Dead Certain - Mariah Stewart [107]
Sean left the room and came back with the file of photographs he’d earlier shown to Lowell. He separated several from the stack and handed them to Anne Marie.
“Take a look at these. These were taken at Connie Paschall’s funeral earlier in the week. Anyone look familiar?”
She looked at each one carefully, then said, “This of course is Vince Giordano. He’s darkened his hair and didn’t wear glasses or a mustache when I met him, but it’s clearly the same man.”
Amanda leaned forward to stare at the Giordano photo. “You know, now that I look at this, I think he’s the guy who offered to change my tire.”
“What?” Sean all but exploded. “When?”
“A few weeks ago.” She paused to think. “Actually, I think it might have been the week Marian was killed. I was a little late coming out of the shop one night—I think it might have been the night of the house sale where Marian bought the Russian pieces. I’d completely forgotten about it.”
“What happened?” Sean asked.
“I came out of the shop and went out to the parking lot and found that I had a flat tire. I got out the spare and was starting to put it on when this man came along and offered to do it for me. He got a little huffy when I told him I could do it myself. I remember that about him. He was almost insulted that I’d refused his help.”
“And you’re sure it was this man.” Evan pointed to the photo.
“Pretty sure, yes.”
“Has anyone spoken to the woman he’s with in the photos?” Anne Marie asked. “Do we know who she is?”
Sean nodded. “Name is Dolores Hall. She co-owned the shop with Connie Paschall. Chief Benson over in Carleton did take a statement from her.”
“Maybe she’s involved in this. Maybe she and Vince planned to kill her partner so that she could have the business to herself,” Amanda suggested, recalling that once upon a time, she’d been a suspect in her business partner’s death as well.
“I don’t think that’s his style.” Anne Marie shook her head. “He wouldn’t have a partner, and if he did, it certainly wouldn’t be a woman. He doesn’t trust them, doesn’t respect them. All of his crimes have been against women. He holds women in very low esteem. He would never confide in one.”
“I agree,” Evan said. “I think this thing is his all the way.”
“You have the girlfriend’s statement, the one she gave to Benson?” Evan leaned back in his chair.
“Right here. I’ll make a few copies.” Sean stood. “And I’ll ask Joyce to bring in a pot of coffee. Looks like we’re going to be here for a while.”
Evan stared at the photos of Dolores Hall. “I agree with Anne Marie. I’d be real surprised if Hall had anything to do with this. I think this is all his.”
“Sean, have you considered bringing in the FBI?” Anne Marie asked. “Officially, I mean.”
“I’ve been thinking about it,” he acknowledged.
“I can arrange to bring in an agent who has had dealings with Giordano before.”
“I’ve never heard of the FBI sending in only one agent,” he noted skeptically.
“This is one very good agent.” She smiled. “What do you say?”
Sean bit the inside of his lower lip. He didn’t really feel that he had a choice. “Make your call,” he told Anne Marie.
“Consider it done.” She drained her coffee cup and turned to Evan. “Will you be driving back to your place in Lyndon for the night, or will you be staying here?”
“I’d planned on driving back to Lyndon,” he replied.
“May I hitch a ride? I thought I’d stay at my sister’s house, since I do have a key, and she’s out of town for a while.”
“This is your sister the advocate?” Amanda asked. “The one Channing tried to kill?”
“Yes.”
“Is she on vacation?”
“Not exactly. She’s on her way out West, tracking down a lead on her missing daughter.” Anne Marie stood up and smoothed her black skirt. “Seven years ago, Mara’s ex-husband disappeared and took their daughter with him. Mara’s been searching for her ever since.”
“Oh, my God. That’s horrible.” Amanda set her cup down. “That’s just . . . horrible.”
“It has been a nightmare,” Anne Marie agreed. “But this new lead looks very, very promising. We’ve all got our fingers crossed.”
“Can’t the FBI help?”
“The FBI is on