“Oh, just emails.” I rose so I wasn’t craning my neck and staring up at him, like a staffer talking to the boss. “I was catching up while I waited.”
“Riley said you had a question about Tom Nolan.”
“Yes, right, thanks for taking the time. I heard he was in sales here at one point. I was hoping you could fill me in on his employment.”
“What specifically?”
“How long he worked here. Why he moved on.”
He narrowed his eyes, curious. “Tom was here for a couple of years, and left, I’d say, about five, maybe four, years ago. He was a terrific sales guy, but after a bout with cancer, he was looking for a job that didn’t involve so much coming and going during the day.”
“Would he have had much contact with Shannon when he worked here?”
“Shannon?Whoa. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were eyeing him as a suspect. Tom has been totally focused on fighting his illness and staying healthy in the last few years. He couldn’t have had anything to do with what happened to Shannon—or those two other women.”
“I appreciate the insight. I’m sure you’re eager to split, so only a few more questions.” I could feel my pulse quicken—because of where I was headed next. “When Alice called you on Sunday, did she happen to ask about Tom?”
Cody parted his lips and looked off, as if trying to recall.
“Nope.”
Wouldn’t she have been curious like me, wondering if Nolan’s employment here was significant in any way? And wouldn’t she have queried Cody about his familiarity with the area before meeting Shannon? That definitely would have stopped her, like it did me.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Um, yes, just thinking. Did she ask you about anything else? Besides, of course, Shannon attending a retreat. Shannon hadn’t, by the way. Attended a retreat. Kelly checked with her mother for me.”
“No, nothing else. Now, if you don’t mind, I really need to turn out the lights, lock up, and go home to my kids.”
This was my chance. I had to take the plunge, prick him a little.
“She didn’t ask if you knew anything about Lake George before meeting Shannon?”
“No, why would she? But the answer would have been yes. Believe it or not, they teach you about the French and Indian War even in Texas.”
“But hadn’t an army friend told you about this place? Back when you were in Afghanistan together?”
He leveled his gaze at me and held my eyes with his.
“That’s right,” he said. “Dirk. He was from around these parts.”
“What a coincidence. Then you met Shannon.”
“I guess you could call it that. I heard her mention Lake George at work one day, so I struck up a conversation.”
“Do you and Dirk still stay in touch?”
“Nope, sad to say, but he didn’t make it out of there. He ended up dying a few feet away from me.”
My gut was now flashing a yellow caution light. Cody had met a guy from this area. Had he described places here? Told him stories from here? Stories about two missing girls?
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. My voice sounded stupidly squeaky to me, stress playing havoc with my vocal cords. “It must have been hard for you.”
“Very.”
His eyes left mine, and I watched as they scanned the area behind me. Oh shit, he was checking to see if anyone was still hanging around the office.
Adrenaline pumped through my body. There was something wrong about Cody and the army pal, and I needed to get the hell out. I faked a check of my watch.
