Page 57

Reena shook her head. “No, Alice, you are messing the story up. I asked if he was lost because he walked up and down the drive three times. I didn’t know if he was trying to read the house number, because it’s hard to read with the ivy growing over it.”
Alice rolled her eyes. “Okay, so Reena thought the man was illiterate.”
“That’s not what I said,” Reena interrupted again. “Look, Alice and I were sitting in the front room getting ready forJeopardy!like we always do when she saw a man out front. We both watched him walk up and down the drive a few times. So I stepped out on the porch...”
“And I grabbed the gun!” Alice added.
Reena nodded. “Yes, Alice grabbed the gun and I asked the man if he was lost. He startled a little at my voice. I guess he wasn’t expecting us to approach him. Then he asked if we knew where y'all lived.”
“Exceptin’ he didn’t sound like anyone from Otterville Falls. He had to be from somewhere out west, I would imagine.” Alice’s brows knit together. “He didn’t sound anything like Mark or Brian.”
“Anyhow,” Reena took the story back, “we said that Sheriff Bridges would be the best one to ask for directions because he knew everybody.”
“That was really smart of you, Reena.” Alice patted her plump friend’s arm.
Reena beamed. “Well, it was just so excitin’. And then he said that he was willing to pay, and we said there was no reason to give money for something the Sheriff would hand out for free.”
Alice jumped in again. “The man nodded like that made sense to him, tipped his hat, and left.”
I felt dread in the pit of my stomach. “And did you tell Knox about the man?”
They nodded.
“Yes, Mark. We, we told him first, but then we wanted to come here and tell you and Sutton because maybe he might ask someone else that would just show him your way. Not everyone has a criminal deductive mind like Alice and me.”
Alice’s eyes sparkled. “Indeed, that is just what we have.”
I ran a hand through my short hair, knowing that it most likely was standing on end. Sutton had been exhausted from the sale and was currently sleeping.
“Do you mind telling my brother the story you told me?”
The ladies’ cheeks pinked.
“That handsome man? Goodness, me, I should be delighted!” Alice tittered.
A part of me felt bad about letting them loose on Brian, but the larger, more sadistic part hoped that they laid it on thick.
I texted Brian that I had some more information. He wasn’t far from the house, and within twenty minutes, the whole story had been told again.
Brian looked at me. “I am going to bring some more guys to monitor the house from the outside. Ladies, you should never open the door to a stranger.”
I almost smiled at their looks of outrage.
“I will have you know, sonny, that I know a thing or two about people.” Reena’s chins were wobbling. “And this man, he wasn’t a threat to us.”
“Any stranger is a threat,” Brian went on, undeterred. “We already have one girl missing and Max is dead. For all we know, the man that you spoke with could be behind all of this.”
They paled.
“You think we were talking to a murderer?” Alice barely got out.
It was impressive the way Brian had been able to get his point across to the ladies so quickly. My brother was good at his job, and I felt a surge of pride knowing that he was watching out for us.
“Ladies, are you arming the security system that I put in at your house?”
They looked back at me guiltily.
“It’s just that it’s a bit complicated. And then if we step outside for a moment, the damn thing goes off and wakes half the block.”