Chapter 29

She followed me out into the hallway, grabbing her keys from the hook by the door.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

I hesitated at the top of the stairs, torn between wanting to drag her down the block with me and knowing that I needed to take some time to explain. “We need to go next door,” I said. “To see your neighbor, Mr. Bolton.”

I was heading down the stairs but realized she hadn’t moved. Turning back, I could see the confusion all over her face.

“What are you talking about?” she asked. “Why would we go see Mr. Bolton?”

I took a deep breath as a million thoughts rushed through my head.

We’re running out of time!

We have to go now!

He has the proof if we could just get there!

“I just saw him, next to the dog park,” I said. “You know how he’s been worried that there’s someone who’s walking their dog and not picking up after it?”

“Yeah,” she said slowly, and she still watched me as if she wasn’t sure I wasn’t crazy. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Did you know that his apartment actually overlooks the dog park?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “I mean, I know he lives nearby, but I didn’t know he actually lived next door.”

“Well, I was out there earlier, and I thought I saw something in the window. A moment later, he came outside and started yelling at me.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because he thought I was out there letting my dog crap in the park and not cleaning it up.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment, and then she shook her head. “Chris, what the hell are you talking about?”

I sighed again. “The thing is, he’s really serious about it. So serious that he has been taping the park at night. Using a nanny cam in a flowerpot he leaves on the sill every night.”

Emma blinked, and then her expression changed. She tilted her head to one side. “What do you mean he’s been taping it?”

“He set up a camera,” I said, trying to keep the impatience out of my voice. “He’s had it up and running for the last couple of weeks. Long story short—”

“You think he might have proof that Ryan was here on the night Bev was killed.” She said each word slowly, as if she was processing them while she spoke.

“I think it’s worth a try,” I said quietly. “I think it’s our only chance. When he told me about it, I asked him if I could come up and see it. Let’s just say he’s not my biggest fan. Then I thought about you; he likes you. He’ll let you up. Please, we have to get over there now.”