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His pulse increased. “Do you know his name?”
“Something weird.”
“Can you be more specific?”
“It was a tool.”
She wasn’t making any sense. “A tool, as in a drill, a hammer, or maybe a saw?”
She grinned. “Yes. That’s it. His name was Hammer.”
This was getting stranger by the minute. “Hammer? Are you sure?”
“Yes. It’s a hard one to forget—though I just did. I remember he ordered a coffee, and I wrote his name on the cup. Before you ask, he paid cash. Not many people do these days.”
That was too bad. “What did he look like?”
“Big fellow, a bit over six feet with short, light brown hair.” Pauline tapped her nose. “He had a bump right along the ridge.”
“Like it had been broken.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you! You’ve helped a lot,” Benson said.
“If I see him again, should I call you?”
He didn’t want the man to catch wind of the fact they might be on to him, though it was possible Hammer had just moved to town and was totally innocent. On the other hand, he could be Ariel’s stalker. It was better to be safe, so Benson handed her his card. “Sure.”
He returned to the table.
“The two of you sure were chatting up a storm,” Preston said. “Learn anything?”
He told them what Pauline said. “The problem is that even if we locate this Hammer guy, there is nothing to tie him to the photos.”
Ariel sighed. “It’s not like I can ask to see his phone.”
Benson chuckled. “No, and it’s possible he used a DSLR camera.”
“Walking around with a big camera these days would be rather obvious,” she said.
“If you want to keep out of sight, sometimes you need something with a long lens,” Benson said, and Ariel nodded.
“What’s the plan?” Preston asked.
“After we eat, let’s visit Uncle Adam. I told him someone had tried to run you over, but I’m sure he’ll want to hear the account from you.”
“Why? I can’t identify the car that hit me.”
“I know. You thought it was white, but sometimes even the smallest detail can help.”
She shrugged. “Okay.”
The waitress came over, and all three ordered. As soon as the server went back to the kitchen, Ariel leaned forward. “How are we going to find this Hammer guy?”
Benson figured she’d hone in on him. “My cousin, Mason Granger, is a private investigator. He’s told me many times that he’s quite good at finding people.”
“I’ve seen his office. Do you think your uncle can look too?” Ariel asked.
