Page 143 of Wild Embers
The muscles in Walker’s jaw tense. “Are you sure?”
I nod, convinced, and point to the inked barbed wire on Manny’s arm. “Yes. This is the same tattoo I saw on the attacker.”
Santiago lets out a low whistle. “So wereallyhate him.”
“Understatement of the year,” Walker grumbles.
Walker drags a hand down his face. “He attacks you and Blake at the clinic.”
Santiago clenches his fists. “He shows up at Falling Sky and locks Blake in the barn.”
“And he sets fire to the barn,” I add.
“But what doesn’t make sense is,” Walker starts pacing back and forth, “he was reckless. He talked with Blake. She saw his face. Calculated criminals don’t usually make that mistake.”
Santiago works his jaw back and forth. “Manny wasn’t patient. One time, a gate jammed, and he kicked it until it opened. Another time, Willow wouldn’t obey him, so he tried forcing her.”
I let out a single sardonic laugh. “He tried forcing an animal more than five times his weight to do what he wanted? What an idiot.”
Walker’s pacing pauses. “He was impulsive.” Walker looks between Santiago and me.
My head slants to a curious angle. “Do you think he was the Debt Collector?”
Walker shakes his head. “There’s no way. The Debt Collector is the complete opposite of Manny—calculating, manipulative, intelligent. He leaves messages, he stages the bodies, he cleans his mess. Manny poured gasoline on a barn in broad daylight.”
I nod my head.
“The Debt Collector is sophisticated. Manny is too young, too impulsive,” Santiago concurs.
“Exactly.” Walker snaps his fingers. “Then why was he trying to kill Blake?”
I review the facts in my head.
Manny hits on Blake. Blake rejects him, but Manny won’t take no for an answer. Manny runs his mouth and gets fired, which means no job.
No job, no income.
“I don’t think it was about Blake,” I speak up. “I think this is good old revenge.”
Walker purses his lips, contemplating. “Let’s assume it’s about Blake. Convince me I’m wrong.”
I take them through my thought process, laying it out perfectly.
“I think killing Blake was to get back at Santiago, the man who fired him. Blake was just the means by which he could exact his revenge.”
But there’s one problem…
“Then who killed Manny?” I follow up.
“Who murdered the attempted murderer?” Santiago rephrases sarcastically. “Now that’s the real brain teaser.”
“If we figure out why, that should point us toward the who.” Walker rubs his chin.
Santiago and I start spouting off theories.
“Someone could have followed Blake from New York.”
“Someone protecting Blake.”
