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I went to the last person I should have gone to.
Denise.
I was headed to the pool, intending to check there first before heading up to the activity room, when I saw her in the dining area.
“Why aren’t you serving pizza?” I asked breathlessly.
“I’m grabbing napkins,” she said. She motioned to the cardboard box in front of her. “Residents didn’t like using the paper ones the pizza place brought so I’m moving these for dinner tonight.” Her eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be avoiding me for as long as you could.”
She lifted the box and started toward the exit.
I blocked her.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
I swallowed. “I...I found something.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you did. Probably something that points to yet another person, so we conveniently can’t call the police quite yet. Am I right?”
I wrung my hands. “Yes,” I admitted. “And no.” I shook my head. “I don’t know if it’s important or not. It feels important.”
“You know what I think?” she said. “I think we let the police figure all that out.” She huffed out a breath. “Which is what I have said from day one!”
“I know, but just hear me out.”
She glanced down at the box. “I need more, don’t I?” she said, mostly to herself. “We’ll need some for people eating in the activity room, too.” She turned and headed toward the kitchen.
I followed her.
“Denise, wait.”
She didn’t stop.
“Denise,” I said again.
She spun around. “I’m done listening. The only thing I want to hear you say is you’re calling the police. Because this needs to end.”
“It’s about Earl,” I said.
Her brow puckered. “What?”
“Earl,” I repeated. “Earl Lipinski.”
I could see in her expression that she didn’t want to ask.
But I knew she heard the desperation in my voice.
“Fine,” she said with a sigh. She settled the box on her hip. “What about Earl?”
I opened my mouth to answer.
But someone cut me off.
“Yes,” a man’s voice said. “What about me?”