Page 112 of Diamonds in the Mud

“You’re falling into his trap. He’s going to pin everything on you. We are going to take the blame for everything. Meet me tonight behind the bar in the alley. I have the proof you asked for.”

As I read the note, and then read it again, my heart practically beat out of my chest.

Evelyn. This was her handwriting. I remembered it from the note Faye had given me.

Did this mean that Quincy was the one who had run Evelyn over and killed her?

I set the paper down and unfolded the next sheet. It was a series of numbers, in Evelyn’s handwriting.

Could this be the proof that Evelyn was talking about? Whatever they meant, there was one thing they proved—Quincy was not the mastermind. He was the fall guy.

I headed back to my office and stared at the numbers for a while before typing them into my computer system to see what came up.

The possibilities were endless. The first number was nine digits, the same as a social security number or a bank account number at the local bank. The next group was ten digits. A phone number?

I picked up my phone and tried it, allowing it to ring six times before I hung up.

The last number was only three digits long.

272.

After typing this into my search bar, I was slightly surprised when the address to the city and county building popped up at the top of the search.

If these numbers signaled a bank account or social security number, followed by a phone number, and then the address for the mayor’s office, these could be just the clues that I needed.

Since I had time before the bank closed, I walked over there, figuring I’d see if they could give me any information.

I took photos of the notes with my phone, then locked them away in my desk drawer and headed out.

When I stepped into the bank, I was assaulted by a puff of frigid air and shivered. Most businesses had already turned their air conditioning units down to accommodate the cooler weather. Obviously, the bank wasn’t one of them.

Glancing around, I realized I was in luck. Lisa Childs was working. The woman had graduated a few years before my class and was always nice to me. I walked over and knocked on her door.

“Rayne.” She glanced up and smiled at me, then waved me inside. “What a pleasant surprise.”

“Hi, Lisa,” I said, stepping inside and shutting the door behind me. “Do you have a moment?”

“For you, I have a few.” She chuckled and waved me to a seat across from her.

“I don’t know if you can actually help me, but I figured I’d give it a shot.” I pulled out my phone.

“Whatever it is, I’ll give it a try,” Lisa asked.

“Can you tell me if any of these numbers are bank accounts here at the bank?” I said, handing her my phone with the image of the note on it.

Lisa frowned down at the phone. “I can’t give you names,” she warned.

I shrugged. “Gotcha. If they are account numbers, I can get the proper papers to get more information. I just figured I’d try first.”

Lisa nodded and then started typing into her computer.

She stilled after trying the first row. “This is an account here.” She took a deep breath, and I saw her eyes narrow. “I…” She slid the phone towards me as if it were suddenly poisonous. “Where did you get these?”

I tucked the phone back into my pocket and stood up. “Thanks, I’ll see the judge first thing Monday morning to get the proper paperwork to get more details from you. I hope to see you at the fair this weekend.”

Lisa’s smile was slightly strained as she nodded at me. “See you there.”

I turned and walked out. I glanced down the street and, to my surprise, I saw Jameson, Aria, and Sabrina walk out of the antique store.