Page 95 of Evidence of a Folktale

“So it would’ve been easy for someone to stalk the inn,” Olivia said. “Except last night, Rollo almost caught him. He didn’t see anything, otherwise he would’ve told you, but you know who might’ve noticed something? The cab driver.”

Thirty minutes later, the detectives followed the cab company’s manager through the garage to find last night’s driver.

“Yeah, I remember them,” he said when they asked about Chloe.

“Them?” Bel repeated.

“The girl and the show’s director,” the man confirmed. “I was called to the bed-and-breakfast last night around 2 a.m. by a police officer waiting with a drunk woman. He loaded her into my cab, and I remember hoping she wouldn’t throw up in my back seat. So it surprised me when she started acting normal when we got down the street.”

Bel and Olivia shared a glance at his words. Rollo’s guess had been correct. Chloe had been exaggerating her intoxication to distract him.

“Then she asked me to pull over,” the driver continued. “She wasn’t as wasted as she’d led that cop to believe, but she was drunk, and I wasn’t comfortable leaving her out in the cold. Thankfully, she didn’t get out. She just wanted to pick up the directorwho waswaiting around the corner.”

“So after you picked him up, you dropped them off at Miss Rider’s residence, correct?” Bel asked.

“That’s right.”

“Did you make any other stop?”

“No, Ma’am.”

“Did you notice anyone following you?”

“No.” His features twisted, and Bel realized there was more to his answer.

“Are you sure?” she pushed.

“No.” He sagged against the cab’s trunk. “Someone could’ve followed us, but I wasn’t paying attention. The minute the director got in my cab, they started going at it. I was no longer worried about her vomiting on my seats but instead about them making a baby right then and there. Those two were very… attracted to each other and seemed to forget I was in the front. If I’d checked my rear-view mirror or looked behind me, I would’ve gotten an eyeful of things not intended for me, so I drove with my gaze forward until they got out of my car. The only good thing about that humiliating experience was the director left a massive tip.”

“So someone could’ve followed you, but you wouldn’t have noticed,” Olivia asked.

“Correct.”

“If someone were following Rouge, they would’ve turned off their lights, anyway,” Bel said.

“That’s true,” the driver said. “I would’ve noticed headlights behind me. It’s pretty dark at 2 a.m.”

“One last question,” Bel said. “When you dropped Miss Rider and Mr. Rouge off at her cabin, did you notice anything odd? Any idling cars? Anyone lurking?”

“Not that I remember. It’s secluded out that way.SorryI can’t be of more help. If I’d known the director was a target, I would’ve paid more attention.”

“Thank you for your time,” Bel said, and after exchanging pleasantries, the detectives left.

“Another unhelpful witness,” Olivia muttered as they climbed into Bel’s SUV. “I’m so frustrated, I could spit. The killer was probably following them, yet he was oblivious.”

“Can you blame him?” Bel turned the key in the ignition and shifted the car into drive. “I wouldn’t look behind me if my passengers were making a baby, as heput it.”

“True,” Olivia said. “But a killer’s picking off crew members, yet no one’s seen anything. None of the victims struggled. Who doesn’t fight back?”

“Driving around in the middle of the night…” A thought popped into Bel’s head, and she slammed on the brakes so hard that their seat belts gagged them as they surged forward. “Who’s someone strangers willingly get into cars with, especially after dark?”

“Cabs,” Olivia said, catching her drift. “People give them their addresses too. A cab driver makes the perfect suspect.”

“It’s certainly worth looking into,” Bel said.

“Right… but what’s his motive?”

“I don’t know.” Bel shrugged as she eased back into a drive. “Why kill regular passengers when you can murder famous ones?”

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