“If you’re lookin’ for Ms. Ramos, she moved out a couple months back. Took a job in a city somewhere. Denver, I think...or maybe it was LA.”
Interesting timing, Bran thought. Just after the colonel’s death, and no mention of the move on her Facebook page. “She leave a forwarding address?”
Cyrus shook his head. “Nope. Just packed up, dropped off her key, and moved out one day. Had to charge her credit card an extra month’s rent, her leavin’ without givin’ her thirty-day notice.”
“How long did she live here?” Bran asked.
“Only here a couple months, real nice lady.”
Jessie took her wallet out of her purse and slid out a photo of her father. “Did you ever see this man around her apartment?”
He nodded. “Sure did. Thirteen-C is just over there.” He pointed to a building across a small, grassy open space. “Some military guy. Started coming round to see Ms. Ramos a month or so before she moved out. Spent the night so I guess he was her boyfriend.”
Bran almost smiled at the look of horror on Jessie’s face, like she couldn’t believe her dad could possibly have a sexual relationship. If the colonel was anything like his son Danny, a high sex drive was in his blood. If the implications of Mara’s sudden departure weren’t so dark, it would have been funny.
He tipped his head toward Jessie. “The military guy you were talking about? This is his daughter. We’d like to find Mara if we can. I don’t suppose you’d have a copy of the credit card receipt you have on file for her? I’ll make it worth your while.”
Cyrus shook his grizzled head. “Sorry. Company policy. We gotta destroy the records soon as a tenant moves out. Don’t want to end up in a lawsuit, you know.”
Bran sighed. “I get it. These days you can’t be too careful. Could you at least tell us the date she moved?”
“I’ll check.” Cyrus ambled back into his apartment, then returned a few minutes later. “It was August 18. Housekeeping shampooed the carpets the next day.”
Bran glanced at Jessie, whose shock was now tinged with anger. Colonel Kegan had died just a few days before Mara Ramos packed up and left town. The coincidence was worrisome at the very least.
Of course it could just be coincidence.
If he believed in coincidence, which he didn’t.
“Thanks anyway, Cyrus.” Bran waved at the older man over his shoulder as they left, then stopped a few minutes later at the rapid sound of footsteps shuffling after him.
“Wait!” Cyrus called out. “Wait just a second.”
Bran turned to face him. “What is it?”
Cyrus took a couple of winded breaths. “Just remembered. I got her license plate number. Had to put it on the application so she could park her car in the lot.” Cyrus handed him a piece of paper: 6EQS505. “Don’t know if it’ll help, but I thought it might.”
Bran smiled. “You did good, Cyrus.” He took out a fifty and handed it over, and the old man beamed.
“Now I can buy my Betty somethin’ nice for our weddin’ anniversary. Be fifty years. Fifty years puttin’ up with me, she deserves somethin’ nice.”
“Glad I could contribute,” Bran said, smiling.
The old man shuffled back the way he had come.
“I can’t believe Dad never mentioned he was seeing someone,” Jessie said, still looking dumbstruck as she clicked her seat belt into place and Bran pulled away from the curb.
“He’s a man, honey. And as you said, Mara is a beautiful woman.”
She hooked her fiery hair behind an ear. “Odd timing, though, her leaving just days after he died. You think the plates will help us find her?”
“Maybe. I noticed there weren’t any recent posts on her Facebook. Now I think I know why. I’ll text Tabby with the number, see what she comes up with.”
“CID was trying to find the missing chemicals. They would have interviewed everyone on the visitors list. I’ll call Agent Tripp, see if he’ll tell me what Mara Ramos had to say.”
“Sounds good.”
Jessie sighed. “I wish we knew more about her.”
Bran flicked her a sideways glance. “Oh, we’re going to. You can count on that.”
* * *
The afternoon slid into evening. Agent Tripp was out and hadn’t yet called her back. She had ordered a pizza, but by the time it was delivered to the hotel, it was cold, which didn’t really matter since Jessie’s appetite was gone.
She still couldn’t believe her father had been involved with a woman and hadn’t told her about it.