Joe shrugged. “Some military would use the phrase. Adam was an MP, so it fits.”
“Military Police. I guess that makes sense.” Brooke shook her head. “You think he’d kill two women just to frame Tyler for it because...because what? He thinks Tyler killed Jen and Garrett? That seems a little extreme.”
“I told you, he’s a psycho,” Phil muttered.
“Is he, though?” Tyler asked. “I agree he’s obsessed with me. And I could maybe see him planting evidence and framing me. But add in the murder of two women as part of that frame job, and it seems like Brooke said. Extreme.”
“He’s been stalking you,” Phil said. “Arrested you for Sheila’s murder. Took you in for Monique’s murder. Insists that you and she used to date. I’d put money on him being the one who made that up and spread it around town. I wouldn’t even be surprised if somehow he’d made sure Sheila’s ex-husband—what’s his name?”
“Rusty,” Tyler and Brooke replied in unison.
“Yeah. Him. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit if Adam is behind that incident too. Like he sicced him on you. Followed you two to Elkridge and then called Rusty and told him where you were.”
“That’s a stretch.” Brooke shook her head. “I mean, really. Why do that? Besides, if we are saying Tyler is being framed, then that means Adam is a killer. He doesn’t seem like a killer.”
The way she said it had Tyler looking at her. Does she know Adam better than he thought?
Brooke crinkled her forehead. “Would a game warden use words like that? Neutralized.”
Tyler nodded, while Joe said, “Maybe so.”
“Game warden?” Phil asked.
Joe briefed Phil on Henry. “So, we know Henry dated Sheila, but I haven’t found any direct connection between him and Monique other than the fact that the women were friends. They didn’t date or double date or anything. He could’ve killed both of them, but...” Joe shrugged. “I’m still looking into it.”
“But it could be him, right?” Brooke asked. “The wording might fit?”
“Neutralized might be used when talking about wildlife,” Phil said.
Tyler leaned back in his seat as he turned over the words on the note—not only the words, but the fact it was left on his truck. His truck parked in front of Joe’s condo.
Is Adam following me again? That could make sense. The game warden, though, doesn’t make much sense. How would he know where to find me? I don’t even know him and have only spoken to him the one time at the shop.
He sat up in his chair. Robert knew he was coming over to Joe’s. After Joe left the shop, Robert asked how it’d gone. Tyler had told him they were going to figure out who was framing him and that they were meeting up after work.
A sick feeling came over Tyler.
“What’s wrong?” Brooke asked, touching his arm.
He shook his head. “What if it’s Robert?”
“Robert?” She crinkled her brow. “Your boss?”
He nodded.
“Dude?” Phil shook his head. “You can’t go accusing your boss of being a murderer and framing you for it. Not if you want to keep your job. Or have any job in Irma.”
Tyler raised his hands. “I know...it sounds crazy. But did I ever tell you why we were on the loop trail that day? Robert suggested that hike. We were going somewhere else, one of the peaks, but he said his back hurt and he wanted to take the loop since it’s mostly flat.”
He glanced at Brooke, who gave a nod and said, “It’s an easy one.”
“Right. And I didn’t think anything of it until yesterday, when I was remembering why we went there.”
Phil shook his head. “Seems a stretch to accuse your boss of murder because he had a backache and wanted to take an easier hike.”
Tyler shrugged. “It does, but—”
“But what if he was seeing Sheila and killed her and was some kind of sicko who thought it’d be fun for his wife to find a body?” Phil made a face.
