Blake lets out an aggravated groan so loud there’s no mistaking that she’s ready to throw a chair through a window.
“That bad?” I keep my hands in my lap so as not to disturb
She smacks her fists on the table as she scowls at all the papers. “I know every paper, picture, and Post-it that was moved. I marked them with these little yellow stickers.” Sheholds up a full sheet of bright yellow circular stickers, shaking it around as if it personally offended her.
Leaning back in my seat, I get comfortable and cross my arms. “That’s a start.”
She waves her hand over her hard work. “But I did all of that hours ago. Nothing else makes sense. None of it.”
“Want to talk it out?” I suggest.
Blake falls back in her own chair, sighing up at the ceiling. “I guess it couldn’t hurt, unless my brain explodes.”
“Drama queen.”
She sits up, giving me the same scowl that she gave the table. “Overbearing oaf.”
Cuing the discussion, I start. “Santiago mentioned you thought the Debt Collector and your stalker could be connected.”
Blake nods in confirmation. “The more I look at it, the more I think they may be working together.” She holds up one of the photographs containing a yellow sticker. “My intruder?—”
“You mean attacker,” I correct.
“Intruder,” Blake persists, widening her eyes, “moved the Silver Pines flier next to my stuff on the Debt Collector.”
A detail we all noticed last night.
Sitting up, I point to the photo in her hand. “What do you think that has to do with the texts?”
“He wrote the word ‘present’ on the flier.” She indicates the bolded letters on the flier. “The texter?—”
“Stalker,” I correct again.
Blake continues as if I didn’t speak at all. “—also called the body at the trailer park a present.”
That is a bit alarming.
“That does feel significant,” I agree.
Returning the picture to its place, she gestures to the Debt Collector’s victims. “But I can’t figure out what Silver Pines has to do with Derek Holt and Reverend Ricks.”
The riddle of the century.
“I’m not sure either, but I put Neil Redford under police protection. Ridge has been on him since last night,” I inform her.
Her face scrunches. “Who?”
“Neil Redford,” I reiterate.
Frowning, Blake squints.
“Silver Pines.”
The dots still don’t connect for her.
“He’s the owner and developer of Silver Pines,” I clarify. “And the manager at Evergreen Community Bank.”
Her brows lift with understanding. “That makes sense.” She takes another hearty gulp of the coffee. “Why are you doing this?”
