If Ruby had another choice, she would have avoided it, too, but ultimately, she didn’t care about bureaucracy when people were dying. She and Bellisario both knew she was on this case because it gave them a sense of déjà vu. That unsettling familiarity existed for a reason and the only person more familiar with Vallejo’s work than Ruby was Vallejo himself.

“Remember that whole speech you guilted me with? About going back in time and catching Vallejo before he got famous?” Ruby said innocently. Bellisario motivated her; he couldn’t take it back now. “I wasn’t going to wait for someone else to die to solidify my theory.”

Bellisario sighed heavily into the receiver.

“I guess I brought this one upon myself. Let’s hope this little excursion of yours was worth it,” he said. “Keep me updated.”

The call ended. Ruby had the briefest moment to let the conversation sink in before her phone rang again.

Her stomach lurched with the possibility of bad news.

“Hello?” Ruby said, keeping her voice even. After spending any amount of time at a maximum security prison, it was difficult to feel hopeful about anything.

“Hunter? It’s Gabe. I managed to track down the victim’s sister,” Gabe said.

Ruby swallowed back a feeling of dread. At least he’d done the work the police hadn’t in Ruby’s absence.

“And?” she pressed.

“We’re set up to meet tomorrow. She’ll talk, but only in person and only to us,” he said.

Ruby let the worst case scenario slip from her mind. The wording made her uneasy, but finally they might get a good lead.

“Send me the address. I’ll meet you there,” Ruby said.

It was about time they made some progress. Ruby wouldn’t let Vallejo get the better of her again.

CHAPTER NINE

Ruby walked down the riverwalk slowly, Gabe beside her, weaving her way through the crowd, looking everywhere for Sylvia Danes. The sun beat down and she shielded her eyes from the glare off the river, hardly able to make out people's faces.

“See her anywhere?” Gabe asked. He had to shout over the noise. A boat on the water played blaring rock music. A crowd had gathered at the riverwalk, leaning against the railing to appreciate the music as it passed.

Ruby shook her head. She couldn’t help but wonder if Sylvia had chosen this place for exactly this reason. It was busy. It was noisy. They were in public, but it would be difficult for anyone to overhear a private conversation while the music was playing off the boat. There was a stark contrast between the rowdy partygoers on the water and the conversation Ruby and Gabe had come to have.