Not again.
Before she could stop it, a mental image of violent assault popped into her head. Bree had more than a decade of criminal investigations under her professional belt. She’d seen enough violence to be able to fill in all the nasty details. Queasy sweat gathered under her arms, and bile rose in her throat. Shame and anger bubbled up. The feelings of vulnerability and humiliation were exactly what he wanted. He was assaulting her mind, her sense of safety, and her personal privacy without even getting close to her.
And she couldn’t stop it, which aggravated her even more.
Damn him.
“More cappuccino?” Dana asked from the doorway. She studied her for a second, then her brows dropped with concern. “What is it?”
Bree waved a hand at her computer. “Why is a dick pic even a thing?”
Dana rounded the desk and looked over Bree’s shoulder. “It’s just another way to harass you.” She frowned. “Did it come to your professional or personal account?”
“It’s the work email.”
“How many have you gotten now?”
“I don’t know. I’ve received the occasional threatening or insulting message since I took the job, but there are a half dozen or so with the same voice. Even though they come from different email accounts, we suspect they’re written by the same person. These are different, beyond ordinary hate mail, and I can’t put my finger on why.”
Dana gestured toward the screen. “These seem like personal attacks—and the violence in the threats is escalating.”
“Exactly.” Bree forwarded it to the county forensic computer specialist, Rory MacIniss, with a brief message: Here’s another one.
“Has the tech had any luck locating the sender?”
Bree shook her head. “Not yet. Rory says the sender knows what he’s doing. He’s spoofing IP addresses to make it appear as if the emails are originating from other accounts, and he’s using a different disposable email account with each message so I can’t block them.” Bree closed her email and shut down the computer. “But there isn’t anything I can do about it. As long as it’s just emails, I have more important problems to worry about.”
Dana gave the closed computer a troubled look that conveyed her worry. “I know how capable you are, but those threats imply too much violence for my liking.”
“I can’t disagree.”
“You need to watch your back.”
“I will.” Bree did not appreciate feeling like a target. Her instincts told her that this hater wouldn’t stop at mere threats.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The mattress shifted, and a cold, wet nose bumped Matt’s face. Even half-asleep, he knew what it was. He opened his eyes. Greta stared at him from approximately two inches away. There was no sign of light behind the window blinds, but Matt had no doubt it was five thirty. The dog had an impressive internal clock. She hadn’t budged when Bree had left thirty minutes before. But now it was time to get up.
When his eyes met hers and he didn’t immediately rise, Greta shifted her position to plant both paws in the middle of his chest. She was not small, and her weight pressed the air from his lungs.
Matt reached up to pat her head, then pushed her off his lungs. “Good morning, Greta.”
Her tail began a slow wag, and she licked his face.
An irritated canine groan sounded from the foot of the bed. Matt looked beyond the young black dog. Brody opened one eye. If the older shepherd could have rolled it, he would have.
Matt sat up and lifted his phone from the nightstand. Five thirty-two.
“You’re good,” he said to Greta.
Her head cocked, and the arrogance in her face made him laugh. The dog had a huge ego.
Brody looked like he wanted to put his head under the covers.
“Sorry, buddy.” Matt patted a hind leg. “Just a few more weeks. If everything goes to plan, she’ll be off to the academy by the end of the month.”
Like Matt, the older dog would likely have mixed feelings after Greta left. Matt had been fostering her for his sister’s dog rescue. Greta had been adopted and returned. Matt had quickly recognized her potential. She was too smart, too driven to make a good house pet. But that same pain-in-the-butt disposition would make her a great police K-9. She was fearless, and in the months he’d been training her, she was never happier than when she was working.
She jumped off the bed and barked at him, prancing with excitement. She did not have Brody’s patience. His ability and willingness to think through a situation was uncanny. Matt had never met a dog that was his equal. Hell, he didn’t know many people as smart or as trustworthy as Brody.