Page 32 of Vanishing Point
Vi had to stop being so touchy. “No. He was from Virginia. We lived in Richmond the entire time we were married. As far as I know, almost all of his family are in Virginia or Georgia. I suppose he could have a friend or a former coworker who moved to Texas, but I don’t know of any specifically.”
“Okay. That should be all the questions I have for now. If you get any more suspicious mail—from Texas or anywhere—would you contact me?” She pushed a business card across the table. “Or if you think of any connection Eric Carter might have or have had with Texas?”
Vi nodded, relieved this was over. The inspector stood and Vi led her back to the front door, opened it for her.
The inspector paused, looked her over once, that cop calculation not well hidden. But then she smiled. “Don’t worry, ma’am. We’re going to get to the bottom of this. I promise.”
Vi wished it made her feel better.
Chapter Nine
“Well, that was a waste of time,” Laurel grumbled as they stepped out of the courthouse together.
So often trips to court were. It seemed more often than not the defendant wasn’t too keen on showing up to their own trial. Or their lawyer got things stalled out for another month.
He’d pulled his phone out of his pocket the minute they were released. He had a text from Vi.
She just left. Run-of-the mill questions. Hope court went well.
“Everything good?” Laurel asked, sliding into the passenger seat since he’d driven them over.
“Vi said the questions were pretty run-of-the-mill.”
“You’re going to have to surrender those envelopes and pictures today.”
“I know.” He blew out a long breath. “Want to take a long,longlunch?”
“It won’t change anything.”
“No, it won’t,” Thomas muttered. They hadn’t gotten any prints off the envelope. Nothing that could give them proof on who’d sent it. Still, it grated. He didn’t want to surrender evidence that had been sent to him to some federal agency.
“So, what’s your theory? Coincidence, or this Eric guy is up to more bad than just terrorizing his ex-wife?”
He knew what Laurel was doing. She was posing it as a question, but she was reminding him there was more to this case then just those pictures. Because of course it wasn’t coincidence. The postal inspector’s case was bigger than whatever Vi’s ex was up to.
Even if tohim, and to Vi, the biggest thing was Eric causing her harm.
“I bet that postal inspector would let you in on more of her case if you took her out to dinner.”
He eyed Laurel out of the corner of his eye as he drove. “And if you were to take out a male postal inspector to get more details on a case, how would Grady react?”
Laurel laughed. And then she laughed harder. “Touché.” They reached the parking lot of the station and got out.
“You bringing her to Cam and Hilly’s baby shower this weekend?” Laurel asked as they grabbed their bags out of the back.
“Trying to convince her. She acted a little squirrelly about it.”
“Guess she’s got a reason.”
Thomas frowned, because he didn’t know what that reason would be.
Laurel nudged him as they walked through the parking lot. “Now who’s acting squirrelly?”
“Not squirrelly. I just don’t…get it. But I haven’t had time to think about it. I have to know they’re safe before I can worry about little dumb stuff.” Dumb stuff like why she didn’t want to be in his life outside of the small worlds they’d created.
So maybe that was the answer. Laurel’sguess she’s got a reason.
Vi still didn’t trust those worlds outside the ones she’d built. And could he really blame her after what she’d endured?
