Ethan made notes, but he was also looking around as he did, taking it all in. You couldn’t see the studio from the front windows. You saw counter, and where you’d check in and pay, but the painting area had to be in the back.
So, no one was watching Phylis while she worked.
“Okay, and?”
“They started wrapping up around ten thirty. After they cleaned up their areas, they headed out.”
Sarah Beth agreed.
“I was here that night, not Johnny. He was upstairs in our apartment, and I closed up. The ladies paid, scheduled a painting night for next week, and headed out.”
Gene was curious.
“Where was Phylis?” he asked.
Sarah Beth pointed.
“She was across the street under that light, waiting for a cab. She called one before they checked out.”
Gene was curious.
“Was anyone hassling her?” he asked.
Both people shook their heads.
“No. We have these party nights for the ladies who don’t like bars or to be bothered by anyone. It’s a safe, inclusive space where they can get tipsy and have fun,” Sarah Beth admitted. “When they left, she waved to her friends and crossed the street. That’s her norm.”
Gene kept pushing.
“And when did you notice she was gone?” he asked.
Sarah Beth considered it.
“When I came out to double-check the doors at about eleven fifteen. I had headed back to put their bunnies in the kiln and turned it on. I came up front to double-check the lock and then head up.”
She pointed at a door not far away.
Johnny agreed.
“We ate a late dinner at eleven thirty and went to bed afterward. It was a normal night for us.”
Gene kept pushing.
“And you didn’t hear a scream or…?”
They both shook their heads.
“We absolutely would have gone out and seen what happened if we heard a woman screaming,” Johnny offered. “We saw on the news that she went missing, and we feel terrible about it. We should have let her stand inside until the cab pulled up, but Phylis had a routine.”
Yeah, and Ethan knew that was likely how this collector got her. Routines were dangerous. Going home the same way was dangerous.
It was always best to deviate.
“Do you hear what the ladies talk about?” Gene asked. “You know…when they are doing their arts and crafts?”
Sarah Beth nodded.
“I’m always here when it’s the ladies, and Johnny covers mixed parties or birthday parties. The women were talking about Easter, and their boyfriends or husbands. We put out a charcuterie board, and they bring their wine.”
