“Were you in contact with Sophia Tremblay?” We got A now. The plan’s a go. It’s time.
“I have her address, if that’s what you mean. I’m not sure if she’ll still be there or not.” He told me the address from memory.
Either he had a really good memory, or he was in cahoots with her. I tried to study the side of his face to see if he was lying.
But I didn’t know his tells. I didn’t know him. I felt more uneasy the farther we drove. Maybe just a little of the unease came from the fact that I hadn’t needed to cut Detective Torres’ finger off after all. Aiden had known Sophia’s address the whole time. But at least I’d seen those emails. At least I knew something was up. The loss of a thumb was worth that.
“So what was the plan exactly?” I asked. “Trick me into opening the front door for you because you had my husband’s face? Then you were going to kill me?”
“I never got the final instructions.”
Because I killed him. I ran my hand down Snuggle Muffins’ back to calm him. I knew he was growing agitated from Aiden’s answers too. He had been planning on killing us. What was to say he still wasn’t? I needed to just ask him about the emails directly. I was never one to beat around the bush when it came to life or death.
“I took Detective Torres’ phone.”
He turned to look at me again. “Why would you do that? Lying to him and kicking him in the back of the head wasn’t enough for you? Now add theft to the list.” He sped up.
Also cutting off his finger and knocking him out again. But Aiden didn’t need to know about those things. “There were a few weird emails.” I discreetly used Detective Torres’ thumb to unlock his phone. “We’re running low on supplies again,” I read. “It was signed T.” I waited to see if he had a reaction. He didn’t. “I think T is for Tremblay. I think Detective Torres was working with my husband.”
“Why would you assume that? T could stand for anything.”
Or it could stand for Tremblay. “It would make sense that she was hiding out until after I was dead. Someone could have recognized me.”
“Do you know a lot of people in Canada?”
I glared at him. “Other than my husband and his mistress? No, not many.”
He licked his lips again.
Maybe I did know one of his tells. It seemed like he licked his lips when he was nervous. Which meant…he was hiding something. Why else be nervous? “Here’s another fun email,” I said. “We got A now. The plan’s a go. It’s time. Signed by T again.”
Aiden shook his head. “These are so vague.”
“Not that vague. I really think T stands for Tremblay. And I’m thinking the A stands for Aiden.”
“What? I’m not working with Sophia or Detective Torres. Ensley, I’m literally driving you to safety right now.”
“That last email was time stamped before you called me on Friday. Your whole plan to make me think you were my husband? I think the e-mail refers to that plan.”
“I swear to God, if Sophia and Detective Torres were talking, I had nothing to do with it.”
“Are you a believer in God, Aiden?”
His jaw clenched. “It was a figure of speech. But I swear to you all I care about right now is getting you to Mexico.”
“Why? Do the police already know I’m going there?”
“No.” He looked over at me. “I mean…hell, maybe. I have no idea. But if they do, I certainly didn’t tell them. What do I have to say to prove to you I’m on your side?”
“You have to tell me Detective Torres’ first name.” I was hoping I could catch him off guard with my lack of segue.
“Damien, I think?”
Traitor. There was no way for him to know that. “You only just met him. He never said his name. How do you know that?”
Aiden shrugged. “It’s a small town. He’s been all over the news because of that serial killer case.”
“I need to look in your eyes so I can see if you’re telling the truth. Stop the car.”