None of them matched our suspects.
There were a couple of cash sales that could have gone to anybody. From the timestamp, I asked James to pull up the security footage for those sales.
"Unfortunately, we only keep footage for 30 days, then it gets deleted," James said.
Disappointment tensed my face.
There was only one sale in the last 30 days. I asked him to cue up the footage. We found the clip. The guy who purchased the shears looked to be in his mid-20s.
I didn’t recognize him.
It was hard to get a good look. He wore a baseball cap and sunglasses. He never turned his face to the camera. I didn’t know if that was luck or intentional. He could have been an employee of Randy's, but it was hard to say.
It was worth considering him as a suspect, but there was no obvious connection to Brock.
James exported the clip and sent it to my phone. I texted it to Isabella, then gave James my card and thanked him for his cooperation. I told him we might be in touch.
We strolled back through the store, past barbecue grills, LED lights, and the paint section.
“This is a stretch, but that guy could be a disgruntled fan,” JD said.
“Or he could just be a guy who needed pruning shears.”
JD spotted a familiar face in the plumbing section. "Well, would you look who's here?”
We strolled down the aisle to greet Tiffany.
“Didn’t expect to see you in a place like this,” JD said.
“Brock always handled this kind of thing. But I’m on my own now.”
“Doing a little maintenance?”
“I had some guys pull out the carpeting. I’m going to repaint the walls. Still deciding on color. It’s not like the house is mine, but I’ve got a year there before I get the boot. Might as well make it comfortable. If I change the wall color, maybe it will feel like a different house. Though I’m not sure I’ll ever get that image out of my mind. I can’t stay in the master bedroom. Not now, at least. I’ll make one of the guest rooms my new home. I can’t stay at the Seven Seas forever.”
“I’m sure you’ll adjust,” Jack said.
“I guess. I’m just not sure how I’ll be able to stay in that house by myself. I get so freaked out at night. I’m having all the locks changed, and I’m keeping one of Brock’s pistols with me at all times.”
“You know how to shoot?”
“Point and pull the trigger. But I’ll take any tips you guys have to offer. I’m sure you’re pretty good at that type of thing.”
“We’ve been known to hit a target or two,” Jack said, feigning modesty. “I’d be happy to give you some pointers at the range.”
Tiffany smiled. “I’d love that.”
Jack pointed to the shelf. “What are you getting here?”
"I need seats for the faucet in the shower. It keeps dripping no matter how hard I tighten it. I need drywall compound to fill the cracks from the shifting foundation. That needs to be done before I can paint. The automatic faucet in the kitchen doesn't work. I swipe the sensor, and it doesn't turn on or off. I was thinking about calling a plumber unless you have any ideas.”
"I’ve got a thought or two.”
Tiffany smiled again. “Great. Feel free to stop by anytime. I’ll put you to work.”
Jack looked at me.
“Well, we’re in the middle of a kidnapping case, but we’re in the hurry up and wait phase,” I said.
