J.K. Coi

GUEST AUTHOR: Leah Braemel

First of all, I want to thank JK for inviting me to be a guest on her blog.

Lately a lot of people have been asking how I came up with the idea of Private Property. I thought I’d bring along a transcript of an interview I did in April of this year between myself and Jodi Tyler, the heroine – if you can call her that – of Private Property.

Leah: I’m sitting in the Hauberk Security offices in Dallas, Texas with Jodi Tyler … (Leah hesitates) or do you prefer to be called Jodi Rodriguez now?

Jodi: Tyler, please, while I’m at work. I use Rodriguez only when I’m off duty.

Leah (reading from her notes): Ms. Tyler, you’re a former Dallas police officer who was a security specialist with Celada Security. As a matter of interest, what is a celada, by the way?

Jodi laughs: It’s an old-fashioned helmet the conquistadors used to wear – my husband has one in his office if you’d like to see it. His grandfather claims it was originally worn by one of his ancestors.

Leah (consulting her notes again): I see that just after Celada was bought out by Hauberk Security, one of the biggest protection agencies on the east coast, you were made the vice president of Western Operations. That’s quite an impressive accomplishment, congratulations.

Jodi: Thank you, I’m quite proud of my work considering there are so few women in my profession.

Leah: You should be proud, it’s tough be the only woman in a company full of men. (Leah leans forward.) Now Jodi, I have a few questions about a specific security check you did last July. According to my sources, you were assigned to break into a Lake Arlington estate to prove the flaws in its security? Yet there no report filed. Why is that?

Jodi (clears her throat): Mr. Rodriguez and I gave an oral report to the owner rather than filing a written one, as Mr. Watson—the client—directed.

Leah: Yes, Mr. Rodriguez – the former owner of Celada Security who is currently a junior partner in Hauberk Protection. And now your husband of course. (Leah flips through papers and reads from her notes) Mark Rodriguez - a former Marine who started Celada with a loan from his uncle, worked it into one of the biggest security firms not only in the Dallas Metroplex but the eastern half of Texas before Hauberk took it over. (Leah looks up and smiles.) He’s a very good looking man, if I do say so myself. Reminds me a bit of Benjamin Bratt.

Jodi (smiling): Yes, I think so too.

Leah: Now, Ms. Tyler, there are rumors that that evening you were to break into the Lake Arlington home of Mr. Samuel Watson, the owner of Hauberk and the man who is now your boss, was not so much an assignment as much as an assignation. There are rumors that the three of you agreed to a sexual encounter, specifically a ménage. Was that standard operating procedure for Celada employees, Ms. Tyler?

Jodi (flips her hair from her face in what I believe may be a sign of uneasiness): For your information, Ms. Braemel, Mr. Watson was simply testing my skills that night. A prudent measure for a business man to take when he’s planning on acquiring a company.

Leah: Are you sure that’s the story you wish to go with, Jodi?

Jodi doesn’t speak but stares at me, refusing to look away.

I hand Jodi a piece of paper that had originally been torn up but I’d carefully taped back together.

Leah: This was found in the garbage by the cleaning service the morning after your … assignment. Would you mind reading off the heading please?

Jodi crumples the note and sticks it in her pocket: It says “My Sexual Fantasies.” What’s your game, Ms. Braemel?

Leah looks over her glasses at Jodi: My game is to get the whole story, Ms. Tyler. My readers want to know what went on that night.

Jodi: There is no story. I broke into the house, left a note in Mr. Watson’s safe to prove the security system was inadequate. End of story.

Leah: I think otherwise, Ms. Tyler. And I can prove it.

Jodi shakes her head and curses under her breath.

Leah: Ms. Tyler, are you aware that I don’t need your cooperation? Handwriting experts have confirmed it’s your writing on that note. Plus there was also a very graphic video left on the computer’s security monitoring system. So why don’t you tell me your side of it?

Look for the full story of what happened that night when Samhain Publishing releases Private Property on January 27th.

For this and other stories by Leah Braemel, check out http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/leah-braemel or check out Leah’s website at http://www.leahbraemel.com