“You’re saying Sydney was getting paid for her paintings, but the money wasn’t coming from the gallery?” Sheriff Huggins looked puzzled.

“That’s what I was just about to tell Deputies Lynch and Wilson. Remember I said that I found nothing and something at the same time?” Frost’s head bobbed back and forth between the three of them. “What I didn’t find was anything about Sydney’s paintings. Nothing.”

“So?” Wilson craned his neck. “She’s a local painter.”

“Yes, but her art, which in my opinion is eh”—Frost waved his hand side to side—“is selling for more money than just a local painter.”

“And that means something?” Sheriff Huggins scratched his chin.

“Yes. It means someone really wants her paintings. Agent Padello thought it was suspicious too, so he looked into her account and saw that all the deposits were being made electronically.” Frost pointed to the paper sitting in front of Sheriff Huggins. “From accounts outside the country.”

Wilson whistled and Charlie moved to Sheriff Huggins’s side so he could see the bank statement again.

“That means Sydney’s killer could be someone outside the US.” Charlie stepped back and allowed the information to settle. The investigation had just taken a giant leap into the abyss. Finding a killer locally was proving to be difficult, but if the killer lived outside the United States . . . that was a whole other ball game.

Deputy Benningfield walked over. “Sheriff Huggins, you have a phone call on line two.”

Charlie’s computer chirped just as he pushed his phone over for the sheriff to use. It was an email from the storage company. With Sheriff Huggins on the phone and Wilson and Frost looking over his shoulder, Charlie watched the video.

It was grainy. He played it a couple of times. Then paused it. His pulse accelerated. The long red hair gave her away. They had her last moments on tape. “That’s her. Sydney Donovan.”

“The video is time-stamped 4:58 p.m.” Frost pointed to the corner of the screen. “What is that, like five or six hours before she was killed? Do you think the driver is her killer?”

“There’s a glare blocking the driver and part of the license plate. It looks like a sedan.”

Sheriff Huggins hung up the phone and squinted at the monitor. “How do you know?”

“When Sydney first approached the car, she put something into it.” Charlie hit the rewind button and played the video again. “I’m assuming it was through the back seat window, because why wouldn’t she have held it as she got in?”

“Good eyes.” Sheriff Huggins rubbed his eyes. “Mine aren’t what they used to be.”

“If Agent Padello can do something about the video image, we might be able to get those plate numbers,” Frost added.

“Good job, genius.” Wilson’s wide hand slapped Frost on the shoulder, sending Frost tumbling forward. The two men laughed.