The Wells Fargo stagecoach, Darth Vader, and the Kissing Bees, Alyssa’s favorite balloons, drifted just above the trees on the horizon, but she didn’t notice as she and Cord waited for Joe to record evidence of the interior of Adam Campbell’s house before they began their search. Outside, Duke City’s Lock and Key waited in their van so they could secure the house after her team finished serving the warrant.

Sandra was off canvassing the Kensington neighborhood once more to ask if anyone recognized or remembered seeing the truck that had been present at both the location of Elizabeth Monroe’s assault and the delivery of the photographs to Holly’s house. In the meantime, Hal was busy checking registration records to see who the truck was registered to. Every answer led them one step closer to locating Addis and Emerson.

Impatiently waiting, Alyssa’s eyes wandered the room until Joe called from the back of the house. ‘Whoa! Wait until you get a look at this.’

She made her way down the hall and poked her head in. Pink fiberglass covered everything from the bed to the red beanie beneath it to the overturned night tables to the lamp partially buried in the wall near the closet, making it appear as if an insulation factory had exploded. Someone had gone on a rampage.

But that wasn’t what stole her attention. Three envelopes decorated with yellow smiley stickers spelling out HOLLY grinned up at her. Beside the envelopes were three stacks of photographs numbered four through six. To Alyssa that meant that Adam Campbell had been planning on terrorizing her daughter at least three more times and she found herself squeezing and releasing her fists as she fought to retain control of her temper.

‘Joe, have you recorded this yet?’ Alyssa pointed to the photographs.

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘I can see a handwriting imprint on that top photograph, so I’m going to flip it over. Please keep the recording going.’ She snapped on a pair of gloves and turned the bile-rising image over where it revealed what appeared to be a hastily written note. She read it aloud for Cord, Joe, and the recording.

Doesn’t this look like fun? Why don’t you ask your friends how much they enjoyed it?

Jaw locked and teeth clenched, Alyssa turned to Joe. ‘Was Tony ever alone when we processed the crime scene up in Placitas?’

‘No, absolutely not. The two of us were always together. And aside from witnessing the room itself, neither of us processed it.’

Alyssa was being toyed with; she knew it. What she didn’t know was why – or really, by whom – and it pissed her off.

‘Lys, look.’ Cord pointed down at a piece of paper.

Puzzled, she twisted around to face her partner. ‘It’s a grocery list.’

‘Yeah, it’s a grocery list. How often do you have a guest write down your grocery list?’ Cord asked her.