“You know what I mean. This is serious business, and I don’t want anyone to think I’m treating it otherwise.”
I broke free. “Message received.”
“You’re not mad, are you?”
“Why should I be mad? My husband doesn’t want to hug me, but other than that, I’m just dandy.” I smiled at him to show that I was teasing.
“Thanks. Did you get us set up in a room?”
“You might say that.”
“Savannah, what’s with that smile?”
“We’re in a suite on the top floor,” I explained.
He shook his head. “And you let them put us there? We’re on the taxpayer’s dime here. We don’t need a suite.”
He reached for his phone and I put a hand over his to stop him. “It’s compliments of the hotel’s owner, so it isn’t costing the people of Charlotte a dime.”
“Why on earth would the owner of the Belmont put us up for free?”
“I asked him that exact same question, and he told me that he had a personal stake in this.”
Zach nodded. “Barton Lane.”
“How did you know that? It’s supposed to be some kind of huge secret. I’m fairly certain that he’s not going to be happy that you figured it out so quickly.”
Zach tapped a copied photograph, and though I didn’t want to look at it, after a second I drove back my queasiness and examined it. At least it wasn’t a crime scene photo, or one from the killer. The photograph appeared to be from an employee ID badge, and even though the conditions weren’t ideal, it was a decent picture of a pretty young woman with a nice figure and coppery hair.
“She’s really pretty,” I said. “Was, I mean.”
“Grady thought so, too.”
I stared openly at my husband. “How could you possibly know that?”
“They were dating when she was murdered,” Zach said.
“Is that why we’re here?” I asked my husband. “Did someone kill her because she was close to Grady? It sounds like a pretty big coincidence, otherwise.”
“You know I don’t believe in coincidences,” he said. “At first, Davis thought that it might have something to do with Barton Lane, but with the threats against Grady, they have to be tied together.”
“What about the first victim?”
Zach shrugged. “If he has any connection to Grady, nobody’s been able to find it so far.”
“So, you’re not the only one who noticed the original connection.”
“That’s why Davis hired me. He knows that if something happens to the mayor on his watch, he’s through.”
That angered me. “It’s a matter of self-preservation, then. And here I thought he called you because he was worried about Grady.”
“Why can’t it be both?” Zach asked. “I had to watch out for political ramifications all of the time when I had his job. It isn’t easy being chief, and nobody knows that better than I do. He’d done everything he can to catch this guy. I can’t think of a thing I would have done differently if I was in his shoes.”
“You wouldn’t have had to bring in outside help,” I said.
“Don’t count on it. There’s such a thing as being too close to a situation. I’ve got enough distance to look at it a little clearer, with none of the pressure Davis has.”
“No, you just have to find a killer before one of your best friends is the next victim. That’s no pressure at all.”
“I’m surprised to see you back here so soon,” Zach said. “How long were you gone?”
“Are you trying to get rid of me already?”
“No, of course not. I just thought you had another puzzle due today. You’re not skipping any deadlines for this, are you?”
“I have a few in the bank. I’ll call Derrick and have him run one of those if he needs to.”
“Savannah, I know how much you hate doing that.”
“It’s no big deal. I’ll do one tomorrow, okay? Right after my breakfast appointment.”
“You’ve got plans already? Who’s your date?”
“Lorna Gaither. I ran into her in the hotel lobby, and she wanted to get together. I think she misses having me around. Would you like to join us?”
Zach had never been one of Lorna’s fans, and it wouldn’t have surprised me if he’d been the one to break her up with Grady, though he’d never said anything to me about it, and there weren’t any secrets between us.
At least I didn’t think there were.
