I knew how bad an idea it was. But I simply couldn’t handle people acting like I was crazy any more. Like I’d made it all up. If Bolton had the evidence on his computer, I was going to find it. One way or another.

I waited a full ten minutes after he left before getting out of my car and crossing the street, careful to keep my head down.

You only look suspicious because you feel suspicious.

You only look suspicious because you feel suspicious.

I walked up to the door, took a deep breath, and pressed all the buzzers quickly.

Nothing happened right away, so I did it again.

In my very first apartment out of college, I lived in a building where the landlord constantly posted notices saying that we should not open the door when someone buzzed to get up if we did not know who they were.

Which meant there were people who did that.

I had to hope there was one in Bolton’s building today.

I took a deep breath and did it again, dragging my finger along all the buzzers. Finally, I heard a woman’s voice come through the intercom.

“Who is it?”

“Sorry, gas company,” I said, thinking quickly. “I got locked out.”

There was another pause, then the woman buzzed me in. It was a quick buzz—as if, by only pushing it for a second, she wasn’t letting in a serial killer. I pushed the door open quickly, and just like that, I was inside Bolton’s apartment building.

I rode the elevator up to the second floor, overcome by a sense of déjà vu after my trip there with Emma the previous day. I tried to think about what she must’ve seen when she went into Bolton’s apartment. Something that incriminated Hooks? Something that incriminated her?

Was she trying to help Hooks or hurt him?

Whatever it was in that minute and twelve seconds she’d deleted would tell me the truth.

I stepped out into the hallway and walked down to Bolton’s apartment. I hadn’t heard anyone else inside, and I knew he’d taken his dog with him to work. Still, my heart was racing as I raised my hand and tapped lightly on the door. I didn’t want anyone else on the floor to hear me knocking, but I couldn’t very well break in if there was someone else inside. I waited a few moments and then tapped again. When nothing happened, I reached into my pocket and took out the ID card I’d put there.