Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 67432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Ah, so there was a source.
“No need for specifics. I just want to know if it was someone involved directly with the family.”
“That’s sounding awfully specific to me,” she said, clearing her throat. “Whoever it was came to me because they wanted the truth. That’s really all I can say.”
“Which means they likely think there was foul play here.”
She shrugged and drank from her mug again.
“Was there anything said that you didn’t include in the article? Anything at all?”
Vicky seemed to dig through her thoughts, her tongue prodding at the inside of her cheek. A baby cried from somewhere off-screen. Her eyes darted to the left before coming back to the camera. “I was told that there was a camera that wasn’t offline. She had a secret nanny camera in the living room that filmed what happened, but the cops weren’t able to find it.”
“Interesting,” I said, leaning back. That only further proved the theory that this was a targeted attack and not a random burglary. Someone had to have known she had that camera hidden away, but who would she tell?
The screeching grew louder. Vicky closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Sorry, Theo gets very cranky if he doesn’t get fed around this time. I’ve got to go. I know I haven’t really given you much to go off, but all I’ve got is what I was told. I’m just the messenger here. That’s all I am.”
“Thank you, Vicky. You’ve been extremely helpful.”
“If I think of anything else, I’ll call you.”
“Perfect. Thanks again.”
She smiled and lifted her boob mug up in a cheers before clicking out of the chat.
I closed the computer and went for my phone, wanting to break the good news to Colton. He’d be happy to hear that not only was I taking on the case but that I already had a decent trail of bread crumbs I wanted to follow. Someone in his family seemed eager to speak to Vicky and to get all this information out there, and the tidbit on a secret camera could come in handy. Not only did it prove the fact that whoever was behind this had intimate knowledge of Amelia’s life, but it also meant that somewhere out there, there was video evidence of what had actually happened.
Colton picked up on the second ring. He sounded out of breath and explained he was just wrapping up at the gym.
Guess his love for working out never left him. He had tried to get me into a gym, but it never clicked for me. I found other ways to stay healthy, enjoying a long walk or bike ride down the Silver Comet trail.
“Colt, I’ve got some good news.”
He cut me off. “Wait, before you say anything, I just want to let you know… forget about it. About my mom’s case… It was a dumb idea. I’m not even going on the family trip, so just forget it.”
8
COLTON COOPER
We were back in the coffee shop after Eric convinced me to meet with him in person. I wasn’t budging over the phone, so he must have thought he’d have a better chance of convincing me if he were sitting across from me. It was a Sunday morning, so the place wasn’t as busy as it was when we first bumped into each other.
I took a drink of my caramel Frappuccino and leaned back, shaking my head. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea anymore,” I said, explaining myself to a still-bewildered-looking Eric. He wore a black baseball cap flipped backward, so a curl of shiny black hair swooped down onto his forehead.
My damn kryptonite.
Dick-tonite?
Dick… tonight was my kryptonite. Alright, I was onto something. But I’d have to share my genius wordplay with Eric some other time, when he wasn’t looking like a damn snack on wheels.
“And why not? You seemed pretty enthusiastic about it just a couple days ago,” he said, one arm thrown casually on the back of his chair. The buzz and whir of the coffee grinder directly behind us made me speak up a little louder.
“Yeah, a couple days ago, before I was reminded again why men suck worse than taxes and death.” I rolled my eyes and took another sip of the sugary drink. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be in a relationship right now. Even if it was a fake one.”
“Did something happen with you and your boyfriend?”
I swallowed down a gulp. Scratched at the back of my neck. Looked up at the beige ceiling speckled with white dots, wondering how the hell I managed to end up sitting across my first-ever heartbreak while he asked me about my most recent heartbreak.
“My boyfriend was kind enough to let me know he had a fiancé overseas. So it’s safe to say we aren’t boyfriends anymore.”