Jay gave him a faint smile. “It does. Anyway, it was there that I learned that she took a cab to Ms. Williams' home after leaving the store.”
Dave stood again, nodding to himself and a satisfied smile spread across his face. “Well, that went far better than I’d expected. I thought we’d both be back here with nothing but frustration.”
Jay chuckled absently, his mind planning out their next steps. “At least your expectations were realistic.”
“Why’d you buy a jewelry box?” Dave asked, extending a hand towards it.
Jay was off the bed lightning fast. He latched his fingers around Dave’s wrist, jerking his hand away from the wooden lid inlaid with the mother of pearl.
Dave looked at him in alarm, and Jay released him. “Sorry. A good rule for the future though. Don’t touch any physical evidence.”
Dave glanced back at the box. “Didn’t you touch it?”
Jay gave him a patient look. “Yes, which is bad enough. Now I know what it is, it stays untouched until I can find someone to look at it.”
Dave frowned. “I'm not touching it, but if it wasn’t already Stella’s, then why’d you buy it?”
“It is Stella’s, but only recently. It is what is inside that is the most important, but never mind any of that now. We need to move forward.”
Dave nodded again and retreated back to sit on his bed. “Go for it, bo… Jay.”
Jay gave him a half smile then grew serious once more. “First, you need to use the laptop I gave you and log everything you learned today. Did you get any feel for media presence?”
Dave nodded. “Yeah, there are a few still hanging about, but they seem like the lower ones.
Jay frowned, thinking of Sue and her wagging tongue. “Tomorrow you’re going to The Bronze Rose with me. I need to talk to the owner, but if I am guessing right, the woman he was talking to today wasn’t a customer.”
Dave’s eyebrows knitted together and Jay belatedly realized that he hadn’t told him anything at all about Stan or Sue, brushing it off to give orders. Thankfully, his faith in the man was proved again as he made the leap alone.
“I think I get it. Today you managed to get the box, but you want to take a more direct line now that we’ve established Stella’s arrival here and basic movements. For that, you want to divide and conquer?” His tone sounded questioning at the end, but seeming more in the hopes of confirmation.
“You got it. Her name is Sue, possibly Susan. I’ll see what I can dig up tonight while you get those files updated with our new finds. I’ve already added my own so feel free to read over them if you want.”
Dave moved towards the phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling in pizza. This seems like the kind of night that will be long and hungry. I intend to eliminate at least one of those.”
Jay chuckled. “Nothing with sausages.”
***
Jay finally turned away from his screen, rubbing his eyes, sore and dry from too many hours staring intently at the information he was finding. Stan and Sue were actually husband and wife, running the store together, although she was often out with her network of gossiping friends.
He turned to Dave, but found the other man asleep. He was slumped sideways on his bed while his laptop was still glowing beside him.
Jay glanced at his watch. It was one thirty in the morning. Sighing silently, he removed the extra blanket from his own bed and carefully covered Dave. He then took the laptop and glanced over the notes the man had made.
A small smile tugged his lips. They were concise and neatly linked. He had also copied all relevant notes into multiple folders if they applied and made a new folder to keep track of the names and other details of all the people he had spoken to today.
Jay felt his face shift, impressed by the thoroughness. He could only hope that the man’s clear enthusiasm wouldn’t fade when he realized that a steady check might actually be worth that idiotic manager. Yet, he had hinted that money wasn’t really a worry. As their travel expenses were all covered by Jay anyway, for now, a monthly salary wouldn’t be missed.
Jay carried the laptop over to his bed and propped it beside his own. That last, new folder was actually a very good idea. He had only made notes of the people who had been overtly useful, but this way, if some surprise cropped up, it would be easier to see if it had just been missed and a good lead appeared.
He saved everything from Dave’s over to his own in the secure digital bunker Joe had recreated for him. It was weird to see all his old cases virtually piled up. All his old wins and learning curves.
He powered down both devices after the transfer was complete and returned to place it on Dave’s bedside table. He had run so many cases in his life, but he wasn’t sure if he had ever run one with such high stakes. Even Goldstein’s fall didn’t seem so potentially lethal. Then, if he had failed, he would have shouldered the fall almost entirely, taking all the damage. This time, if he failed, Stella would take the fall out far heavier than him.
Silently, he climbed into his own bed, his eyes falling on the re-wrapped box he had moved to his bedside table. He thought of the bracelet inside and fervently hoped that she was still alive.
Please be fine. I’m coming for you.
CHAPTER TEN
Jayden sent Dave in first, staying at the cafe one street over. He had explained to Dave about wanting them to try and get all the gossipers together so that he could put the questions
