Alyssa’s heart picked up speed. ‘Just to be clear – what you’re telling me is that we now have carpet fibers from two different locations? One is from Hotel Camino and one came from this manufacturer out of Connecticut. Is that correct?’

‘Correct.’

There was no way a place like Hotel Camino could afford the type of textiles that came custom-made, right down to the smallest detail. ‘Thanks, Tyler. Can you run that number by me one more time so I can make sure I jotted it down right?’

‘Sure thing.’

A minute later, Alyssa thanked him again and hung up.

Her pulse fluttering because she knew they were getting closer, she entered the digits for Royal Empire Textiles, glancing up when Cord walked in, holding two take-out bags from Taco Cabana. She pulled the phone away from her ear and placed it on speaker, propping it in the silver tray of the whiteboard, amplifying the sound. Just when she was positive she was going to have to leave a message, a disembodied, nasally, and altogether bored voice answered.

‘Royal Empire Textiles. Raleigh speaking.’

Raleigh? ‘Raleigh, this is Detective Alyssa Wyatt from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and I’m trying to reach Andie Kirkland. Is he available? This is somewhat of an urgent matter.’

An impatient and irritated sound echoed around the room as Raleigh huffed out her breath. ‘Andie,’ she said slowly, as if she was speaking to someone she’d had to explain the same concept to fifteen times already, ‘is in a meeting right now, and she won’t be available again until Tuesday.’

Before Alyssa could suggest interrupting the meeting, another voice, loud but indistinguishable, could be heard. For sixty seconds, she and Cord listened to the garbled sounds of two people arguing before a series of clicks echoed into the room.

Then, ‘Hello? Detective Wyatt? This is Andie Kirkland. I wasn’t in a meeting. I was heading out when I overheard Raleigh tell you I was unavailable.’ The woman on the other end of the line laughed lightly, a throaty whisper of sound. ‘I don’t know how much you heard, but Raleigh doesn’t like to be contradicted. As she’s the owner’s niece, she often feels a bit entitled, shall we say, and she’s yet to accept that she’s been relegated to such lowliness as being someone else’s secretary.’ This time, Andie’s laugh was full of glee. ‘While I would’ve preferred her being assigned to pretty much anyone else, it does my heart good to see the girl not have everything handed to her on the proverbial silver platter. But enough of that. Your urgent matter has nothing to do with our spoiled Raleigh, so, how can I help you?’

Alyssa had a feeling she’d like this Andie Kirkland. ‘I understand Tyler Rhodes emailed you with the specifics of a piece of fiber we discovered on the body of a young girl, and I was hoping you could help me out by giving me the name of the purchaser of that particular rug or carpet.’