“That might work.”
Jenna swung her gaze back to the second-story window, which now appeared brighter as darkness fell. “There is a light on.”
He lowered the binoculars. “Should we knock on the door before it gets darker?”
“Good idea.” She’d already changed into comfortable clothing at the restaurant. Now, just in case, she withdrew a ball cap from her purse, threaded her hair through the back, and donned the hat. After flipping down the car’s visor, she tucked the stray hairs away and pulled the cap low on her forehead.
“Got a fake mustache in there?” Tyson wore an amused look.
“I’m afraid you’re on your own. If anyone answers, I’ll do the talking. People are more apt to trust a woman.”
“It’s all yours, Sherlock.”
The streets were quiet as they approached the house. The evening air was thick with the scent of roses. Ivy roped the stone retaining wall leading up the lawn. They crossed the sidewalk and went up the five steps, then followed the short walkway to the porch steps.
Jenna’s heart knocked against her rib cage. She wasn’t sure what she was more afraid of: that someone would be home or that this whole trip would turn out to be a dead end.
At the door she shot Ty a nervous glance before she rang the bell. She listened for activity that might indicate someone was beyond the door but couldn’t hear anything for the cars passing by and the distant wail of a siren.
After waiting a minute she knocked on the door. Ty was trying to see through the slit in the curtains, but it seemed dark inside. Jenna glanced around the porch for clues about the occupants. Two sturdy chairs sandwiched a small round table. A well-used broom leaned against the brick exterior, and two dead ferns sat on the thick porch ledge like sentinels who’d long ago given up the guard.
Jenna knocked again, harder this time, then waited impatiently. “It doesn’t seem like anyone’s home.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Tyson pushed the lid of the wall-mounted mailbox upward and it squawked in protest.
“You can’t do that! Tampering with mail is a federal offense.”
“I’m not tampering. I’m taking a peek.”
Jenna glanced around. There was no one that she could see. Plus it was getting pretty dark and the porchlight was off.
Tyson held up the mail so the nearest light shone on the letters. “A piece of junk mail addressed to Gordon Smith or current resident. Royal Caribbean, addressed to Gordon Smith. Draft Kings, Gordon Smith.” He stopped on a postcard from some retailer, staring at it like it might hold the answers to life’s greatest questions.
“What? What is it?” Jenna leaned closer, squinting, but couldn’t make out the name.
After a beat he turned a worried look on her. “This one’s addressed to a Rosalind Smith.”
Chapter 26
“I don’t understand.” Jenna leaned into Tyson for a better view of his laptop screen. “There doesn’t seem to be a Rosalind Smith anywhere in DC, much less at Gordon’s address.”
After finding the suspicious piece of mail, they’d staked out the house until after eleven before giving up for the night. Then they checked into a nearby hotel.
“It is odd. But Rosalind wasn’t on the house’s deed, and Gordon wasn’t listed as married on that background check. Plus we never found a current certificate of marriage for him, all of which indicates he’s likely unmarried.”
“We only got a conclusive result on the marriage certificate from the county website, though. He could’ve been married anywhere else.”
“That’s true,” he said.
“And there does seem to be a woman with his last name living in his house.”
“That seems pretty damning. But there are other explanations. It could be his ex-wife. Or maybe his son and daughter-in-law used to live here. Smith is such a common name, it could even be a previous owner.”
“I guess those things are possible. But I don’t think they’re the most logical explanations. Too bad he’s not on social media—Rosalind would be listed among his friends.”
They’d found plenty of Rosalind Smiths on Facebook but none living in the DC area. Then there were the Roses, Rosas, and Rosies. Tracking down the right person with so little information seemed daunting.
Jenna leaned back into the cozy outdoor love seat. The calming scent of lavender drifted from the flowering patio border, soothing her nerves, and a warm breeze ruffled her hair. “I thought for sure we’d find something.”
