Page 53 of Before the Night Falls
Tracking who had bought them would be tricky, but Olivia felt confident the detective would call various flower shops in the area to see if the roses had been purchased there. The Admirer, however, had grown his own roses.
What if these were homegrown also?
She swallowed hard. She didn’t want to think about it.
Scarborough squinted at her after she finished her story. “Ms. Montgomery, let’s say the police got the wrong guy when they killed The Admirer. Let’s say the real guy is still out there. How would he know where to find you? And why was he silent for a year?”
“My picture was in a news article with Tyson last week,” Olivia said. “That’s how he may have found out I was here.”
“If it’s the same guy, he could have gone after you in New York. Why here?”
“Why does this guy do anything he does? His actions are unexplainable. Maybe he doesn’t like that I’m so far away. Maybe this seems like a good place to strike. Maybe . . .” She shrugged, sounding exasperated. “Maybe he’s just simply unpredictable.”
“I get it.”
“There’s one other thing . . .” She hesitated.
Then she told him about the other murders she’d discovered. The unsolved ones in Maine, Virginia, and Ohio.
His gaze narrowed. “You really think this could be the same guy?”
“I don’t really know anything anymore.”
Scarborough was silent as he processed everything. He studied his notes and then looked up. “You said you worked with FBI Special Agent Harris up in New York?”
“Correct.”
Scarborough nodded slowly. “I’ll give him a call and see what he knows.”
She released the breath she’d been holding. At least that wassomething.
“Am I free to join my friends now?” Olivia asked.
He nodded. “If I think of any more questions?—”
“You know where to find me,” she finished for him.
She wandered into the living room and found Tyson. She knew what she had to do.
“I’m going to stay at a hotel instead of here,” she started. “You don’t need this kind of stress on you, and I certainly don’t want to pull you any deeper into my problems.”
“You’re my guest.” Tyson’s words were unwavering. “I want you to stay.”
“I can’t ignore what’s happening, Tyson.” Her voice sounded hoarse with emotion.
“Olivia, I don’t know everything that’s happening.” He lowered his tone to just above a whisper. “But I want nothing more than to ensure your safety. God has blessed me with more money than I deserve, and I want to use what He’s given me to help you out. Besides, I’ve been meaning to get an upgraded security system for a long time.”
Olivia took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She wasn’t going to change his mind. But she was still on the fence about leaving.
She didn’twantto leave. She felt safer here. But was she putting people she cared about in danger?
Tyson gently touched her arm. “Let me fix you some tea. My mom insists everything is better with warm tea.”
She didn’t argue.
They walked into the kitchen, where Tyson filled a silver kettle with water and placed it on the burner. He then pulled out two mugs and placed tea bags inside.
“Maybe this guy made a mistake and left a clue,” Tyson said after a moment of silence.
