Abby pointed to a spot near the shop’s back door. “Just over there. Eight buckets, and the flowers were already trimmed, wrapped, and in vases.”
We walked over to the area, and I knelt down, running my fingers lightly over the ground. The concrete was cold and rough, but there were faint scuff marks and a few crushed petals. My heart raced as I tried to focus, hoping to trigger another vision.
“Anything?” Ezra asked, watching me closely.
I shook my head, frustrated. “Nothing. It’s like trying to catch smoke with my bare hands.”
Ezra nodded and began to inspect the surroundings more thoroughly. He moved a few boxes aside, checking for anything unusual. I followed his lead, examining the trash bins and the corners where the shadows were deepest. A sudden chill ran down my spine, and I turned quickly, half-expecting to see someone watching us.
“What is it?” Ezra’s voice was tense, his hand instinctively reaching for the small of his back where he kept his gun.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “It’s just a feeling.”
He gave me a reassuring nod and continued his search. I noticed something glinting in the low light as I moved closer to the wall. I bent down and picked up a small, metallic object, carefully picking it up from the edges so that I wouldn’t smudge the surface. It was a Susan B. Anthony dollar.
“Ezra, look at this,” I said, holding it up for him to see.
He came over and took the coin from me, holding it on the edge as well, as he inspected it closely. He took a plastic bag from his pocket and dropped the dollar inside. “It might be nothing, but it won’t hurt to get fingerprints.”
Ezra looked around the alley, his jaw flexing as he chewed his thoughts. “We need to find out who this guy is and why he’s targeting you. I don’t think we’re going to find the answers here.”
I nodded, feeling a surge of resolve. “All we can do is try. There has to be more clues here.” I felt desperately responsible. “We can’t give up.”
Ezra shook his head. “We’re not giving up.”
We moved to the tire tracks next, examining them closely. Ezra crouched down, running his fingers along the indentations. “These tracks look fresh. It could be from the vehicle he used.”
I looked around, noticing a security camera mounted on the corner of the building adjacent to the flower shop. “Hey, look, there’s a camera,” I told Ezra. “Do you think it might have caught something?”
He followed my gaze and stood up, a spark of hope in his eyes. “It’s worth checking out. If the footage is recent, we might get a clear view of the vehicle and even the driver.”
“That camera doesn’t work,” Abby said. “Someone cut the line last week, and Mr. Parker hasn’t gotten anyone out here to fix it.”
Well, crap. “That’s a dead end.”
“We know more than we did, but less than we need to,” Ezra said. “What about the envelope?” he asked Abby.
“Sorry,” she said. “Like the money, it’s gone. I threw it away this afternoon before the trash pick-up today. It’s sitting in the city landfill right now.”
“Double crap,” I said. I met Ezra’s gaze. “Can we go to the library? Maybe there’s something there. Something I can see.”
“See...” Abby’s face lit up. “Say, are you that lady from the paper? The one who sees the future and gets in people’s heads?”
“No,” I replied. “Not me. No future foresight and no head seeing.” Though if I had those particular abilities, it would’ve made finding this guy much easier.
“No,” Abby countered. “The letter said Nora Black. That’s you.”
“Oh, lord.” I shook my head. “Ezra, time to go.”
He gave me a tight smile. “Yep.” He turned to Abby. “Come down to the station tomorrow and fill out a witness statement.”
She flashed him with a heated look. “What am I supposed to have witnessed?”
“Just give a statement about the flowers and how the order was made,” he told her. “Thank you for your cooperation.”
“Why don’t you give me your number?” she asked him. “If I remember anything new, I’ll call you. Or maybe I’ll call you just because.”
Ezra shook his head. “I think we’re good. If you need to talk to me, you can call the station.”
