He smiled. “Everyone knew Sheila. But listen, there are things you should know.”
Brooke’s stomach tightened. “What things?”
“Connections. Timeline. Evidence.” Joe’s expression was serious, his usual easy demeanor replaced by something harder. This was Joe the journalist, not Joe her friend.
“Both victims grew up here, graduated the same year. Both were part of the same social circle back in high school and now. Both knew Tyler.”
“Lots of people knew them. It’s a small town. You just admitted to knowing them.”
“True. But here’s what makes it different.” Joe pulled out his phone, scrolled, and then turned the screen toward her. “Sheila was last seen leaving the bank where she worked. On a Friday night, around six. Security footage shows Tyler using the ATM at approximately the same time.”
“He told me about that. He was getting cash for darts.”
“Did he go to darts that night?”
Brooke opened her mouth, then closed it. He’d told her he’d gone to play darts. He did every Friday night exceptfor the most recent. She thought he was going, that’s why she’d made plans with Steph, but he didn’t.
She’d silenced her phone during the play but noticed he’d sent her a text saying he hoped she was having fun. He was watching a rerun on television, and he’d touch base with her after he finished work on Saturday.
“I checked with the pub,” Joe continued. “The Watering Hole, where the dart league plays. Tyler wasn’t there that Friday. In fact, no one was playing darts that night. They play on Thursday nights.”
The words landed heavily. Tyler had said he went to the pub for darts. That’s why he needed cash from the ATM. But if he hadn’t gone...
“Maybe he played somewhere else,” Brooke said, hearing how weak it sounded.
“Maybe.” Joe’s tone suggested he didn’t believe it, but he wrote something in his notebook anyway. “Monique was last seen on Friday at work. Do you know where she worked?”
“Of course. She worked at her aunt’s place. They sell yarn and other craft stuff.”
“Yeah. The one where they invite people in for sewing circles and such.”
“I think she’s a knitter, maybe.”
“Both knitting and crochet. Monique was the only full-time employee. Do you know where the place is?”
“Sure, it’s...” Her breath caught. She met Joe’s eyes and shook her head. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
He shrugged. “Perhaps not, but it is interesting that the craft store is so close to the auto shop where Tyler works, wouldn’t you agree?”
“What makes them think there’s a connection between Monique and Sheila?”
“Preliminary results show Monique died in much the same manner as Sheila. And she was dumped in the woods after she was killed.”
Brooke’s stomach turned as she remembered that day on the mountain and finding Sheila’s body. “Was she buried in a bear cache?”
“Monique was found closer to town. Right at the edge of the national forest.”
“Sort of the same as Sheila.”
“They were both strangled.”
“I didn’t know that was how Sheila died. I never thought...I guess with finding her the way...um, with the bear.” She paused and took a breath. “How do you know this? I don’t remember reading anything about how Sheila actually died.”
He pointed at his chest. “Professional journalist, remember? I have sources.”
“But you didn’t report on how Sheila died?”
“I was asked not to. Even telling you these things is a breach of ethics. I should’ve learned my lesson before, but I’m worried about you, Brooke.”
