Page 8 of Shadowed Witness

She exited the car and joined Eric on the sidewalk. “This way.” She led him around the back of her building. “They were right about here.”

“You’re sure?”

“I am.” Her heart sank. He didn’t believe her either. She tried not to show her disappointment. “There were three of them. The attacker and victim were here, and the other one was leaning against the wall there.” She pointed to the area a few feet away. “I didn’t imagine it.”

“Didn’t say you did. But according to Moore’s notes, Mayor Jennings reported that you said the attack occurred over there.” He thumbed over his shoulder, indicating the back parking lot of the office building next door.

“No, I walked over there to double-check, but they were definitely over here.”

He pulled something up on his phone. “It says that you told Jennings it happened behind the building to the right of the alley.” He looked up at her.

She tried to remember exactly what she’d told the mayor, but that part of last night’s events was blurry. Her headache wasn’thelping. “I don’t remember what I told him, but ... I sometimes get my rights and lefts mixed up. I could have said the wrong direction.” She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks at the admission.

Eric sighed and slipped his phone back into his pocket. “In that case, I can recheck for evidence, but there’s a good chance this morning’s rain washed things away already. I’ll need you out of the area. Waiting in your car would be best.”

Her shoulders drooped, and the pain in her head intensified. “I’m sorry. I should have just reported everything myself last night. If I’d been here, I could have cleared up the confusion.”

Eric’s expression didn’t change before she turned away, but when she glanced over her shoulder, he was already examining the area. She retreated to her car and locked herself inside—something she wouldn’t normally bother to do in Kincaid. But even in daylight and with Eric nearby, returning to the scene of last night’s incident was giving her the creeps.

She angled to peer over her shoulder. Fire shot from her neck to her elbow, and she quickly returned to her previous position. Her muscles pulsed a reproach at her attempt to see down the alley. A fruitless attempt, considering she had pulled her car too far forward anyway. She leaned her head back and tried to ignore the pain.

Think of something else.

Last night. Evidence. Eric.

Although she couldn’t see him, she had every confidence he’d be thorough. If there was evidence to find, he’d be the one to find it. Moore was a decent cop and meant well, but he had a tendency to jump to conclusions, especially if they provided an easy answer. Eric wasn’t like that. She could trust him.

Some of her anxiety ebbed, and despite her pounding head and complaining muscles, she found herself relaxing into her seat.

OTHER THAN AT THE FOOT OF ALLYE’S STEPS,the gravel in the relevant areas behind the building and in the alley was smooth. A little too smooth. Almost as if someone had attempted to hide anything pointing to their presence. But he’d combed the area where she claimed the victim had been lying, had even turned over some of the gravel to check for bloodstains or vomit. Nothing.

He’d found a curly red hair caught in a crevice of the rough brick. Not conclusive evidence that Allye had been shoved against the wall, but it supported her story. Of course, she could have merely brushed against the wall on her way to the parking lot at some point. He bagged it anyway.

He stepped back and surveyed the area. He hated to tell Allye that there was practically no evidence to back up her claims, but he wasn’t going to lie to her either.

He rubbed his forehead. This hadn’t been handled well at any point. She should have made the report herself. When she didn’t, Moore should have followed up with her last night. The man knew better, but considering the mayor’s report, Eric could also see why he hadn’t bothered. Nothing he could do about it now.

The memory of Allye’s bruised neck and hoarse voice filled his mind, and he tightened his grip on his pen.Somethinghad happened to her.

But her story didn’t make sense. The beating she claimed to have witnessed sounded like the murder she suspected. But they had no body. Questions flew into his mind, one after another. If a would-be murderer had caught Allye—choked her badly enough to leave those marks—why hadn’t he finished what he started? Had the mayor interrupted him? But then, why not just leave her where she was? Why take the time to move her to the foot of her stairs to make it appear as if she’d fallen?

Eric didn’t know what to think. Allye sounded so sure of what she’d seen, but if it weren’t for her injuries, he’d be inclined to side with Moore’s conclusion—she’d fallen and hit her head, and everything she thought she’d seen had been imagined. But hecouldn’t deny that those bruises were obvious strangle marks. He’d seen enough of them to know. Didn’t mean she’d gotten them at the hands of an interrupted killer though.

He’d need to contact Mayor Jennings for clarity on his side of the story. Maybe he could provide some detail that would help reconcile all this.

Unfortunately, most of the businesses in this part of town followed regular office hours. With Allye’s alleged encounter taking place a little after 7:00 p.m., the area would have been essentially deserted. She was fortunate the mayor had been working late. If it weren’t election season, he likely would have been gone too.

Which would have either left her dead at the hands of an unknown assailant ... or waking up alone with a probable concussion.

The mayor should have allowed her to file a report and then insisted she go to the hospital. But Eric knew how stubborn Allye could be. The fact she’d allowed the mayor to drive her home was a miracle. Or a sign of how badly she’d been feeling. The woman was all about taking care of others, but try to convince her she needed taking care of herself...

Steeling himself, he returned to the street side of the building and approached Allye’s car. She had her head leaned back against the headrest. He tapped lightly on her window, and she startled, a slightly confused look in her eyes as she turned them on him. She blinked, and the confusion cleared. She opened the door and joined him outside.

“Sorry. I must have dozed off.” She adjusted her glasses and tucked a wayward curl behind her ear. Her fingers trembled slightly. “Did you find anything?”

“Nothing noteworthy.” He watched her carefully, but it didn’t take an expert to read Allye. Her face clearly broadcasted everything she thought. And right now, desperation and fear were vying for dominance.

She looked over his shoulder toward the alleyway. “I didn’timagine this,” she said again, but her voice lacked its earlier conviction.

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