Chapter Twenty-Two: Setting a Trap:

Bree had just gotten all of the dried food off of the wall when the doorbell rang. She straightened up her clothes and walked over to the door. The woman looked out the peep hole. She opened the door to the detectives waiting outside.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said. “Come inside.” Daniel and Edwin followed her inside. Daniel wrinkled his nose.

“When did Phil start smoking in the house?” he asked.

“He didn’t,” Bree said. “It’s been Lanie.” She sat down on the couch. Daniel pulled out his notepad.

“When did Lanie first come here?” he asked.

“Five weeks,” Bree said. “She came to my house in the middle of the night.”

“What did she want?”

She closed her fists in her lap. “She wanted to hide out in my house.”

Daniel raised his eyebrow. “Why would she come to you?” Bree shrugged and shook her head.

“No idea. She just showed up in the middle of the night.” She buried her head in her hands. “I’m so embarrassed to admit it. But she scared me into letting her in.”

“Did she do anything while she was staying here?”

“No. Just smoked, drank, and ate me out of house and home.” She started trembling as she spoke. Daniel took notes before turning the page.

“Did she ever say anything to you?” he asked. The woman lowered her hands and looked up.

“Aside from barking orders at me?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Not much, other than insults.”

As they were talking, Edwin walked around the living, looking around. He could see some of the empty beer cans that Bree had missed from under the couch. Good thing that the windows were open. The smell of cigarettes made him gag when he first walked into the room. How could Bree put up with this for five weeks? But then, something caught his attention to the very back right corner of the couch.

“Excuse me,” Edwin spoke up. Bree and Daniel looked up.

“What is it?” Bree asked.

“Where do you keep your broom?” he asked. She gave him a strange look.

“Downstairs in the laundry room,” the woman said. “Why? Did I miss some of her garbage?” Edwin didn’t answer her. Instead, he turned and went towards the kitchen.

“Edwin?” Daniel asked. His partner came back with a long red handled broom. He got back down on the floor and shoved the handle underneath the dark blue couch. He knocked out more empty cans at first. Just the sight and sound made Bree grind her teeth. Phil would be pissed off if he saw the mess Lanie made in the living room.

Edwin knocked out two more items that Bree had missed while she was cleaning the living room. At first, there was a black cloth wallet. Daniel reached into his pocket and put on a pair of gloves. He picked up the wallet and opened it. The ID alone caught his attention.

“Why is Linda’s ID and social security card here?” the detective asked.

“That’s not all,” Edwin said. He knocked out a small bag with white powder. Bree threw back her head and wailed aloud.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” she shouted. Daniel walked into her kitchen.

“Detective Paige?” Bree asked. He came back with the evidence in a large plastic bag. Edwin rose to his feet.

“What are you thinking, man?” he asked. Daniel held up the bag and grinned.

“Bree,” he said. “Does Lanie have a phone?”

“No,” she said. The detective shrugged.

“Well, I get the feeling that she will be coming back here to make a little pick up,” he said.

“Huh?” Bree asked. Daniel looked deranged with that grin on his face. Edwin took a nervous step back. He waited for his partner to say that words that he was expecting.

“I have a plan,” he said. Edwin and Bree had big eyes. The detective chuckled. He already sent a text from the kitchen to the final piece of his puzzle. The only thing next was to wait and get the suspect here.