All Dressed in White

38

“How’d that go?” Alex asked when she returned to the table.

She related the new information to him.

As usual, he processed it quickly. “So that’s one more person saying Jeremy Carroll is a little off.”

Jeff, Austin, and Nick had all given the same timeline to police. According to the three friends, after dinner, they went to Jeff’s room for a nightcap. Around eleven o’clock they said good night and Nick and Austin went to their own rooms and to bed.

“Alex, think about this. All four men supposedly were in their hotel rooms alone by eleven o’clock. Henry claims that he went to bed earlier, close to ten o’clock. That means that nobody can confirm the whereabouts of those four after eleven the night Amanda disappeared.”

“Yes, it does,” Alex agreed.

“And it was about eleven o’clock when Amanda stepped back from getting on the elevator.”

“Do you think she was meeting one of the four?”

“I don’t know. And the question is, was Jeremy hanging around the hotel at that time? If so, he could have seen Amanda and followed her again.”

“I know your father found Jeremy’s address and it’s not far from here.”

“That’s where my mind was going. After the shoot tomorrow, I want to pay a visit to Mr. Carroll.”

“Laurie, please don’t tell me you’re planning to go alone.”

“Don’t worry. Armed Commissioner Leo will be going with me.”

“That makes me feel better. Switching to another subject, can you and I have dinner tomorrow night? There’s a new gourmet restaurant in town that I hear is wonderful.”

“Really? Just the two of us?”

“Over a romantic dinner you can tell me all about your meeting with Jeremy Carroll.”

Laurie laughed and said, “What could possibly be more romantic? You’re on.”

Half an hour later they were walking to the elevator. Laurie found herself thinking about Jeremy Carroll. Her gaze drifted to the now dark atrium outside the bar. She could picture Carroll lurking there, his camera strapped across one shoulder. She imagined Amanda walking past him that night, never noticing that the young photographer was watching her. And following her.