Page 58 of Liar's Point

He shrugged. “Written tests have never been my thing.”

“Me either.” Written exams had been the bane of his existence in high school and college, but he’d muddled through. “You been studying?”

“Yeah, and Nicole’s been giving me some tips. She seems pretty squared away.”

“She is.”

Emmet hadn’t known Nicole was helping him, but he wasn’t surprised. She was generous like that, always offering to help train new people. Even without her help, he figured Adam would do fine on the test. As a former Marine, he was thorough and detail-oriented, plus he had a good memory.

Of course, there was more to the job than passing a test. People skills were critical—more so than Emmet ever would have imagined when he’d set his sights on being a cop.

So, maybe you’re not the best at hand-holding. So what?

Nicole’s words had been echoing through his head since last night. You never let up until you get answers. You’re amazing at what you do.

The “amazing” part was her trying to cheer him up because he’d had a shit day. But she was right about his determination to get answers. It was burning a hole in his gut right now.

Emmet thought of Aubrey’s parents again—her mother weeping and her father looking ready to punch something. Both had seemed broken, but in different ways, and Emmet couldn’t shake the guilt that Brady had tapped him to lead this thing, and their team still had almost nothing to share with the victim’s parents.

Movement in the mirror caught his eye. “Here we go.”

Adam looked in the side mirror as a woman stepped through a wrought iron gate at the back of the property. She wore a gray sweatshirt and striped pajama pants, and she had a little white dog on the end of a leash.

“What are we—”

“Watch,” Emmet said.

The woman turned and picked up something off the ground.

“What is that?” Adam asked.

“A brick.”

“Is she propping open the gate?”

“Yeah.”

She walked down the street to the utility easement behind them and stood there scrolling through her phone as her dog sniffed around.

“Think that’s how the guy got in?” Adam asked.

“Yep.” Emmet glanced back at the gate. “I was here early this morning, and it was propped open then, too. Some people don’t even bother closing it when they come in and out.”

“So, you’re thinking he entered the complex on foot, not through the front gate.”

“He was probably aware of the cameras. He wore the hoodie and sunglasses, remember?”

Adam nodded.

“So, looks to me like he came on foot, then exited in her vehicle.”

Emmet put the car into gear and drove down Eighth Street. Two blocks later, he turned into the parking lot of a gas station. They were busy with morning customers, and Emmet pulled into a space beside the car wash.

They got out and approached the convenience store, and Emmet held the door for a young woman in workout clothes before stepping into the warm shop. It smelled of hot dogs already, and he got in line behind a pair of teen boys buying powdered-sugar doughnuts and Yoo-hoo for breakfast.

Emmet stepped up to the counter, where a young clerk with bushy red hair stood behind the register. Emmet flashed his badge, and the clerk’s eyes widened.

“Morning,” Emmet said. “You’ve got two security cameras outside. I need to review the footage.”

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