Page 66 of Last Seen Alive

“You don’t get it. If I tell her, she’s going to remove us from the case.”

“Maybe that would be a good thing. This person was at your house, Amanda.” He was pulsating, angry and concerned. He wanted to protect her, but he had to be careful how he played this. She’d get her back up, push him away. Lord knew she was strong enough on her own. She’d been through hell, been scorched by its flames, but she had survived.

“I know.”

“Where Zoe is,” he stressed. Maybe by bringing up the girl, it would help jolt some logic into her.Maybe.

“I know. I’ll get the lab to run it for prints.”

“Graves will find out.”

“Maybe say that it was delivered to your door.”

“What was delivered to you?” Graves showed up just then, the timing far less than ideal. She leveled her gaze at Trent.

Amanda was watching him, her eyes pleading.

“It’s nothing. Just someone must be getting spooked by our investigative efforts.”

Graves crossed her arms. “One of you going to tell me what this is about?”

Amanda remained silent, and Trent filled the space. “I had a visitor at home last night. And he left me that.” He gestured to the note that was in an evidence bag that Amanda was holding.

“Let me see.” Graves held out a hand, her fingers wriggling. Amanda handed it over. “‘Stop or you’ll wish you had!’ Rather vague.”

Trent saw little vagueness about it. To him, it clearly had to do with the case they were working. And the person who left it must have been feeling threatened. He wasn’t sure why the sergeant didn’t find it more menacing. “It was attached to a rock, held there by string.”

“I see that.” She gave the bag back to Amanda. “Get it printed, see if it lands us anywhere. But I wouldn’t hold my breath. I’m sure you’ve heard that your boyfriend’s gun was the weapon that shot Claire Hunter?” Graves looked at Amanda, and Trent noted her cheeks redden.

Amanda set the bag on her desk. “I heard that. I have the lab looking at that gun closely again, along with the one from Claire Hunter’s purse.”

“Whatever you feel you need to do.” Her words were patronizing and condescending.

As the two women stared off, Trent didn’t understand why the sergeant was being so difficult and blind. It was like she completely dismissed the threat left on one of her detectives’ doorsteps. As if any flags this raised only existed in his and Amanda’s heads.

“The victim’s gun ties to a cold case,” Trent said, stepping in.

“I heard that, and I assume you are both moving on that.”

“We are.” Amanda nudged out her chin.

“You might find that both sheandher husband weren’t so blameless, Detectives. Keep your minds open to that possibility.”

“We are,” Trent parroted what Amanda had said just a second before.

“Good, then. Keep me posted.”

Trent stiffened. He should just remain quiet, let Graves walk away. “There were several heists in Prince William County and DC that may be tied to Claire Hunter before she married or even met Logan.”

Graves pivoted back. “I’m listening.”

“We have yet to prove it, but if Claire was one of two perps caught on camera during one of these robberies, she had a male partner. As of yet, unidentified. Detective Steele and I are exploring the theory that this is the man who killed Claire Hunter.”

“Did she have something on him?”

If he saidthe gun, it would be met with mockery and the defense that only Claire’s fingerprints were on the weapon. “We believe so.” Best not to get into the specifics. “We’re trying to figure out exactly what and who this person might be. Even if only to shed light on Claire’s life.”

“Okay. Again, keep me posted.” With that, Graves walked off, and Trent was careful not to say or do anything that would bring her back.