so close he could smell her sweet powdery scent. Her features were immature and undefined under her makeup, and her black tank top hung loose, revealing small breasts in a black bra. Her knees bumped against his.
“But you want to,” she said, playing at grown-up seduction. “And I could use the money.”
He made himself stern and distant. “Sit down,” he said. “I’m not giving you money. I don’t want sex. I just have questions I want to ask you.”
She sighed, and stood, and flopped down in her own chair again. “Twenty dollars a question.”
“I’m not paying you,” he said. “I think you owe me the truth.”
“I don’t owe you shit.”
“You shouldn’t talk like that.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Okay, Dad .”
The word made his stomach flip. He tried to focus on the questions that had made him approach her in the first place. He was within reach of the information he craved. He just had to find a way through this disorderly adolescent mind. “Did Troy know my daughter?” he asked. “I’m not trying to get you in trouble. I just want to know.”
She said nothing.
“If they had known each other, how might they have met?”
She sighed, and looked around the dim room.
“Sasha,” he said. “Did he know Emily?”
“I dunno.”
“But it’s possible?”
“Missoula’s not huge or anything.”
“Had he seen her?”
“Stop asking me!”
“Tell me about him. What does he like to do?”
She thought about it. “He plays drums,” she said. “He’s awesome at pool. He ran track in high school, and he still likes running, ’cause it calms him down.”
“Where did he run?”
“On the river trail, or at the track.”
“Which track?”
She hesitated. “The Grizzly one,” she said, her eyes locked to his.
Leo forced himself not to react, to stay quiet. Emily had run at the university track. Slight Emily in running tights, on the rubbery track in the clear mountain air. She had a loping, easy stride, and had to sprint to break a sweat. Would Grayling have fallen in beside her? Struck up a conversation?
“So he’d seen her,” Leo said. “Did he talk to you about it?”
“No.”
“But you know he’d seen her.”
“No.”
She had wanted to tell him, clearly. Now was she changing her mind?
“I won’t get you in trouble,” he said. “They already have a conviction. It’s just between you and me.”
“Fuck off.”
“Did he talk to you about her? Did you think he would do something?”
“No!”
“Were you jealous?”
She said nothing.
“You were!” He was on to something, lifting the edge.
“He already had me ,” she said, her voice high and strained.
It took him a second to get his head around this. “What do you mean, he had you?”
“I mean, why did he need her ?”
“He raped and killed her,” he said. “You wanted to be his girl to rape and kill?”
She hesitated. “He wasn’t going to hurt her.”
There was a silence in the room that seemed to roar in his ears.
“How do you know that?” he asked.
She blushed furiously. “I just know.”
He tried to follow this. “Did he rape you?”
She glowered at him, and he knew he was right. He felt the excitement of the chase, of the discovery.
“Did he the first time?” he asked. “Or was that his thing, did you pretend?”
She looked like she might cry. Why hadn’t the cops gotten to this? The DA? But the DA was just a kid. And maybe it wouldn’t have helped the case, which he had won with what he had.
“So you were jealous of Emily,” Leo said, “because Troy had seen her and wanted her. Had you met her, too?”
She shook her head.
“ How could he kidnap someone else, when he had you, is that it?”
“Why are you doing this to me?” she whined.
He was up out of his chair, and had grabbed her by the shoulders. He could tolerate anything except her acting like a victim. “Your boyfriend killed my daughter,” he said, close to her face. “Do you
“But you want to,” she said, playing at grown-up seduction. “And I could use the money.”
He made himself stern and distant. “Sit down,” he said. “I’m not giving you money. I don’t want sex. I just have questions I want to ask you.”
She sighed, and stood, and flopped down in her own chair again. “Twenty dollars a question.”
“I’m not paying you,” he said. “I think you owe me the truth.”
“I don’t owe you shit.”
“You shouldn’t talk like that.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Okay, Dad .”
The word made his stomach flip. He tried to focus on the questions that had made him approach her in the first place. He was within reach of the information he craved. He just had to find a way through this disorderly adolescent mind. “Did Troy know my daughter?” he asked. “I’m not trying to get you in trouble. I just want to know.”
She said nothing.
“If they had known each other, how might they have met?”
She sighed, and looked around the dim room.
“Sasha,” he said. “Did he know Emily?”
“I dunno.”
“But it’s possible?”
“Missoula’s not huge or anything.”
“Had he seen her?”
“Stop asking me!”
“Tell me about him. What does he like to do?”
She thought about it. “He plays drums,” she said. “He’s awesome at pool. He ran track in high school, and he still likes running, ’cause it calms him down.”
“Where did he run?”
“On the river trail, or at the track.”
“Which track?”
She hesitated. “The Grizzly one,” she said, her eyes locked to his.
Leo forced himself not to react, to stay quiet. Emily had run at the university track. Slight Emily in running tights, on the rubbery track in the clear mountain air. She had a loping, easy stride, and had to sprint to break a sweat. Would Grayling have fallen in beside her? Struck up a conversation?
“So he’d seen her,” Leo said. “Did he talk to you about it?”
“No.”
“But you know he’d seen her.”
“No.”
She had wanted to tell him, clearly. Now was she changing her mind?
“I won’t get you in trouble,” he said. “They already have a conviction. It’s just between you and me.”
“Fuck off.”
“Did he talk to you about her? Did you think he would do something?”
“No!”
“Were you jealous?”
She said nothing.
“You were!” He was on to something, lifting the edge.
“He already had me ,” she said, her voice high and strained.
It took him a second to get his head around this. “What do you mean, he had you?”
“I mean, why did he need her ?”
“He raped and killed her,” he said. “You wanted to be his girl to rape and kill?”
She hesitated. “He wasn’t going to hurt her.”
There was a silence in the room that seemed to roar in his ears.
“How do you know that?” he asked.
She blushed furiously. “I just know.”
He tried to follow this. “Did he rape you?”
She glowered at him, and he knew he was right. He felt the excitement of the chase, of the discovery.
“Did he the first time?” he asked. “Or was that his thing, did you pretend?”
She looked like she might cry. Why hadn’t the cops gotten to this? The DA? But the DA was just a kid. And maybe it wouldn’t have helped the case, which he had won with what he had.
“So you were jealous of Emily,” Leo said, “because Troy had seen her and wanted her. Had you met her, too?”
She shook her head.
“ How could he kidnap someone else, when he had you, is that it?”
“Why are you doing this to me?” she whined.
He was up out of his chair, and had grabbed her by the shoulders. He could tolerate anything except her acting like a victim. “Your boyfriend killed my daughter,” he said, close to her face. “Do you
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