Page 42 of Unforgotten

“Whose cards were stolen, Ms. Conway?”

“Mr. Burkholder’s ... and Jay Byler’s.”

“But everyone else has a card?”

“Yes. I mean, except for Scott.”

“Scott?”

“Yes, he’s just recently joined us, but he’s going to be a fantastic employee. He’s my son. I don’t need a card for him, of course.” Pride tinged her voice.

“So their personal information and your added notes are in someone’s hands now.”

“Yes.” She lowered her voice. “Mr. Burkholder had no idea that I kept a card on him, but I figured I might as well be fair, right?”

“Right. Can you think of anything off the top of your head that either man might not want getting out into the world? Besides their personal contact information.”

“Not really for Mr. Burkholder. All I ever put on his card were his favorite restaurants and his anniversary date. He always forgets.”

“And Jay?”

“Nothing to speak of, though I did just add something.”

“What is that?”

After a second’s pause, she blurted, “That Bethanne Hostetler came for a visit—and a private conversation.”

He knew that name. “Say that name again.” He was a little rattled. Could it really be Candace’s cousin?

“Bethanne Hostetler.” Peggy was sounding a bit triumphant.

“Is that significant?” he asked.

“I’d say so.” When he simply stared at her, she cleared her throat impatiently. “Oh, come now. You must have heard of her. She’s the girl who was almost raped by Peter Miller six or seven years ago. And her cousin is Candace Evans, our current Miss Crittenden County.” She winked. “I’m sure you know who she is. Her picture was in the paper.”

Peggy was turning out to have a wealth of information. And he was learning that he might have been in Marion, Kentucky, for only a short time, but he was already in the thick of things.

There was no reason to believe that the robbery had anything to do with those cards. It might have all been about the money and the credit cards. Ryan had certainly come across criminals who’d robbed—or even killed—for less.

But there was also something kind of creepy about a company secretary keeping personal notes on every employee. More than a little creepy. It was one thing to have something written down in a personnel file in a human resources department. To know that it was handwritten on a note card, practically available for whomever Peggy decided to share it with? Well, he could imagine that more than one employee would find fault with that.

After pulling out an evidence bag from one of his jacket pockets, he opened it and held it out. “I’m going to need to take these cards.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive.”

She sighed and dropped them into the bag.

“If you discover anything else missing, please let me know, ma’am.”

“You won’t share those with anyone, will you?”

“That’s none of your concern. It’s a police investigation now.”

Looking even more deflated, she hung her head. “I made a big mistake, didn’t I?”

Ryan wasn’t sure if she was referring to her personal stash of cards or telling him about her habit. Maybe a bit of both. After all, he would’ve never searched through her desk for personal information if she hadn’t brought it up.

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