Page 125 of Another Girl Lost

“I don’t like talking.”

“We can chat here or at the station, Scarlett. I don’t care where we do it.”

“Come inside.” She stood back as he crossed the threshold, and then she closed the doors behind him.

The strong scents of paint and alcohol permeated the space. She didn’t bother a second glance in his direction as she moved toward a table where a large engraved plate rested. She picked up a bundle of what looked like cheesecloth and dabbed it in a dollop of yellow paint. Carefully, she blotted the fabric on a clean piece of paper until she’d removed most of the color.

“What do you want?” She very gently dabbed the yellow paint on the block etched with boats on curling waves.

“What’s the deal with you and Margo Larsen?”

“I ran into her on the street, and we had drinks.”

“Why did you leave that painting in her apartment?”

Her gaze lifted, tinted with suspicion. “You two are cozy.”

Dawson’s chest squeezed like it had when his ex-wife’s life had started to spiral. “We work together.”

“She doesn’t look like the type to go running for help.”

“She’s concerned about your mental state.”

Her gaze, filling with questions, lingered on him. “I’m just fine, Detective.”

He cleared his throat. “What did you say to Lynn Yeats? She filed a stalking complaint yesterday against you.”

Scarlett didn’t hesitate as she patted away more paint. “I asked her about Tanner. I wanted to know more about him.”

“Why?”

“Finding Sandra Taylor stirred up a lot. I have too many unanswered questions, so I’m trying to make sense of the past.”

“Are you a junior detective now?”

Overhead lights buzzed. “I’m looking out for my best interests. The more I know about Tanner, the better.”

“Why better? He’s been dead a decade.”

“You found the body of a missing girl. She vanished, died, and no one missed a beat.”

“Do you believe Tanner killed her?”

“Della kept reminding me to be nice to Tanner so I didn’t end up like the Other Girl.”

“Della.”

Scarlett held up her hand. “I’m not debating Della.”

“Okay. Okay.” Lynn Yeats’s description of Tanner’s cousin sounded a little like Della. “Did Della have any theories about the Other Girl?”

“Tanner took Della upstairs often, but the woman who had more access to the first floor was Lynn Yeats. Have you asked Lynn?”

He drew in a breath. “She never saw anyone fitting Sandra’s description.”

“But she did see a girl, didn’t she?”

He didn’t answer.

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