“We’re running them through a database, but if the person has never committed a crime, we might not discover anything.”
“Could you talk to known drug dealers and see if anyone sold the drugs to Bella?” Joe asked. “I’m sure you’ve got some informants out on the street. And what about checking her phone? We heard she was arguing with someone too.”
“We have some informants, and we’re looking, but it’s a long shot,” Craig said. “I’ll request a list of her calls too.”
“Any surprises on Lisbeth’s autopsy?” Joe asked. “I know the preliminary seemed to indicate drowning, but is there anything new?”
“Actually, yes,” Craig said. “There was both seawater and fresh water in her lungs. We’re not sure what to make of that, but it does look like she might have been drowned in fresh water and put in the ocean.”
Torie frowned. “So she could have been partially drowned, then thrown in the ocean?”
“It’s possible she was assumed dead before she was put into the ocean.”
“So the state police is leaning toward possible murder?” Joe asked.
Craig shrugged. “It’s raised the likelihood.”
A figure came their way, and Torie recognized Amelia’s son, Noah, dressed in shorts and a tee. She sent an automatic smile his way, and he stopped beside them.
He nodded at the state trooper. “Hey, Craig. If I’d thought I’d run into you today, I would have brought the cap you left at my place last night.”
“I’ll get it one of these days.” Craig gestured toward Torie and Joe. “You guys know Noah? He’s Amelia’s son and is here for a month or so.”
“We met him at Amelia’s,” Torie said. “Good to see you again, Noah.”
Noah glanced toward The Wharf restaurant. “Mom will have my hide if I keep her waiting to eat. Nice running into you.”
Once Noah was out of earshot, Craig turned back to Torie. “I do have something else to talk about. Lisbeth had no family, and after consulting her will, I’ve been authorized to turn over her personal effects to you.”
Torie straightened and inhaled. “Personal effects? What do you have that belonged to her?”
She longed to touch anything that belonged to Lisbeth, to remember her friend and all the time they’d shared.
“It’s everything the hotel turned over that was in her cottage as well as her car. If you want to follow me to the impound lot, you can take possession of all of it. We’ve loaded her vehicle with her belongings.”
Could there be a lead in the car or in the boxes of her things? Maybe the missing journal pages would turn up. Torie had begun to lose hope of finding Lisbeth’s murderer, but the prospect of some new directions invigorated her determination.
Joe took out his truck keys. “We’ll follow you there right now.”
She saw the light in his eyes. This new information was as exciting to him as it was to her.
* * *
The red Camaro sat in a forlorn lot beside a patch of weeds poking through the broken concrete. Scraggly pines lined the property and lofted their refreshing scent into the air.
Torie remembered the day her friend had driven the car over to show her. She’d washed it twice a week and kept the interior spotless. If Lisbeth could see the dust on it now, she’d be rushing to get a bucket and rag.
Joe touched her shoulder. “You okay?”
He must have seen her struggling to hold back the tears. “That car was the first new vehicle she’d ever owned. She worked hard for it, and it was her pride and joy. I’ve seen her so often sitting there behind the wheel, beaming. She didn’t have much growing up, and being able to afford something so nice was a sign to herself that her past couldn’t keep her down.”
“I wish I could have known her better. I only met her a few times.” He glanced back to check on Hailey, who was sitting in his truck with his phone with the door locked. The little girl had her head down as she stared at her dad’s phone. She’d be oblivious to anything said between the two of them.
Craig exited the building with a set of keys dangling from one hand and a clipboard in the other. “I need you to sign that you’ve taken possession of all this.”
She took the clipboard and signed without reading the paper. “Do I need to go through all the boxes?”
“There’s nothing of real value there, so it’s up to you if you want to tick everything off the list. It’s things like jeans, shirts, personal belongings. I double-checked everything of value like her laptop, iPad, watch, phone, those kinds of things.”
She took the duplicate copy he handed her and scanned through the list. The clothing was packed into two suitcases, and the electronics were in a plastic tub. It was a scant list to sum up the total of Lisbeth’s life.
She looked at Joe through tears. “Nothing here tells the story of her care for other people. Someone going through these things wouldn’t know she loved black-and-white movies or that she was learning to crochet.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “But as long as you remember all those things, she’ll always be with you. Nothing can take those memories from you and how much you treasured her friendship.”
Craig shifted from one foot to the other. “Well, if you don’t have any questions or want to go through things with me, I’ll leave you to it.”
She nodded. “Thanks for your help, Craig. If you get a match for those fingerprints, let me know.”
“I’ll do that.” He walked away at a fast pace as if to outrun the uncomfortable aura of grief around her.
“You want to drive her car or my truck?” Joe asked.
“Her car. Definitely. I’m going to move back into my cottage tonight. I want the time and space to go through her things and see if I can discover what happened to her.” She told him about the possible safe in the spare room.
He grimaced. “It’s a terrible idea to move back in, Torie. I get it—really. But this guy isn’t giving up just so you can take the time to grieve.”
“I sent my dad a text and asked him to move in with me for now. Everyone knows our relationship now so it doesn’t matter if he stays with me.”
“Does he have a gun? Know martial arts?”
“Well, no.”
“How do you expect him to protect you both?”
“I think his presence will scare our guy off. He’s not going to want to run the risk of being seen.”
Joe let loose a sharp bark of laughter. “Torie, this guy took my daughter in a throng of people. He’s probably killed two women. I don’t think anything but an AK-47 is going to deter him. Do you know how to shoot a gun?”
She wanted to tell him she was a crack shot, but she couldn’t lie. “I’ve shot a pistol a couple of times, but I didn’t hit anything with it.”
He sighed. “Is there anything I can say to talk you out of this idea?”
“Not really, Joe. I’m sorry. I know you’re worried about me, and your concern is touching, but I’m not getting anywhere by hiding away. I’d rather face this guy head on than huddle in my hotel room and be just as clueless about what happened to Lisbeth as I am right now.”