Page 103 of It's a Wonderful Knife

“The knife?”

“Yeah. It wasn’t the same as the one that killed Santiago.”

Shock rolled through me. “What?”

“I remember the other knife, and the one this guy threatened Dakota with was smaller. The handle is different.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. The homeless guy had an old-school fixed blade. The handle is gray canvas, so at a distance, it looks similar to the other one.”

“I thought it was the same,” I muttered.

“It’s not. The one that killed Santiago had a fixed blade as well, but it was slightly larger, and the handle was a silvery mother of pearl kind of thing.”

“Shit. I… I just saw a gray color and assumed it was the same.”

“Anyone might.”

I sat up on my elbow. “So, are you saying you’re positive the homeless guy didn’t kill Santiago?”

“Not exactly. But I am saying if he did kill Santiago, he used a different knife.”

“I see.”

“He definitelycouldhave killed Santiago. It’s possible he had more than one knife.”

“The guy barely had pants. His clothes were in rags, and he was literally starving. How would he afford two knives? It’s surprising he had one.”

“I know.”

“If that guy didn’t kill Santiago, then the killer is still out there.”

“Yes.” He sighed. “If the killer is someone else, they probably think they’re in the clear right now.”

“What do we do?”

“I’m not sure. We definitely don’t share this information with anyone.”

“Well, I know that,” I huffed.

“Don’t get all mad,” he said patiently. “You might have told Girdy because you worry about her.”

“Oh, that… that’s true. Sorry.” I laughed sheepishly.

“The less people who know what I’m thinking, the better.” He tugged me back down onto his chest. “We should get some sleep.”

“You just told me the killer might still be on the loose. Now you expect me to sleep?” I said wryly.

“The cavalry is coming in the morning. That means I’ll have backup. I’ll have help. In fact, they’ll be able to take this whole case off my hands. Let the local guys figure out who killed Santiago.”

“Since when are you happy to step away from a case?”

He exhaled roughly. “This has been a nightmare, Max. Way too much pressure. I don’t think I’ve slept a wink since this all started. Although, as exhausted as I am, I may not sleep a wink tonight either.”

I could clearly hear the strain in his voice. “Why not?”

“I guess it concerns me that if Santiago’s killer isn’t the homeless guy, then the actual killer is still out there. I’m uneasy that he or she might know thatIknow the knife the homeless guy had today was different.”