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“She could have done that on a computer. Did you look up the agent? Justine…” Her mind was blank for the woman’s full name, even though she knew they got it from Felicity’s best friend yesterday.
“Justine Livingston,” Trent replied, without consulting his notes. She needed her coffee more than he needed his. “When I searched for Livingston online, I found her agency’s website and a contact form. But once I realized her office is in Washington—like Kelley’s publisher, Garrison & Marrow—I found her cell phone number through police databases. I tried reaching her but had to leave a voicemail.” He bit off another piece of donut.
“I assume you have an address for her though?”
He chewed, swallowed. “That was easy enough.”
“Okay, let’s hit the publisher first. If Justine doesn’t call back by the time we’re finished at the publishing house, we’ll just drop in.”
“Works for me. On the publisher front, I found out that Felicity’s editor was Melody Schmitt.”
She was pleased with all he’d accomplished, and it was clear the case hadn’t suffered because she’d stepped away for the evening. Maybe striking a work–life balance wasn’t impossible. After all, it wasn’t up to her to right the world. Serve and protect—one case at a time. Today, she intended to do just that. “We’ll start by speaking with her.”
He nodded. “Just as a reminder, we still have Felicity’s social media to look at.”
“Let me scroll through that on her phone while you drive.”
“You bet.” Trent stood and stuffed the rest of the donut in his mouth just before picking up his coffee. She grabbed Felicity’s phone, hoping it contained their next lead.
FIFTEEN
The drive to Washington was high traffic between the day of week, time, and summer tourists, atop the regular commuters. One benefit to the bumper-to-bumper traffic was it afforded Amanda more time to scroll through the mentions on Felicity’s social media accounts. The same story applied to all of them. “No stalkers or haters replying to her posts.”
“That surprises me.” Trent glanced over but quickly turned his gaze back on the road. He slammed on the brakes to avoid colliding with the sedan in front of them, which came to a quick stop. “People need to learn how to drive.” He slapped the wheel in frustration.
She let a few beats pass. “Going back to Felicity’s socials… It comes as a shock to me too—especially given the size of her following.”
“Agreed, and trolls aren’t known for being quiet. It’s possible her agent, her publisher, or someone else handles her public persona and makes sure it’s kept clean.”
Amanda’s mind turned that over—the bit about someone handling Felicity’s social media accounts. It was incredible how much her life must have changed with her newfound fame.
Trent pulled into the parking lot for Garrison & Marrow Publishing minutes after ten AM. The drive that would normally take about forty-five minutes had taken them an hour and a half. Still no call from the agent.
They pushed through the revolving door, entered the lobby of the grandiose building, and walked to the reception desk.
“Good morning.” A young woman was posted there and smiling at them.
Amanda returned the greeting and added, “We’d like to speak with Melody Schmitt.”
The receptionist’s eyes narrowed. “Do you have an appointment with her?”
“We don’t. We’re detectives with the Prince William County Police Department, and her name has come up in one of our investigations.” She pulled her badge, though it held no power here, jurisdiction wise. Still, it would give their presence some credit.
The woman paled in increments and licked her painted lips. “Let me see if I can get her.”
“Thank you.”
She tapped the piece on her ear, and it lit blue. “Melody, you have visitors at reception… Yes, I know. No appointment, but they are police… They didn’t exactly say…” The woman’s eyes danced over Amanda and Trent. “What is this about?”
“It’s regarding an open investigation in Prince William County.” If Felicity’s murder hadn’t hit the news yet, it was only a matter of time. Regardless, there was no point mentioning it to the receptionist.
The woman repeated Amanda’s words, waited a few seconds, then said, “I’ll let them know.” She tapped on her earpiece again, and the light disappeared. “Melody will meet you in the eleventh-floor conference room. Take the elevator up, turn left, and the room is to the immediate right.”
“Thank you.”
“Uh-huh.”
Amanda and Trent walked toward the elevators. She could feel the receptionist’s eyes watching their every step and imagined what she’d be saying to her colleagues once they were out of earshot. Two detectives showing up from out of town would likely fuel gossip for some time.
