"No. Just a friend. Says they work together. Her name is Grace.”
"Do we have a time of death?”
"I’d say between 2 and 4:00 AM this morning," Brenda replied.
"Any witnesses?”
"I've got Erickson and Faulkner canvassing the neighbors," Daniels said.
JD and I stepped back into the living room and approached Grace. I flashed my badge and made introductions. "I'm Tyson Wild. This is Jack Donovan. We’re Special Crimes.”
She blotted her eyes with a tissue and pulled herself together.
"Can you tell me what happened?"
"Abigail didn't show up for work today. My manager called me and asked if I had heard from her. I’d been trying to get in touch with her, but she wasn't responding. I know shehad a date with this guy last night, and I just thought she was, you know, busy." Her eyes filled again. "But when Dane called, I really started to get worried about her.”
“Dane’s your manager?”
Grace nodded. “I came over here and knocked on the door, but nobody answered. I kept calling and texting. Nothing. I talked to Noah, and he hadn't heard from her either. That's when I called the sheriff." The tears spilled over, and she blotted her eyes again.
"Who's Noah?” I asked.
"Her ex-boyfriend.”
JD and I shared a look.
"Ex-boyfriend?” I said.
"Yeah. They just broke up a couple of days ago."
"Was that an amicable breakup?”
Grace's lips tightened. “Are break-ups ever amicable?”
"Who initiated it?”
"Abigail."
"How did Noah take it?”
Grace frowned and shook her head.
"Did he make any threats?”
Grace shrugged. "I don't know. She just told me he wasn't happy about it. Who would be?”
"You said she was supposed to go out with a guy last night," I said.
"Brandon.”
"Have you met him before?”
Grace shook her head.
"How long has she been seeing Brandon?”
“I think they met a couple of weeks ago. They'd beentalking.”
