Page 52 of Say Nothing
"I just want this to end," she said."I’ll meet you, and only you.You have to be alone.Seven pm.Victoria Park.One chance or you never see me again."
"Vaness—"
The line went dead.
"It’s a trap," Derek said."There’s no way I'm letting you go there alone."
"She's not an idiot," Alison said."She knows there’s no way I’m turning up alone.From the way she said she wanted this to end, it was as if she wanted to turn herself in, and she could do that easily if she wanted.She knows I’m willing to take risks, but she’ll expect the police to be there.Seven pm.That’s almost four hours away."
"Misdirection?"Derek asked."She’s playing for time, hoping we stop looking for her until she can do what she needs to do?She has another target in mind, maybe?"
"Maybe," Alison agreed."The message was short, curt, and practiced.If she sent the text message to play with me to connect in some way, then she would have stayed on the phone longer.She knows we can't trace her.Nothing about the phone call was right.There's something we're still missing."
"I don't know yet," Alison replied."Keep tracing her phone, and find out everything you can about her.If she’s not here, then she’s somewhere else.Maybe she thinks we’re going to the meeting, or maybe she knows we know it’s all a ruse, but she’s doing something.Either getting the heck out of town or targeting someone else before we can get to her.She knows I won't expose myself, so she moves on to someone else?Maybe she—wait, she was a court reporter, right?"
"Yeah," Derek said.
"I need to make another phone call."Alison stepped outside with her phone, leaving Derek behind.
He knew better than to question her methods when she was following a train of thought, and he immediately got on the phone to request everything she’d asked for.
Alison scrolled through her contacts and called the court reporter’s office.It rang three times before it was answered.
"Court Reporting Department, Oakland Center Courthouse," the woman answered.
"This is Dr.Alison Payne.I need your help.Do you have a free stenographer?"Alison asked.
"If you give me your case number, I can see if we have any court reporters free," the woman replied.
"No, I don't need a reporter for a case, I just need to speak to a free reporter in the building.Any of them, it doesn’t matter.It’s extremely important to an ongoing investigation."
"I will see what I can do, Dr.Payne," the woman said.
There was a short wait, then another female voice came on the line."Hello, Dr.Payne.My name is Tracy Lombard.You wanted a court reporter."
"Yes," Alison said."I’ve been trying to work something out.The abbreviation B A O U R D.That meansbeyond a reasonable doubt, doesn’t it?"
"Yes, it does," Tracy replied.
"I knew I recognized it from somewhere.I have a message here that I believe was written by a stenographer.Can you translate it for me?"
"Of course," Tracy replied.
"Okay, here’s the message," Alison said."T P H U B T.P H dash R D.B A O U R D.Does that mean something to you?"
"Yes, it does," Tracy said."It’s more of a personalized brief, but it reads as follows: Not who you think.Monitored.Beyond a reasonable doubt."
"You’re sure?"Alison asked.
"Beyond a reasonable doubt," Tracy replied."They’re all keys we use on the stenograph machine.They’re pressed together like chords on a guitar, and it won't make sense to many other people, but it’s comprehensible to us."
"Thank you for your help," Alison said.
She ended the call and considered the message.
Not who you think.Monitored.Beyond a reasonable doubt.
Vanessa had sent the message in code.It was meant for Alison, and it was meant to be understood.
