Page 72 of Over the Edge

“You sound like a regular customer.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but I have a couple of clients in this area, and if I have a few minutes to spare, I like to stop in for a cup of tea. It’s calming on a hectic day.”

“Let me put in an order and I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t rush on my account. My shopping today went faster than expected, and the groceries are fine in the cold car.”

Despite her reassurance, he placed a quick order for a Cornish pasty and returned just as a server delivered their tea and Lindsey’s shortbread.

“Go ahead and eat.” He motioned to her snack. “They said it would take a few minutes to warm mine up.”

“I can wait.” She hefted the teapot and set about filling their cups, shooting him a quick glance. “I don’t think what I have to say warranted a trip downtown for you.”

“It was hard to tell from the broken conversation, and any lead at this point is worth whatever effort it takes to get.”

She set the pot down. “Should I assume there hasn’t been much progress with the case?”

“It’s still high on our radar, and we’re investigating a few persons of interest, but there have only been a handful of significant developments.”

“I doubt my new piece of information will fall into that category.” She sipped her tea. “I understand from Chad’s wife that he may be one of your more serious persons of interest.”

He picked up his cup. “What did she tell you?”

“About the earring wedged in the running board of his truck and the bracelet he supposedly gave his homeless friend to pawn. She’s very upset.”

“Justifiably so. That’s compelling evidence.”

“Also circumstantial—and convenient.”

“Did she say that?”

“No. That’s my take. Don’t you think the notion that someone could be trying to set Chad up is credible?”

“I haven’t ruled anything out.” Truth be told, the evidence implicating Chad Allen didn’t quite ring true, as Cate had noted the day of the murder.

“I’m glad you’re keeping an open mind. I can’t see Chad being involved in robbery, let alone murder.”

“But someone out there is, and it’s my job to find them. Why don’t you tell me your new information?”

She broke off a bite of shortbread but didn’t eat it. “I remembered something else about the killer.”

His pulse kicked up a notch.

That was the best news he’d had all week.

“Tell me about it.”

He listened as she described her experience in the parking lot last night, and the memory it had prodded loose.

“Here’s the thing.” Her brow puckered as she pressed a finger against a crumb from the broken piece of shortbread. “I was half-blinded from the sun. I think I saw what I described to you, and I think the mark on the arm was a pattern rather than random markings. Like a tattoo. But all I had was a fast glimpse. It’s possible my eyes were playing tricks on me.”

He tapped a finger against the tabletop. “I can see how it could be hard to determine whether the markings were a pattern with only a quick look, but are you also suggesting there may have been no markings at all?”

“I don’t know what I’m suggesting.” She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “With all the confusing experiences I’vehad lately, I feel shell-shocked. I was going to wait to tell you about this until I was sure, but I hated seeing Dara so upset last night. I decided to share it with you on the off chance it would help identify the culprit and take some of the pressure off Dara and Chad.”

The server delivered his food, buying him a few seconds to digest Lindsey’s news.

If the killer did, in fact, have a tattoo, Lindsey’s information could be very helpful. If what she’d spotted wasn’t a tattoo, less so. Assuming she’d seen anything at all.

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