Page 13 of Fatal Witness

He fed Gem and filled her water bowl in the SUV, then drove across town to Pete’s Diner for breakfast. Ethel had just set his plate of sausage and eggs and pancakes in front of him when his phone rang. Nathan Landry, Pearl Springs’s chief of police.

“Morning, Chief,” he said.

“Same to you,” Nathan replied. “Alex was tied up in a meetingwith the county commissioners and she told me to call and give you the news on Mae’s case.”

“Were the photos a match?”

“The answer is yes...” Nathan said.

“I hear abutin that.”

“This particular company uses a program that overlays eighty facial landmarks from one photo to the other. The two photos had a 95 percent match. Even so, to be absolutely certain, they suggested a DNA test.”

“But they were pretty sure this Dani Collins is Danielle Bennett?”

Nathan didn’t hesitate. “Yeah.”

“I’ll call the number Mae found on Dani Collins’s website and see if she’d be willing to take a DNA test.”

“I think that’s a good idea.”

“Thanks for your help,” Mark said. He disconnected and stared at his phone. It was hard to believe that after all these years, Mae’s granddaughter had been found.

He dialed the number Mae had given him for Dani Collins and got a recording that requested the caller leave their number and a message.

“Ms. Collins, this is Deputy Mark Lassiter with the Russell County Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee. Would you please return my call?” Then he left his cell phone number and, as an afterthought, his badge number. That way if she thought the call was a scam of some sort, she could check him out.

7

It’d been a good workshop, but now Dani was tired after two days of nonstop talking and demonstrating her techniques. She surveyed the few remaining pieces that hadn’t sold, thankful she didn’t have many to take back home.

“Ms. Collins!”

Dani’s dog stiffened as one of the university students hurried toward her. “Sit,” Dani said. Lizi obeyed but didn’t totally relax.

“Thank you so much for coming! Your technique is fantastic—I learned so much.”

Dani remembered the student from the classes. “I love teaching, especially to artists like you who are eager to learn.”

“Thank you. I hope you’ll come back.”

“I’d like to.” She encouraged the girl with a smile. “Just don’t ever stop learning.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t.” She looked down at Lizi, who hadn’t moved. “What kind of dog is that? She looks like a mop with those dreadlocks.”

Dani got that question a lot. “She’s a Puli, and that’s the way her hair grows.”

The girl’s eyes widened. “Is she a guard dog?”

“Yes, she is.” She patted Lizi’s side. “And a good one.”

“Can I pet her?”

She hesitated. Lizi thought she was on duty, and Dani didn’t want to confuse her. “Let me release her first.” She patted Lizi’s side. “Break,” she said softly, telling Lizi she could play. The Puli wagged her tail.

The student gingerly felt the cords of Lizi’s coat. “Do you have to do these yourself?”

“No, they’re natural.”

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