Page 63 of The Last Close Call

“We always come here on Fridays. I get the day off.”

“And what is it you do?”

Bryan didn’t know why he asked. He knew exactly what she did for a living. Just like he knew where she bought groceries and gas and that she’d canceled her gym membership six months ago. He knew that her ex was a product manager for a computer company and that he had a condo on Lake Austin, where he lived with his girlfriend.

“I manage a dental office,” Evelyn said with a smile. “We’re closed on Fridays.”

Bryan nodded. “Mind if I sit?”

“Sure.”

He sat on the other end of the bench and watched as she reached for the stroller and pulled an overstuffed black bag from the bottom of it.

“It’s in here somewhere,” she said, rummaging through. She pulled out a magazine.

“What is this?” he asked.

She handed it over, and he saw that it wasn’t a magazine but a glossy catalog.

“This came to the apartment with my forwarded mail. I marked the page there.”

Bryan opened it to the page with an orange sticky tab.

“That’s my locket.”

Bryan studied the necklace on the model’s smooth ivory neck. An image flashed into his mind of Evelyn in the hospital with a ring of red welts around her throat.

“See?”

He glanced up. “This is it exactly?”

“I confirmed it with Drew. I wanted you to see what it looks like in case you ever, you know, find it in his possession. When you find him, that is.”

When not if.

“Mommy, I’m hungry.”

He glanced up from the catalog as Bella ran over and buried her head in her mother’s lap.

“I know, sweetheart, and we’re going home for lunch soon.”

Bella looked up at him with wary green eyes. She turned to her mother. “Can I have Goldfish?”

“No more Goldfish.”

“Please?”

“We’ll have some with lunch. Two more slides, and then we’ll go, all right?” She planted a kiss on her daughter’s head. “I’ll watch you.”

Bella ran off.

“This is helpful, ma’am. Thank you.”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s Evie. Please. You don’t have to ma’am me.”

He nodded. “Thank you, Evie. We appreciate this.”

“No problem.” Her brow furrowed as she turned to her bag again. “There was one other thing.”

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