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“You could’ve just hidden the evidence and pretended you’d cooked this feast yourself.” She swept a hand across the counter. “I would’ve never known and been so impressed.”
“Never had you pegged as a woman impressed by food or cooking or…lying.” He picked up one of the white plastic bags and waved it like a flag. “I give credit where credit is due—Han Ting.”
She grabbed the take-out container with the rice and dug a spoon into it. “I’m impressed that you followed me into the forest, without my knowledge, and then ran toward me when you heard me scream. Rice?”
“Please.” He shoved both plates toward her and opened another container.
They piled their plates high with food, Finn poured the wine she brought into the two waiting glasses, and they sat down across from each other. “This is a nice place, remote but not too far from civilization. At least you have a few neighbors on the water.”
“Blood money.” He tore into a packet of soy sauce and dumped it over his food. “Settlement from my dad’s accident.”
“I’m sure he would’ve approved of this place, close to nature and the things you love.” She plucked a piece of chicken from her plate and pointed at Bodhi. Finn nodded.
“I think he would’ve been happier had I stayed with law enforcement. That was his dream job for me.”
“Yeah, well, parents aren’t supposed to have dream jobs for their kids.” She broke apart a pair of chopsticks and clicked them together. “But at least your dad had dreams for you. My mom’s dreams included the government money she got for two kids. She would’ve been even happier to collect for a third, my half brother, but he was a few years younger than I and someone in the neighborhood tattled on her, so protective services whisked him away.”
“Have you ever tried to track him down?”
“It was a closed adoption.” She shrugged, trying to make light of the pain she felt when children’s services snatched away her baby brother. “Tiffany had made some strides in locating him, but she never had a chance to share any of thatwith me. I started from scratch recently. I even hired someone to help. She’s made a few inquiries, but no luck so far.”
“Have you been back to the house where you grew up? I remember it wasn’t far from here. On the other side of the peninsula by Bangor Base, right?”
“That’s right. I took you there once. It was the only stability in Mom’s life. A navy buddy of my grandfather’s owned the place and let us live there for cheap. Wasn’t much of a house.” She gave an exaggerated shiver, shimmying her shoulders. “I wouldn’t go back there now. Nothing but bad memories.”
“I’m sorry. That must’ve been a tough life for you girls. If Tiffany protected you in that environment, I understand why it’s so important for you to get justice for her.”
“Shedidprotect me, but it was at her expense. She figured as long as she could keep the attention of Mom’s sleazy boyfriends on her and away from me, she was doing her job as a big sister. I mean, it only makes sense she would turn to drugs and sex work after a childhood like that.” Jessica’s eyes watered and she sniffed, but it wasn’t due to the spicy beef she’d just popped into her mouth.
“It makes sense. Tiffany was a hero. Hey—” he aimed a chopstick at her “—I discovered something interesting today, or rather someoneinteresting. Did Tiffany ever mention a guy named Deke Macy to you?”
“Deke Macy. Doesn’t sound familiar. Who is he?”
He explained to her how he’d checked out the greeting cards in the student store and landed in Deke Macy’s office.
Finn said, “He had a creepy attitude toward the young women on campus.”
“Sounds like a loser, but what would he have to do with Tiffany?”
“I found out from the accounting supervisor in the office, Nia, that Deke has been working at the university for about twelve years, and he started in food service…like Tiffany.”
“Oh my God, yeah. If he was still working food service ten years ago, he would’ve worked with my sister. Did he mention Tiffany?”
“No, that’s the weird thing. We were discussing the current campus murders, so you’d think he would’ve brought up the fact that he’d worked with a previous murder victim.”
“Maybe, but why be so obvious about his attraction to the young women on campus? He had to know that would be a red flag for you, or anyone. You didn’t hear him laugh, did you? There would be no mistaking that laugh.”
“Nope.” Finn maneuvered a piece of chicken with his chopsticks. “He must already have a reputation on campus. Why try to pretend or hide it now? The kids seem to call him Dick instead of Deke.”
Jessica started to smirk and then stopped. “Wait. Dick does sound familiar. Tiffany used to talk a lot about her coworkers because it was her first real job, and I remember her joking about some guy named Dick. What are you going to do with this information?”
“Already done. I reported my conversation with Deke to Detective Morse. I mean, there’s more. Both Morgan and Missy worked on campus in the university bookstore complex. The student employees who open and close the registers have to pick up and drop off the cash at accounting. Deke’s office is in the accounting area.”
“So Morgan and Missy were in that office, near Deke?”
“That, I don’t know. Nia, the accounting manager, doesn’t remember either of the girls being regulars.” He took a sipof wine. “Doesn’t mean they weren’t there, and Deke didn’t know them. What did you discover today?”
She jabbed a finger at him. “You uncovered a person of interest. I just remembered my sister’s favorite color.”