Investigating Jamie Reynolds: Key Witness Account at The Book Seller

okay this is chapter 17 of good girl bad blood 17 the book seller stood out along Main Street it always had as far back as

pip could remember and not just because it had been her favorite place to go dragging her mom in by the arm when she

needed just one more book but quite literally the owner had painted the outside of the store a bright cheerful

purple where the rest of the street was uniform in its clean white painted facades and red brick walls apparently

it had caused a major uproar 13 years ago Connor was lagging behind pip on the sidewalk he still wasn't on board with

this whole catfish Theory as he' phrased it even when she pointed out that in Connor's own words Jamie had been on his

phone all the time in recent weeks it fits everything we know so far pip continued eyeing the bookstore up

ahead late night phone calls and Jam's been protective about no one seeing his screen which makes me think that his

relationship with this Lea this cat fish is a romantic one Jamie was probably feeling vulnerable after the whole Matta

Silva situation so it's easy to see how he might fall for someone online especially someone using Stella

Chapman's photos I guess that's just not what I expected Conor dipped his head into his shoulder a gesture that could

either have been a nod or a shrug it wasn't the same doing this with Connor Robie knew just what to say what to pick

out how to push her into thinking clearly and he jumped with her hand in hand even into into even her wildest

conclusions they just worked like that teased out the best in each other knowing when to talk and when to just be

there Robie was still at the courthouse but pip had called him earlier after Stella's interview he'd been waiting

around for Max's defense to start because the prosecution had just rested and they talked through everything

together Jamie Leila until it all fit but this was the third time she'd run the explanation by Connor and each time

he Shrugged making the doubts creep creep into Pip's mind there wasn't time for doubts so she tried to outrun them

hurrying along the sidewalk as Connor struggled to keep up it's the only explanation that fits

the evidence we have Pip said hunches have to follow the evidence that's how it works she turned her attention back

to the Book seller coming to a stop in front of the door when we're finished here with this potential sighting we'll

go back to my house and see if we can find this Leila online and confirm the theory oh she turned to Connor and let

me do the talking please it works better that way yeah fine he said I said sorry about the Stella thing I know and I know

you're just worried she softened her face just leave it to me that's what I'm here for a bell jangled above the glass

door as pip pushed her way inside she loved the smell here an ancient kind of smell stale and Timeless you could get

lost in the Labyrinth of dark mahogany bookshelves in bed in belled with shiny gold metal

letters labeled with oh my God hold on you could get lost in the Labyrinth of dark mahogany bookshelves

labeled with shiny gold metal letters even as a child she'd always found herself in front of the crime shelves hi

came a deep voice from behind the counter and then oh it's you hi the guy at the register Sid stepped the counter

and moved toward them across the store he looks out of place here as tall as the highest shelves and almost as wide

his arms were thick with muscle and his near black hair was tied back from his face in a small bun I'm Harry he said

holding his hand out to pip Harry sight he clarified when she shook it the one who emailed you yes thank you so much

for that pip said I came as fast as I could we ran out as soon as the bell rang a floorboard creaked under Connor's

feet this is Connor Reynolds Jam's brother hello Harry said pivoting the outstretched hand to Connor now too I'm

sorry about your brother man Connor mumbled a few half words could I ask you about about what you saw on Friday night

pip asked do you mind if I record us yeah yeah that's fine hey Mike Harry called to a guy restocking shelves at

the back go get sof from the office all three of us were there when we saw him he explained perfect and could I set up

the microphones here pip gestured to the counter behind beside the register sure sure it's always quiet from 4 until

closing anyway Harry cleared a pile of brown paper bags so pip could set her backpack down she pulled out her laptop

and the two USB microphones s and Mike appeared from the back office pip had always been curious about what was back

there the sort of wonder that dies a little more each year you grow older they swapped new hell and introductions

and pip instructed the three book seller employes to gather around one microphone she had to raise it on a stack of books

to compensate for Harry's height when everyone was ready pit pressed record and nodded pointedly so after the

Memorial har har you said you went to someone's house whose house mine said Mike scratching his beard too hard

making the Blue Audio line Spike on Pip screen he looked older than the other two in his threes at least on Weevil

Road how far up it's number 58 halfway up where the road bends pip knew exactly what he meant okay so you all spent the

evening there yep so said us and our friend lcy she's not in today did you all leave Mike's house at the same time

yeah I was driving said Harry I dropped sof and Lucy home on my way okay pip said and do you do any of you remember

what time exactly you left the house it was like 11:45 is wasn't it Harry said glancing at his friends I tried to work

it back from the time I got home Mike shook his head I think it was just before that I was already in bed at

11:45 cuz I looked at my phone to set the alarm I went straight to bed after seeing you all off and it takes me only

5 minutes to get ready so I'm thinking it was closer to 8:40 8 11

11:40 11:40 that's great thank you pip said and can you tell me about seeing Jamie where was he what was he doing he

was walking Harry said pushing back some FlyAway strands of hair pretty fast with purpose I mean he was on the sidewalk on

Mike side of the road so he crossed only a few feet behind us he didn't even glance at us seemed totally focused on

wherever he was going which direction was he going up Weevil Road said Mike away from the center of

town did he go all the way up Weevil Road or could he have turned off say down Courtland or somewhere pip asked

holding the headphones to her ears and glancing back to check that Connor was okay he was watching intently eyes

tracking every spoken word I don't know Harry said we didn't see him after he passed us we went the

other way to my car sorry and you're certain it was Jamie Reynolds yeah I'm pretty sure it was him s chimed in

leaning instinctively toward the microphone there was no one else walking around at that time so I sort of noticed

him more if that makes sense I knew it was I knew it when Harry showed me your poster I walked out the front door first

saw Jamie walking toward us and then I turned around to say bye to Mike what was Jamie wearing pip asked it wasn't a

test exactly but she had to be sure he had on a dark red purpley kind of shirt s said looking for confirmation in her

friend's eyes yeah burgundy color Harry said jeans sneakers and maybe a black watch I think but I wasn't paying too

much attention the watch hadn't been mentioned on the missing poster which

meant this sighting had to be genuine pip unlocked her phone scrolling to the photo of Jamie from the memorial she

held it up and sop and Harry nodded but only sop and Harry I don't know Mike said stretching out one side of his

mouth in a sort of wise I could have sworn he was wearing something darker I mean I only looked at him for a couple

of seconds but it it was kind of dark but I thought he was wearing something with a hood Lucy thinks so too

and I swear I couldn't see his hands because they were in his jacket pockets if he was wearing a shirt then where

were his hands but I got to the door last so I only really saw the back of him pit flipped her phone back looking

again at Jamie this is what he was wearing when he disappeared she said oh I guess I did just didn't get a good

look Mike conceded shuffling back a half step that's okay pip said reassuringly it's hard to remember small details you

don't know will be significant later can you recall anything else about Jamie his demeanor nothing that really stuck out

Harry said speaking across so guest I noticed he was breathing pretty hard but he just looked like a guy in a hurry to

be somewhere in a hurry to be somewhere Pip's mind reped those words adding her own and now he was nowhere

okay she clicked stop on the recording thank you all so much for your time