The news struck Derek like a thunderclap.
Yet his first reaction wasn't panic or grief. It was overwhelming rage.
Violence surged in his eyes, and his voice turned razor-cold with fury. "Enough!" he snapped, cutting off the secretary. "Did Elise pay you off, or are you helping her put on this act willingly?
"She's too clever and cautious to get herself trapped in a warehouse. She can't possibly be dead! Is it fun for all of you to team up and lie to me?"
His secretary broke down completely. Speaking through tears, she frantically tried to explain. "Mr. Lockwood, I'm not lying! No one paid me off! Everyone at the scene saw it. The firefighters and police are all here—there's no way this could be faked! The body really is Ms. Marlowe's. Come see for yourself!"
The secretary's panic was
