murder to VICAP, of course.”
I must have looked blank, because she added, “The Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. It’s an FBI database that keeps records of violent crimes across state lines. Like this one.”
“And Leslie Yung works for them?”
“Leslie Yung works for the Memphis office of the FBI,” Grimaldi said. “She ran across your husband a few years ago, in his undercover persona.”
I nodded. “I got that much from the scene this morning.”
“Well, after she found out about the new victim, she did some internet searching. And in the process, stumbled across the video of Rafe doing his macho thing with Tucker and the kid.”
“Curtis.”
Grimaldi nodded. “She recognized him—your husband—and, believing him to be a dangerous criminal, came down here to warn me.”
Huh. “I’m surprised the Memphis FBI office didn’t catch on before now,” I said. “I thought Rafe’s cover blew so spectacularly that everyone in law enforcement knew.”
“I guess Memphis was too far away.”
Maybe. Although— “He worked there a lot. For a long time. I’m surprised they didn’t keep up.”
“I don’t know,” Grimaldi said. “The scene got pretty heated.”
So I’d seen. “They seemed to be getting on OK when I saw them earlier.”
She squinted at me across the island. “When did you see them earlier?”
“I was following him around to see if I could get a bead on this person who’s been uploading the videos,” I said. “There’s another one now. Taken this morning.” I pulled my phone closer and cued up the video. “Here.”
Grimaldi watched the clip, and watched it again. “Quite the movie kiss,” she said blandly when she handed the phone back.
I flushed. “I know. If I’d known that someone was filming…”
But honestly, if I’d known that someone was filming, I wouldn’t have done anything differently. I was kissing my husband, as I had every right to do. I just considered myself lucky that Mother hadn’t noticed.
And no sooner had the thought crossed my mind that somehow, like magic, her name flashed on the screen. I made a face and turned the ringer down.
Grimaldi smirked, but didn’t comment. “So you were following him around…”
“Charlotte and I. Thinking maybe we’d see whoever’s doing the filming. That’s why I was there this morning, too. At the police station.”
She nodded.
“We followed him and Agent Yung to the truck stop out by I-65, and then we followed them back to Sweetwater, to the sheriff’s office. Rafe noticed us right away, of course.”
“Of course,” Grimaldi said, grinning. “Well, I’m glad he and Yung are getting along. He’s going to have to work with her, it looks like.”
“I figured he’d be working with you,” I said, and watched her shake her head.
“Conflict of interest. One of the victims was my mother. Besides, it isn’t my case. Bob called in the TBI, and now the FBI’s gotten involved, but it’s still not the Columbia PD’s case.”
I guess it wasn’t. “So what do you want from me? Rafe will tell you everything directly if you ask him.” Or Bob would. Nobody would keep any secrets from her.
“I want to run my own investigation,” Grimaldi said, and I opened my eyes wide to stare at her. “Unofficially.”
“Do you think Bob and Rafe and Agent Yung won’t do a good job?”
“I think they’ll do a fine job.” After a second she added, “I don’t know Yung. But both Bob and your husband will.”
“So why get in their way?”
“I don’t want to get in their way,” Grimaldi said. “But this is personal. I can’t just sit on the sidelines and let them do the work. Not when it was my mother who was killed.”
“That’s why you’re supposed to sit on the sidelines, though. It’s personal to you. And that’s why you’re not supposed to investigate it.” And I had no idea why I was telling her this, when I knew she knew it.
“I can’t,” Grimaldi said. “When your sister-in-law died, you knew I was investigating. You trusted me to do a good job, because you knew me.”
I nodded. I’d known her, and liked her, and had believed she’d give the case everything she had to get justice for Sheila.
“You still looked into things on your own.”
Yes. I had. “It wasn’t because I didn’t trust you. But she was my brother’s wife, and…”
“It was personal,” Grimaldi finished. “It’s not that I don’t trust them. I do. There’s nobody I’d rather have investigating this than your husband and Sheriff Satterfield. But she was my mother. I can’t sit here and do nothing now that another case has landed practically in