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He didn’t believe me. He thought I was hysterical.

“Mina, you were right beside me the first time Corrine Egan described her red ribbon. You said nothing. You were upset though. I just didn’t put together why. But you ran out of the room. I’d forgotten that until last night.”

“Talk to her. That’s all I’m asking. I don’t care that Belinda walked her through the parking lot the day my car was destroyed. She didn’t walk her in, did she? We have no idea when my car was painted. Or maybe she’s working with someone. I don’t know and it’s not my job to figure that out. It’s yours.”

“Think about what you’re saying.”

“I have. And stop looking at me like that. Like I’m crazy. I’m not asking for your pity or even your understanding. I’m asking you to bring Corrine Egan back here and ask her these questions.”

Roy sat there, stoic. The more I raised my voice, the more I knew I’d lost him.

“Fine,” I said. “If you won’t talk to Corrine, then I will.”

“Mina, I strongly advise you against that. She is still a victim. A witness.”

“You and Gilchrist,” I said. “You’ve been talking about me behind my back. Let me guess, you told him you don’t think he should keep me on the Palicki case.”

“Do you think you should stay on it?”

“Roy?”

I whipped around. Deputy Lennon stood in the doorway. She gave me a grim smile and I knew instantly she’d been made aware of my allegations.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said. “But could I borrow you for a couple of minutes?”

“I’m sorry, Mina,” Roy said. “I’ve got to finish up a few things before I leave. Listen, maybe some take time off. Give yourself a few days. You’ve been burning the candle at both ends just like I have.”

This was a ploy. I had the strongest sense that Rafferty had sent Amanda in to rescue Roy from me.

“This isn’t over yet, Roy,” I said, rising. “I know what I’m talking about.”

“I understand,” he said, placating me. I wanted to rip his face off. Part of me wondered if he hadn’t called Lock after I showed up at his house last night. Man to man.

I stormed out. He wasn’t going to help me. He thought I was just some jilted wife. Unraveled. Hysterical. Mark Gilchrist probably did too by now.

If Roy wasn’t going to confront Corrine Egan, then I would have to. It was one thing for her to screw my husband. But this was now threatening to hurt my career.

I turned the corner and went down the hall to the conference room. My key card gave me access to it. Roy kept everything he’d accumulated through TRACE here. He’d turned it into his war room on the McBride murder.

I shut the door behind me. With sweat beading on my brow, I went to the boxes stacked on the long table against the wall. I found the one with Corrine Egan’s file. I leafed through it using my phone’s flashlight. I didn’t dare turn on the overhead lights. It was better no one knew I was here.

I found Corrine’s initial statement. I leafed to the bottom. Just below her signature, she’d written down her address.

THIRTY-FIVE

I thought I’d plugged in the wrong address at first. It led to the parking lot of a hole-in-the-wall bar in the two-streetlight town of Ember Falls. I could see through the window into the dining room. At just past eight o’clock in the evening, the bar looked mostly empty. And then I saw Corrine serving the few tables in the place.

I watched her for an hour. She seemed distracted, doubling back several times between the bar and her tables. I almost left. In the back of my mind, I knew this wasn’t the smartest choice I could make. Roy Dennison may have dismissed me, but I knew in my soul this woman was trying to ruin my life.

At nine on the dot, Corrine Egan emerged from a side entrance. She counted dollar bills and flung an apron over her right shoulder. No new customers had come in for over half an hour and the two Corrine waited on had already cashed out.

I started to duck down, scared she’d see me. But Corrine didn’t walk to the parking lot. Instead, she made a right turn into the alley. From there, she started climbing up an outside stairwell. I watched her walk through the door above the bar.

With adrenaline racing through me, I pulled out of the parking lot and drove around to the other side of the building. Sure enough, I saw another doorway with a window cut out, leading to an interior stairwell. Gold lettering next to the door showed the address I’d originally punched into my GPS.

I parked across the street and walked over to that door. There was no buzzer or bell. I opened the door and walked right in.

There was only one way to go. The interior stairwell led to a landing and a wooden six-paneled door painted red. I could barely breathe as I climbed the stairs and paused outside. I could still turn around and leave. What did I expect her to say to me? Before I could change my mind, I pounded on her door.