‘No, I wasn’t. I was there to speak to the owner, and I was there less than five minutes. Something tells me you already know that, though, and you’re simply harassing me. That being said, don’t bother asking what business I had because it has no bearing on this investigation.’

Mack squared his shoulders. ‘Now, if you’re finished quasi-interrogating me, then maybe you can get on with finding the person actually responsible. And while you’re at it, maybe you can find Addis and Emerson before it’s too late for them, too. If it isn’t already.’ Aside from a narrowing of his eyes, he gave no indication he’d heard Grace’s horrified gasp.

‘Mr. Kensington, we’re not interrogating anyone, quasi or otherwise. We’re trying to get some answers, and sometimes that means asking the hard questions. I’d think you, of all people, would get that. After all, don’t you want us to arrest the right culprit?’ Alyssa countered in a tone as even as Mack’s was confrontational.

Her comment was greeted with a derisive snort.

Whereas Sandra had stood back and observed, Grace waded into the fray by stepping around her brother. Eyes shimmering, she said, ‘Do what you need to do, Detectives, just do it fast, and bring the girls home to us.’

‘On that we can finally agree,’ Mack said as he made to close the door.

Alyssa stopped it with her foot. ‘One more thing, Mr. Kensington. What were you and Gabriel arguing about in his driveway on Thursday?’ Considering they didn’t really know it had been Mack that Barbara Carpenter had seen that afternoon, she asked the question on a hunch.

For all his bluster, Mack was unable to hide an expression of shock. ‘If you have any further questions for me, Detectives, you can talk to my attorney.’ With that, he shut the door in their faces.

They’d just left Mack’s when Rosalyn Benson finally returned Cord’s call. While her response could be described as anything but enthusiastic, she still agreed to meet with them that afternoon. After settling on a time, Alyssa drove through a fast-food restaurant and bought green chile cheeseburgers and fries for everyone. While they were waiting for their food, Sandra offered a suggestion.

‘Since you have a little time before you head out to Ms. Benson’s, you could drop me off at the precinct so I can help Joe and Hal. That way, I can continue trying to reach Elizabeth Monroe. And if I do happen to get ahold of her, Joe and I can go together to reinterview her. She’s already met me, so she might be more comfortable if I’m there, too. But that’s just an idea.’