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“What are we hoping to find here?”
“I’m not sure we’ll find anything of use, but I did see Fuller’s car parked closer to the building. It’s matches the make, model, and plate number.”
He’d seen more than she had.
“Where did you see it?” she asked, craning her neck to see over the long row of vehicles.
They had parked away from the buildings, not wanting to draw any attention to themselves. As it was, they were hanging back standing under a large oak tree.
“There,” Grant said, pointing to the far end where they’d driven in. “It’s still in his name and someone has been paying the registration while he’s inside.”
Mia didn’t get a chance to reply as the door to the apartment swung open. A young woman stepped out, juggling her purse, keys, and a toddler perched on her hip.
“It looks like?—”
“I know who she is,” Mia interrupted. Damn, she’d been so stupid. So incredibly dumb. Kevin had to be laughing his ass off at her every single day. “Her name is Gala Dayton. She worked in the office where Kevin would get his assignments. He always told me that he thought she was ugly and talked too much. I should have known. She was far too nice to him, and whenever I’d mention it, he’d tell me I was imagining things. I’m not imagining that little girl. It’s probably Kevin’s kid. The timing would be about right. She looks two or three years old.”
Had Kevin cheated on Mia? Did it even matter anymore? Mia wasn’t upset about it or hurt. If he had, it was simply one more thing that he’d done because he didn’t give a shit about her. He only cared about himself.
“Jason and I are checking into her background, making sure she hadn’t traveled to Florida in the last month or communicateed with any of Fuller’s friends who might do favors for him.”
Gala strapped the toddler into a car seat in the back of her vehicle before climbing in and driving away.
“We now know how the rent is getting paid,” Mia said. “I wish I could say I was shocked, but Kevin didn’t go long between girlfriends. In fact, he may have been seeing her before I even left.”
“Are you okay? I’m still not sure it was a good idea for you to come on this trip.”
“I’m fine. Kevin lost the ability to hurt me long ago. Looking back, I can’t imagine why I was with him in the first place. I think I was just lonely and wanted someone in my life.”
“And he recognized that and took advantage of you.”
“I don’t want to be a victim,” Mia replied firmly. “I hate that stuff. I need to own my own decisions back then. I knew it wasn’t right, but I stayed because I was afraid to be alone. Eventually, being alone wasn’t so scary anymore. It was preferable. But it took a while to get there.”
They stood there for a few more minutes, but no one else came out of the apartment. Mia and Grant went back to their vehicle, and headed out of the apartment complex, toward their next stop. Kevin’s former cellmate, Leo Gillette.
Grant’s cell phone rang, and he handed it to Mia, asking her to answer it for him since he was driving. It was his cousin Jason, so she put the call on speaker.
“Hey, we’re in Savannah,” Grant said. “Do you have any news for me?”
“I looked into your administrative assistant Jill’s background and found nothing of interest. She’s never had so much as a parking ticket. Squeaky clean. She did have a reputation at her college for being a partier, but she dropped out last year to come back home and help out her mother who had a few health setbacks but seems to be fine now. She’s enrolled for the fall semester so it looks like you might be losing an excellent employee.”
“Damn, I guess I am. She hadn’t mentioned that yet. I’m glad she’s going back to school, though. She’s smart and, honestly, deserves better than a job at the sheriff’s station. Anything about Ashley?”
“She has a more interesting past,” Jason replied. “Her divorce was contentious, both her and her husband pointing fingers that the other had been unfaithful. It got ugly with him vandalizing her car, and then she retaliated by spray painting the outside of his house. All charges were eventually dropped as part of the divorce settlement. It sounds like Ashley has a bit of a temper and isn’t opposed to taking some revenge if it suits her. If I were you, I’d stay far away.”
“Shit, I never heard any of that about Ashley. She didn’t live in town when she was married. She came back after the divorce. I don’t think she’s done anything like that since she’s returned.”
“Just in case, I’d give her some space. But that’s just me.”
“You’re right,” Grant agreed. “After what she pulled and what you’ve told me, I’m not sure of her stability. I’ll definitely keep my distance. Listen, I need to go. We’ve arrived at Fuller’s cellmate’s home. We’re going in to talk to him.”
“Good luck. I’ll keep you posted if I find anything else.”
“Your cousin scares me a little bit,” Mia confessed. “How does he find out such personal information? I’m kind of scared to ask.”
“One of his partners is a genius at digging into a person’s life. They also have many employees who have covert operations experience. Sitting next to someone at a bar or a restaurant and kicking off a seemingly innocent conversation is like child’s play to them. They could get your college roommate to talk all about what it was like to live with you without them ever knowing they’re divulging any sort of important information.”
“That is truly frightening. Do you do that?”
