Lost Souls by J. Bishop (the giving tree read aloud txt) 📗

suddenly post that she’s dating someone? It’s odd.”

“It’s still a stretch,” said Trick. “She could just be excited about it.”

“I would agree, until I saw this.” She scrolled and pointed. Mason and Trick leaned in.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” said Trick.

It was a post of the state of Texas with a red heart and an arrow shot through it like a bullseye.

Mason’s brow furrowed. “You think that’s a reference to her lover?”

“You’re the supposed brains in this organization. What do you think?” asked Mikey.

“Still a stretch,” said Mason.

“Probably,” said Mikey, “But a week before the picnic…” She scrolled again. “…she posts that her relationship status is back to single.”

Trick whistled. “Now that’s interesting.”

“Is your theory that Chad had a relationship with this woman?” asked Mason. “They broke it off, but Cissy somehow knew about it?”

“And she posted ‘I see you’ on the photo as some sort of message to Lydia.” Mikey clicked back to her search results. “Assuming Cissy was referring to Lydia, I did a search on Lydia’s name.” Mikey scanned the results, stopped on a headline, and dropped her jaw.

“What?” asked Mason.

“Shit,” said Trick, reading over Mikey’s shoulder. “I see it.”

“What do you see?” asked Mason, bending down.

“Here,” said Mikey, tapping the screen. “It’s an obituary.” Mikey clicked the link and the story pulled up. “Maybe it’s a different Lydia Stanford.”

The wheel turned and then the page popped up. A column of text appeared, under a banner of a funeral home. Mikey quickly read it. “It’s hard to say. It’s pretty brief, and there’s no picture. She was cremated and precedes a mother, brother and sister.” Mikey noticed the date. “Crap. If it is her, she died two weeks before Chad, but it doesn’t say how.” She clicked back over to the search results. “Maybe there’s more.” She scrolled and read, and then stopped. “There.” She clicked on the link from a local newspaper.

“What?” asked Mason.

“It’s coming up,” said Trick.

The page loaded and the headline stood out in stark black-and-white letters. Local Woman Found Dead in Swimming Pool. Mikey scanned the brief story. “It’s her. They mention her workplace. She drowned but they ruled it accidental. Said she hit her head and lost consciousness. Paramedics couldn’t revive her.” She grunted. “Damn it. Doesn’t anyone have a picture of this woman?”

“Don’t know that we need it. I think the pieces are coming together.” Trick stepped back. “Ain’t this some shit on a stick,” said Trick.

Mason straightened. “Doesn’t necessarily mean anything.”

“Maybe not, but it’s a hell of a coincidence,” said Mikey. “If Cissy was referring to Lydia when she wrote ‘I see you’ and Lydia winds up dead two weeks before Chad…”

“It’s not exactly helping her case,” said Trick. “I wonder if Bevins and Winter found this, too.”

“Winkler,” said Mason. “And even if they did, it’s all circumstantial, but I agree. It doesn’t look good.”

“Bevins and Winkler?” asked Mikey.

“Your friends told us they’re the detectives on the case who are convinced it’s Cissy,” said Trick.

“Maybe we’re starting to see why,” said Mikey.

Trick massaged his temples. “This is all nonsense. Cissy didn’t kill Chad and she sure as hell didn’t kill Lydia Stanford.” He walked out from behind the desk. “The girl doesn’t like killing flies with a flyswatter, and suddenly, she’s going to kill two people?”

“Nobody said she killed Lydia,” said Mason. “This is pure conjecture. None of this would even be allowed at her trial, which is why we need to be careful of our own assumptions. And why we need to talk to Cissy. Let’s hear her side of the story.”

“Damn straight,” said Trick. “I’ll text her parents. See when we can stop by.” He pulled out his phone.

“I’ll call the apartment complex,” said Mikey. “And see if I can get you guys in to see the video.” She picked up her cell.

“Good,” said Mason. “Let’s hope somewhere in this mess, there’s a clue as to who really killed Chad, and that Lydia actually drowned.”

Mikey held the phone to her ear, and heard it ring. “By accident, you mean?”

Mason cocked a brow at her, glanced at Trick, but didn’t answer.

**

Mason sat at the table and sipped on his glass of water.

“What the hell is taking so long?” asked Trick.

“Stop being so impatient,” said Mason. “They don’t have to let us see the video at all. We don’t have a warrant.”

“It must have been my charm that won her over,” said Trick. “You see her smiling at me?”

“She’s an apartment manager. She smiles at everyone, plus it didn’t hurt that you told her you were in the market for a three bedroom with a garage.”

“Money smooths the wheels.”

“Not when you don’t have any.”

Trick smirked and was about to make a retort when the door opened to the small conference area, and the manager named Vicki entered, carrying a laptop. “Sorry it took so long. I had another prospective client come in, plus I wanted to check with my boss, and make sure it was okay to show you guys this footage. I know the police could see it, but I wasn’t sure about a P.I.” She set the laptop down in front of Mason and Trick. “He said the police got nothing from it, so he didn’t see the harm in you two checking it out.”

“Thank you, Vicki. We appreciate it,” said Mason. “I hope you didn’t go to too much trouble. I’m sure you’re busy.”

“Smart and pretty lady like you, must have clients lined up,” said Trick. He flashed a charming grin.

Vicki pursed her lips and flicked a glance at Trick. “My husband would agree with you.” She set down a mouse and the screen winked on.

Mason couldn’t help but smile when Trick went quiet, and noted Vicki was not wearing a wedding ring.

“There you go,” said Vicki as two screens brightened, each of a different view, one from outside the walkway leading to Chad’s apartment, and another from the parking lot looking toward it. “This is exactly what the police saw. It’s from the morning of Mr. Howard’s