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“Jess, that ledger…”
“Yes?”
“Do you think that first column might be some kind of code for people?”
“I was just thinking that, but I haven’t a clue how we might identify them.”
“Kenny found another list, tucked under Thompson’s mattress. Can he scan it and send it to you?”
“Sure. Have him send it to my printer. The number is 555-867-5309.”
“Seriously?”
“You haven’t heard my ringtone, have you? And you don’t want to know what I had to do to get that number.”
He laughed and gave Kenny the number. Within short order, a copy of the list Kenny had found was being printed. Jess picked up the list of what appeared to be random names.
“I don’t recognize any of these,” she said, defeatedly.
“Don’t let it get to you, babe. Just one step at a time. I know it’s fun in books for the hero or heroine to take a huge leap in the logic, but normally, it doesn’t work that way. Usually, it’s just one step after another…”
“Until it isn’t,” said Jessica. “I don’t recognize any names on this list except Selma Griffin. She’s on the town council.”
“Well, we can certainly add her to the list, but…”
“But nothing. Selma’s address is 6903 Old Coast Road here in Badger’s Drift. One of the numbers in the first column of the ledger is 6903.”
“So, the column identifying people is like their house number?”
“That would be my guess.”
“Can your printer scan and send something?”
“Sure.”
Thorn was getting excited. “Scan this back to Kenny,” he said, picking up his cell phone and dialing. “Kenny, we’re sending you a list. Have our techies run that first column against known addresses for people here in Badger’s Drift and the surrounding area.” He ended the call, came up out of the chair and kissed her. “You are brilliant.”
“We don’t know that I’m right.”
“I’m willing to bet you are. Let’s go start knocking on doors.”
“Don’t you think it would be best to call people first?”
“And let them have time to think up a story or call a lawyer? Nope, surprise is almost always on the investigator’s side.”
Catching his enthusiasm, Jessica said, “Where do we start?”
“I say Selma Griffin. We’re pretty damn sure she’s on both lists, and I want to see if she resembles anyone in the photos. What was the dollar amount by her name?”
“Thirty-seven thousand.”
“That’s an interesting amount. I wonder if it has any significance?”
“I don’t know, but it’s the second largest number. The largest is fifty-two thousand. What I find curious is that the majority of the numbers are under ten thousand, which is the mandatory reporting number for banks and financial institutions.”
“Let’s go. I don’t want anyone to get wind of what we know and what we’re doing.”
He took Jessica by the hand and began to lead her back through the kitchen, out the door and down the path to the detached garage. Tracer trotted along happily behind them. At the door into the garage, Jessica stopped and leaned down to snuggle with him for just a moment.
