her."  He paused, remembering the email the killers had sent him.  "You have to get Abby's laptop from her apartment.  I traced it back to its IP address, and the email I showed you from the killers is from her laptop."
     
    "How do you know where Abby's laptop is?  I thought you two broke up?"
     
    "It was there when I searched her apartment."
     
    "When was this?"
     
    "The day I found out she was missing, and talked to the West Lafayette police."
     
    "They gave you permission to search Abby Reece's apartment?"
     
    "She'd given me a key, and I wanted to see if there was anything in her apartment that would tell me where she was."
     
    "In other words, you compromised what could have been the crime scene and illegally searched a missing person's apartment.  What were you thinking, Gabe?" 
     
    A tone sounded and Gabe looked down to read a text from Kaitlyn.  She was waiting for him at his office. That's all he needed.  What in the hell was he supposed to say to her?
     
    Slapping a twenty dollar bill on the table, Gabe said, "I have to go."
     
    "We're not through talking, Gabe," Brody insisted.
     
    "Kaitlyn is waiting for me at my office."
     
    "Who's Kaitlyn?"
     
    "Abby's sister.  She hired me to find Abby."
     
    Brody shook his head. "You've got to be kidding."
     
    "No." Gabe slid out of the booth.
     
    "Gabe, you have to be interviewed. If the body is identified as Abby Reece, you not only dated her, you found the body. A detective from the Indiana State Police will be here this week.  Stick around so I can find you."
     
    "State Police?"
     
    "Yes, since you're my brother, it's an obvious conflict of interest for anyone from my staff to do it."
     
    "Right," Gabe muttered.
     
    "Another thing.  I have to suspend you as our computer forensic consultant."
     
    "Really? Then who is going to examine the contents of Abby's laptop?"
     
    "I'll have to find another consultant."
     
    "Wait a minute.  I know who you can hire.  Call Anne Mason-Brandt."
     
    "Anne?  I know she used to own a computer-related company, but she's not qualified to do computer forensics."
     
    "Yes, she is.  She got certified about six months ago.  Anne does a