Page 33 of See You Again
“I’m not sure the sheriff will go for it. Every time the lab puts it through testing, the sample is degraded. And that’s before you even take into consideration the budget. We are a small, mostly rural county. We don’t have the funds the folks up here at APD have.”
“What if a private party offered to pay for it? Would your department be open to that?”
“You mean like the family? It’s possible. I’ll check with the sheriff. He’s not opposed to it. But my understanding is the Hawthornes don’t have that kind of money.”
This was another reason why she needed Kip’s money. With increased funding, she and Madison could donate to victims’ families for extra testing, private autopsies…
“Maybe the podcast could help. Let me look into it?”
Mark smiled. “I was hoping you were going to say something like that.” He glanced at the phone again before reaching forward to tap the screen, ending the recording.
“Off the record, let me level with you. We’ve got next to nothing. I’m doing the best I can re-interviewing witnesses, but barring someone coming forward, I’ve got nowhere to go.”
He held up his hand, putting down a finger with each theory. “I have a girl who walked away from a large crowd of college students and vanished. She had an altercation with her ex-boyfriend and a female friend, but they alibi each other. Amy made a two-minute phone call to a guy she had gone on a date with, but he denied seeing her that night, and his family alibis him. And the small amount of physical evidence found with her body has turned up nothing, but it was on an item that did not belong to her, and we are confident she didn’t have at the party. I’m really hoping your podcast is going to shake the trees, and someone will come forward.”
Cami chewed her lip. She hadn’t realized the evidence was so slim. “I know it isn’t unheard of, but I’m finding it hard to believe that a random killer happened to be driving down a rural road at just the right moment.”
“It happens, but you’re right. The farm where they were having the party was several residential turns off a main road. It’s unlikely anyone, not local, would be driving around out there.”
“So, it’s someone she knew.”
Mark nodded slowly. “That’s my theory.” He consulted his watch. “I’m going to get the rest of this salad to go. I need to get back.” He raised his hand to hail the waitress. “You will be coming to Stoverton to interview people?”
“And Wheaton,” she said, naming Amy’s hometown where many of her friends still lived. She had an interview with a few of Amy’s friends set up for later that week.
The detective held her gaze, his eyes warming. “Let me know when you’re in town. We can meet up for a drink and compare notes. Show you the good parts of the area.”
Was he flirting with her?
“That would be great.”
Cami couldn’t shake the feeling she was being watched, as she walked back to her car in the parking garage. She spun on her heel and scanned the rows of cars. She was alone. Cami shivered. The sounds from the busy city streets were muted, but she stood still listening. Cami had just reached down to pull her keys from her purse when she heard a car start. Lifting her head, she saw a small red sedan pull out of a parking spot on the row just above her.
Cami sighed as she approached her car. She was letting her neighbor’s paranoia get to her. A sudden roar of an accelerating engine and a flash of red in her periphery were her only warnings before the red car came careening around the turn, headed straight for her. She had the barest glimpse of a slender individual behind the driver’s seat as she dived out of the way.
Cami hit the pavement hard. Tires squealed and horns sounded as the car rocketed out of the parking lot onto the busy street.
“Are you all right?” An older couple was rushing toward her. “These damn kids.” The gentleman swore. “No consideration for anyone.”
She came to her feet, and blew out a breath trying to calm her racing heart. “I’m fine. Did you see who was driving?”
The man shook his head. “Looked like a young man, but he went by too fast for me to tell. What was he thinking coming around the corner that fast? Lucky you have such quick reflexes.”
Cami dusted off her knees. “I guess so.”
Her hands shook when she turned the key in the ignition. There was no reason to think the car had been aiming for her, or that it had any connection to the case she was working on. Like the gentleman said, it was most likely a reckless teenager driving too fast. Now if only the pit in her stomach would agree.
CHAPTER TEN
Determined not to let the incident bother her, Cami listened to her interview with Mark again on the way back to the podcast’s storefront office. There were a few sections that would work for an episode trailer, she thought as she parked next to Madison’s car in the tree-lined parking lot. There were plenty of other spaces, as the majority of the adjacent units were empty.
She really missed the ice cream store that used to be on the end. It was always good for a late afternoon sugar pick-me-up. However, the empty stores meant they didn’t have to worry about noise from other establishments which suited them perfectly.
They had chosen the suburbs because neither she nor Madison could afford to live inside Atlanta’s perimeter. Cami wanted to be nearby in case her mother needed her, and Madison preferred the quieter, family-friendly neighborhoods and the schools. Having their offices nearby meant everything was convenient.
Cami pushed through the glass doors emblazoned with their logo and came to an abrupt halt. Her friend Justin was standing by the reception desk with two smoothies in his hand and a wide grin.
Shit! Was I supposed to have lunch with him?