Clearly, Tabitha was going into the research mode she’d used during her professional life. “That would be interesting,” I agreed, because it would be. “More specifically, I’m wondering if Bob loved his sister-in-law from afar for years, and if he has, whether or not he killed his brother.”

“To clear the field?” Tabitha nodded, her soft white curls nodding a fraction of a second later. “A definite possibility. So how do we find out if Bob has, in fact, been yearning for Lindy all this time?”

“No idea,” I said. “But I’m sure we can come up with something.”

Tabitha beamed. “My thoughts exactly. What time do you get off work today? Because I have an idea on how we can learn more about Ariella.”

And so it was that at five minutes past four that afternoon, I met up with Tabitha outside the city of Chilson offices.

“Do you really think this is going to work?” I asked. “It was only a week ago I was in here talking about Brown. They’re bound to remember me, and they’re the ones who told me about Ariella in the first place.”

“What do we have to lose?” Tabitha approached the front door and I hurried to hold it open for her. “And what’s the worst that could happen, they say no, we can’t talk to the city manager? My experience is that public officials are happy to talk to any member of the public who isn’t complaining about something.”

Cathy, at the front desk, looked up as we entered. “Good afternoon, what can I—Oh, hello, Minnie.” She smiled. “How are you doing?”

I slid Tabitha a quick glance, which she ignored. Cathy and I exchanged pleasantries; then I plunged into the vague script Tabitha and I had developed out on the sidewalk. “Is there any chance we can talk to the city manager? Sorry for the short notice, but my aunt here is in town today”—not too much of a stretch because who doesn’t have a non-related aunt, and Tabitha was in town today because she lived here—“and we’re really hoping to talk to him about something personal.”

“Oh.” Cathy glanced over her shoulder. “Um, sure. Let me check. I’ll be right back.” She got up and disappeared down the same hall that Isaac had appeared from a week ago. Before I had a chance to get anxious about developing a Plan B, Cathy returned. “Come on back,” she said, waving us forward.

And then Tabitha and I were walking into the corner office of Drew Parnell, Chilson’s city manager. Light filled and spacious, the walls that weren’t windows were hung with various city maps and sepia-toned photos of Chilson in years gone by.