“Like I would say that.”

I smiled a little. “I know Kim pretty well. And I know that guys like her a lot. I think you like her. A lot. And you want her to think well of you.”

He just stared at me, or almost stared. Every once in a while his gaze darted back to Bismarck.

“Did you two have a thing going?” Teo asked. “Maybe you’re hoping for more? Like, I don’t know, ending up together?”

“Kim’s a party girl. You think I don’t know that?”

I made a guess, and not a wild one. “So you were just one of the guys she slept with. There were others like, you know, Craig Leone, but you hoped for better from her.”

“None of your business.”

As if on cue, Bismarck growled.

This time Jonah didn’t flinch. “You got nothing on me. I was doing a homeowner a favor, that’s all. You go to the cops again, and I’ll tell them I was just coming back around the house that day after trying to use the house key she gave me, and you startled me. That’s all. I took off because you started to scream. That’s it. Nothing happened.”

“I’m sure Kim will back you up.” I laid a finger on my cheek. “Oh, wait. She’s not answering her phone. And she’s going to be pretty upset you failed. She might not be the best alibi.”

“I’m leaving.”

“Want my dog to drag you to your truck?” Teo asked.

“Give us the combination,” I said. “That’s it. You give us that, and I won’t tell the sheriff I found you. I won’t even tell Kim you gave it to me. Although, you know what? If I were you, I really wouldn’t answer calls from blocked numbers for a while. Because she’s going to be pissed when she doesn’t get her stuff. And when she is pissed...” I shook my head. “She is no fun at all.”

He could curse, our Jonah. He could make a career out of it. When he finished I was still standing, and he was shouting. “Who are you anyway?”

“The woman who’s going to call the sheriff if you don’t give me that combination.” I inclined my head toward Teo. “And this is the guy who just heard your story and will back me up if you try to come after me.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and waved it in his direction.

“Four numbers, and they’d better be right,” Teo said.

“6-6-8-6!”

Noelle was six and Holly was eight, so it was possible these were familiar numbers Wendy could remember.

“Did you come up with that, or did she?” I asked.

“Her. And now, I’m going.”

He didn’t hold any of the cards, but Teo nodded and called Bismarck to his side. “Walk away nicely,” he told Jonah.

A minute later the Carrillon Roofing truck peeled away from the curb and sped down the street.

I waited until it was out of sight. “Think that will be the last we see of him?”