Page 21 of Liar's Point

He glanced up, and Adam was motioning to him from the door to the leasing office. Emmet held up a hand for him to wait.

“Did you ever see Sam?” Emmet asked. “Maybe out at a bar or something? Could you describe him?”

She shook her head.

“Do you know where he lived?”

“No.”

“Well, do you know where they met?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe online?” She looked up at him. “Do you think—” She put her hand over her mouth. “Do you think he had something to do with this?”

“We’re just gathering information right now. We’re trying to learn more about what Aubrey was doing in the days before she died. Do you know what she planned to do yesterday?”

“I’m not sure. She came home with groceries. And I think she mentioned something about a yoga class later? Other than that, I don’t know.”

“Emmet.”

He glanced at Adam again.

“Listen, Lauren, it would really help us out if you could write down the names of Aubrey’s close friends.” He tore a page from his notebook and handed it to her with a pen. “Could you do that? And phone numbers, if you have them. I’d like to talk to more people who knew Aubrey.”

She nodded and took the paper.

“I’ll be back, okay? Write down as many as you can.”

He left her to her task and crossed the parking lot to the Angler’s Landing leasing office, where Adam and Nicole had been interviewing the property manager. The office had been closed today, and they’d had to call this guy in from his fishing boat.

“Anything from the roommate?” Adam asked, holding the door open.

“Aubrey spent the night out, maybe with an ex.”

“Oh yeah?”

The lobby was furnished with white leather chairs and beach-themed art. Emmet spied a water cooler near the reception desk and went over to grab a cup.

“How’s Miranda doing in there?” Adam asked.

“No evidence of forced entry.” Emmet downed the cup and refilled it. “But the roommate tells me they’re pretty lax about keeping the place locked.”

“Seriously?”

“Sounds like he could have just walked in.”

Emmet heard Nicole’s voice in the back room, along with someone else’s—presumably the property manager.

“And the roommate was out all afternoon?” Adam asked.

“She was gone at work from one forty until ten. She said Aubrey was here at the apartment when she left for her shift.” Emmet pitched his cup in the trash and nodded at the back office. “What’s she got back there?”

“Come look.”

Emmet followed Adam into a dingy office that looked nothing like the outer lobby. A suntanned guy with a shaved head sat at a gray metal desk in front of a computer. Nicole leaned over his shoulder and looked at the screen.

“That’s it. That’s the date,” she said. “Can you fast-forward to one p.m.?”

Emmet eased around the desk. “This is the surveillance vid?”

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