Page 52 of In the Line of Ire

I didn'tdoubt it. I was also pretty sure no one else in Montgomerycustomized motorcycles but that wasn't the point. "I'm sure yourbig break will come soon," I told him.

"That'swhat I promised Alison. She said after fifteen years it wouldn't bea minute too soon. I completely agreed with her."

"Huh," Isaid, certain he missed her point by a mile or two. "Are you surethe money didn't come from elsewhere?"

"Likewhat? Some kind of side hustle?" Colin shrugged and slumped furtheronto the couch. "She did have a new friend that she was alwaystalking about. Some chick with loads of money. Alison thought thischick could help her make more money too. I think they met at themall. You probably know her too."

"What'sher name?"

Colinscratched his scruffy beard and pulled a face. "I don't remember.Maybe she told me once or twice but I didn't listen."

"Younever met her colleagues?"

"Yeah,Sherri and that other girl, Amanda, but this chick didn't work inthe same store. I remember that. Alison said she was a realentrepreneur and knew all about the fashion business. Alison hopedto make enough money to support herself while going back tocollege. She wanted to design shoes. I mean, where's the money inthat?"

"You'dbe surprised," I said, thinking about some of my favorite shoe men:Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo and Stuart Weitzman. "Do you think it'spossible she got some extra work through her friend and that'swhere the money came from?"

Thistime, Colin set up straighter and fixed me with a worried look."You mean she wasn't stepping out on me?" he asked. "She really didhave a side job?"

"It'spossible she earned the money herself."

"Oh,man," he choked, his face crumpling. "I'm such an idiot." Then hebegan to cry loud, heaving sobs.

Chapter Twelve

I leftColin sobbing after being entirely unable to answer more questionsbut not before I made him promise to call a friend or his parentsto come over and stay with him. Apparently, his mother was thechurlish woman I spoke to earlier who answered the door of the mainhouse but he did text a message to a friend. Despite the dejectedfailure he appeared to be, Colin was still a grieving human beingand I couldn’t help feeling a lot of sympathy for him.

Before Ileft, I got the address of Alison's parents and with a little timeto spare, I headed directly over there. They lived only a fewblocks from my parents in a modest house. The woman who came to thedoor seemed to be around Alison's age with the same long, darkhair.

"Hi, I'mLexi from Page's. I worked with Alison," I told her. "I'm sorry tostop by unannounced. I wanted to extend my condolences to Alison'sparents."

"I'mCatherine, her sister. My parents aren't up to talking to anyoneyet but I'll tell them you dropped by."

"Thankyou. How are you holding up?"

"Me? Oh.I'm okay, I guess. I don't think it's registered in my brain yetthat she's truly gone."

"Istruggle to believe that someone would hurt her at all," I said."Do the police have any leads? I heard they let her boyfriendgo."

"Ex-boyfriend," Catherine corrected me promptly. "Colin is adoofus but not a psycho killer. I can't imagine why anyone wouldhurt her either. She was such a sweet person. A little too trustingmaybe but she didn't deserve to die like that."

"Youdon't know who could have done it? Maybe her new guy?"

"Thepolice asked me that too but there wasn't any new guy. She was toobusy with work and pretty upset about ending things withColin."

"Oh,yes, I remember now. She started some kind of new job. That musthave kept her busy on top of working at HeavenlyHandbags."

Catherine shrugged. "It didn't seem to but she did make goodmoney. She was saving up to go back to college. The shop work wasokay but never her life's dream. Just a way to make endsmeet."

"Whatwas the new job?"

"Actually, I don’t know. I think she was on the staff forsales parties or something like that. She never really said whatshe did and it sounds awful but we didn't talk much over the pastmonth because I was away at work." Someone called Catherine's nameand she glanced around. "I have to go now. Alison's funeral is atthe end of the week. I hope you'll attend. I know Mom and Dad wouldappreciate seeing any of Alison's friends."

I said Iwould and stepped off the stoop as Catherine closed the door. Whilewalking back to my car, I thought about Alison's side job. Moremoney without a lot of work sounded like a questionable source ofincome. Despite Garrett's conviction that the cases weren'trelated, it still seemed to me like they were.

Solomon's van was already in place by the time I parked inthe mall's sprawling parking lot. I jogged over and the doors slidback before I could knock. Stooping inside, I realized I wascrowding an already tight space. Solomon and another man withthick, blue-black hair sat in the two chairs. Maddox rested on hishaunches, his back against the driver’s seat. That left me withseveral options. Sit on one man's knees and prepare for theconsequential complaints of being unprofessional. Sit on anotherman’s knees and risk getting a divorce. Continue to stand, slightlyhunched over. Or I could sit on the floor. I sat on thefloor.

"This isour undercover operative, Lexi Graves Solomon," saidSolomon.

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