When he’d closed the door, he dialed Chad’s number.
“’Lo?” came Chad’s voice.
“She’s getting some insanely threatening texts, Chad. Any chance you can trace them?”
“Well, hello to you too, Gabe,” Chad said cheerfully, but Gabe could hear Chad’s fingers on the keyboard and knew Chad wasn’t taking this lightly.
Gabe waited until Chad spoke again.
“Is the number blocked or can you see it?”
Gabe pulled his phone away from his ear and pulled up the texts that had gone to PJ’s phone. He jotted down the number and put the phone back to his ear before rattling the numbers off to Chad.
“Huh. This guy must not be worried about being traced,” Chad said.
“That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense if it’s the guy who has her journal,” Gabe said.
He heard the sound of more typing and then a grunt from Chad. “That’s because it’s Jimmy Mondo.”
“Mondo can’t be the person who leaked those parts of her journal, so that must mean she’s got two big problems to deal with here,” Gabe said, not liking the fact that PJ was keeping all of this so quiet.
Sure, it’s not like he was her best friend, but damn, he thought she knew she could come to him for help.
“Have any other texts come through?” Chad asked.
“Not since you installed the software. If the guy who’s got the journal has contacted her, it hasn’t been since last night.”
“Call when you get something and I’ll see if I can trace it. If they block the number, there’s a possibility I can still get an ID. It all depends on the carrier they use. But, let me know and I’ll try,” Chad said.
“Thanks, Chad. I owe you,” Gabe said. Chad just laughed and hung up the phone.
When Gabe came out of the office, PJ stood at the kitchen island filling a kettle, then placing it on the stove to heat.
“Sorry. I hope you don’t mind,” she said gesturing to the mug and teapot by the stove.
“Not at all,” Gabe said. “Help yourself to anything while you’re here. I have the caretakers keep the place pretty heavily stocked.” He slid onto a stool across from her and looked at her.
Her eyes still looked tired even though her hair was mussed from bed. She looked like she might have taken a short nap, but didn’t get the sleep she needed. Chances were, she wasn’t sleeping very well.
“Have you heard from Jimmy Mondo about all this?” he asked, and she damn near jumped out of her skin.
“Um,” she started, fidgeting with the handle of her mug.
“If you lie to me, I can’t help you,” Gabe said quietly. Her round eyes found his and she flushed.
“I don’t think there’s anything you can do to help me,” she whispered, and he wondered why she took on all this by herself.
“What if all I want to do is listen?” he asked though he wanted to tear the guy to pieces. He also wanted to know what had her so scared. And what had Jimmy Mondo so angry?Could there be more?
What could be in the journal that hadn’t already been leaked?
PJ’s eyes seemed locked to his as if she couldn’t pull herself away, and he hoped she’d see that all he wanted to do was help. If she’d just open up to him....
The sound of her phone chiming broke the moment and PJ froze, eyeing her phone on the counter as if it were a snake. Gabe’s fingers itched to pull out his phone to read the text, but that obviously wasn’t an option.
He waited as PJ slowly reached out and read the text, then raised her eyes to his.
“Care to share, Pru?” he asked, and was a bit surprised when she slid the phone across the granite counter to him, her hand shaking the slightest bit. He kept his eyes on hers for just a minute before lifting the phone.