Page 53 of Say Nothing
She walked back into the house to find Derek finishing his call.
"I know what the message means," Alison said."There’s more to this than we think, and Vanessa is in the middle of it.She meant to get that message to me.I don't think she’s the mastermind behind this, and I think the killer is controlling her, monitoring her.Perhaps appealing to her fragile state of mind after what happened to her brother."
"Could it be the brother?"Derek asked.
"I don't know, but I don't think so," Alison replied.
"Then who?"Derek asked.
"I don't know, but I might know someone who does," Alison said."If he can help us, we might just be able to stop someone else from being killed.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Alison took out her phone again and scrolled through her contacts to a familiar name.She hit the button to make the call.Another three rings and the phone was answered.
"Alison, I didn't think I’d hear from you so soon."
"Joey, I need your help.I need information."
"Whatever you need," he replied.
"You started working at the courthouse six months ago, and a court reporter by the name of Vanessa Taylor quit working there three months ago.Do you remember her?"Alison asked.
"I remember her somewhat," Joey said."She was always very quiet, kept to herself, and well-regarded around her.Always on time, did her job, didn't hang around afterward."
"Anything else you can tell me about her?"Alison said."Did she ever talk to anyone there?Was she friends with any of the other reporters, the bailiffs, anyone?"
"No, no, not that I remember," Joey said."Always kept to herself mostly.Except for the guy who would meet her at the courtroom sometimes."
"A guy?"Alison asked."Could it have been her brother?"
He laughed."No, it was definitely not her brother."He must have been her boyfriend.He was very affectionate toward her."
"Do you know who he is?"Alison asked."Did you ever get a name?"
"Nah, I never spoke to her or heard anyone speak to her.He didn't show up in the courthouse.He would meet her by the pillars out front."
"Avoiding the cameras," Alison thought out loud."Is there anything else you remember, Joey?Can you describe him for me?"
"Yeah, of course," he replied."He was maybe six feet, pretty well built, black hair, fair complexion, always wore a suit.Oh, he had like an ID card on a lanyard around his neck.It must have been for the company he worked for.A black plastic ID with his picture on it and like a gold lock, I think."
"A gold lock?"Alison asked.
"I'm pretty sure.Listen, I can ask around about him if you like.Maybe get a name for you."
"That would be great," Alison said."Call me if you find anything, no matter how small."
"No problem," Joey said.
Alison ended the call."We need to get back to the office," she said to Derek."We need all resources going to finding her boyfriend.I think he’s the one behind all of this, and I think he has Vanessa as collateral."
***
"Cy-Tech," Derek said."That’s the company that the logo comes from.It’s a cybersecurity firm that has offices all over the state."
"He has to be the guy," Alison said."We thought it was her setup in the house, but it was his.He’s the expert, and he has the training to back it.We just need to find out who he is.We don't have a name yet, so we search through all of the employees at the company, starting with the local offices and branching out to the offices across the state.We look for anyone connected to either me or any court case over the past ten years."
"I’ll have everyone working on it," Derek said."While they do that, I need to have a chat with our reporter.He’s obviously not our guy, but I don't want him out there just yet, especially after being in here.He’ll have a grudge to bear, and I don't want to read about it online when we have more important things to focus on."
