I also sent another text to Beau. I knew he was having cell service issues, but it had now been two days since I’d heard from him and I was starting to fret.
When I arrived at the bar, it was bursting at the seams with reporters, producers, and crew members, and ripe with the smell of people hyped up and ready for action. Luckily I was able to snag a fairly private table tucked in a corner and kept my eye trained on the entrance for Ben, whom I was pretty sure I’d recognize from his photo.
And I did. He appeared two minutes later, dressed in dark jeans, a blue button-down shirt open at the collar, and a brown tweed sports jacket, looking the part of the college professor Alice had been so proud of. I waved him over to the table and rose as he approached.
“Ben, so good to meet you,” I said as he settled into a seat across from me. He was a nice-looking guy, most likely in his early thirties, bearded, and possessing the same thick, coarse hair as his mother. His hazel eyes were just like hers as well, and I found myself wincing inside at the resemblance. “I had the chance to get to know your mother a little and I liked her so much. This must be such a horrible time for you.”
He sighed, visibly distressed. “Thanks... to be honest, it hasn’t totally sunk in yet. I feel like I’m operating more or less on autopilot.”
“I can only imagine. Have you had a chance to speak to Sheriff Killian?”
“Yes, a little while ago. They haven’t done an autopsy yet, but he told me that, based on some evidence at the scene, they think she was strangled and shoved down the stairs.” He pressed the tips of his fingers into his forehead and rubbed back and forth. “How could someonedothat to her? My mother never hurt anyone in her life.”
The waitress sidled over, interrupting us for our order, and we quickly requested drinks—beer for Ben, another glass of wine for me.
“Ben,” I said once we were alone again. “I don’t have any proof yet, but I think your mother was murdered because she’d figured out an important clue about the Shannon Blaine case. Have you been following that story at all?”
He nodded dully. “Yes, I’ve been reading my mom’s coverage online. And Killian asked me if my mom had told me anything about the case.”
“Didshe?”
To my dismay, he shook his head.
“The last time I spoke to her was Saturday, in the early evening, like we always do—did—and though the murders came up, she didn’t mention any leads she was following or anything like that.”
He could clearly read the disappointment in my eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “It was mostly a catch-up on personal stuff.”
“Don’t be sorry,” I told him, though I felt like kicking the table in frustration. “Since you asked to meet right away, I was hoping that you might know something.”
“I wanted to hear whatyouknew. Killian said that you were the one who discovered her.”
“Yes, she’d invited me for dinner, and when she didn’t answer the door, I checked outside.”
“Did you see anything? Anything that might tell you what happened?”
I let my eyes briefly roam the bar area, making sure no one at the other tables was close enough to hear me.
“Nothing that would point to the identity of the killer. But as Killian probably told you, her laptop is missing. Over the weekend your mom told me she was doing online research and on Sunday morning she said she’d found a scary piece of information that she wanted to confirm before telling me. I think she somehow tipped off the killer and he came after her.”
“God,” he muttered, through fingers clasped to his mouth. His cuticles were ragged like Alice’s.
Our drinks arrived and Ben took a big slug of beer directly from the bottle.
“Are you going to be staying at the house?” I asked.
“No. I went by with a friend to pick up my mom’s car, but I can’t bear the idea of sleeping there. I’m staying with an old high school friend of mine.”
So Ben still kept up with people in the area. This wasn’t the right moment to dig, but he might prove to be a good source as I continued my research.
“I’m glad you have a friend to be with. I’m going to do everything I can to find the killer, but if I can help in any other way, will you let me know?”
“Thanks, Bailey. Just so you know, my mom mentioned you on the phone when she called on Saturday.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Yeah, she laughed and said that I wasn’t the only one with hip, feisty thirtysomething female friends. She seemed to really like you.”
