makes him no different than thousands of guys in Chicago,” she grumbled. “So unless we find something new or he strikes again, we’re dead in the water.”
“Unless we’re wrong and somebody went to the -Doughertys’ with the express intention of killing Caitlin. Then her sorority sisters may be some help.”
“One can only hope,” she muttered.
Monday, November 27, 6:00 P.M.
“Oh my God.” Judy Walters rocked herself on the edge of her bed.
Mitchell was crouching next to Caitlin’s roommate, looking up into her face. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “But I need you to pull yourself together, Judy. I have some questions and you have to help me. Stop crying now.”
Her gentle tone softened the implacable demand and had the girl struggling to control her tears. “I’m sorry. Who would shoot her? Who would do that?”
Mitchell sat on the bed next to Judy. “When was the last time you saw Caitlin?”
“Saturday... about seven at night. We had a party and it got loud. I thought she was going to Joel’s apartment for the weekend.” She looked stricken. “Oh, God. I have to tell him.” She tried to get up, but Mitchell laid her hand on her knee.
“Not yet. Caitlin’s father said she’d broken up with Joel.”
“She just told them she did so they’d get off her back. Her dad didn’t like Joel.”
“Why not?” Reed asked and was surprised to see the girl’s wet eyes flash in anger.
“Because her dad’s a control-freak cop. He was always telling Caitlin what to do.”
Something flickered in Mitchell’s eyes, but was quickly controlled. Her dad had been a cop. Reed wondered how much she and Caitlin had in common. “Did she spend the weekend with Joel very often?” Reed asked.
“Yes. But there’s no way Joel did this. He loves her.”
“Judy, do you remember what Caitlin was wearing that night?”
“Jeans, a sweater. It was red.” She started crying. “I gave it to her.”
Mitchell patted her shoulder. “We’ll see ourselves out.” When they’d reached the SUV she spoke. “Did you find any metal rivets or snaps from her jeans near the body?”
Reed opened the door on her side. “Ben said they found metal buttons in the foyer.”
She climbed into the cab, then turned, her eyes grim. “Then he raped her, too.”
“What next?” he asked.
“Let’s go find out how much Joel loved her.”
Monday, November 27, 6:40 P.M.
Joel Rebinowitz’s roommate was pre-law and proud. Zach Thornton stood between Mia and Solliday and the bathroom door, through which came the sounds of Joel’s sobbing. “He’s not going to say another word to you without a lawyer,” Zach snarled.
Mia sighed. “God save us from baby attorneys. Look, kid, move yourself out of the way, or I’ll haul your ass in for obstruction.”
“You can’t do that,” he said belligerently.
“Wanna bet?” Zach’s belligerence faltered. “I didn’t think so.” She rapped on the door. “Joel, come out. We need to talk to you and we’re not leaving until we do.”
“Go away, dammit.” Joel’s voice was ragged. “Leave me alone.”
Mia looked at Solliday. “You want to go in after him?”
Solliday grimaced. “Not really. But I will.”
Thornton changed tactics, his expression gone drastically sincere. “You just told him his girlfriend is dead. Burned beyond recognition. What do you want from him?”
“The truth,” Mia responded. “Joel, five seconds or my partner comes in after you.”
Joel staggered out of the bathroom, his face pale and his eyes swollen from crying. “I’m not talking to you and I’m not going downtown with you.”
Zach nodded, back to smug. “You want him, get a warrant.”
“Joel, help us clear you so we can focus on the real bad guys.”
“The real killer,” Zach jeered. “Right.”
Mia lifted on her toes, putting herself inches from -Thornton’s face. “Shut. Up. Or I swear to God you will spend the night in a cell. I am not bluffing. I have had
“Unless we’re wrong and somebody went to the -Doughertys’ with the express intention of killing Caitlin. Then her sorority sisters may be some help.”
“One can only hope,” she muttered.
Monday, November 27, 6:00 P.M.
“Oh my God.” Judy Walters rocked herself on the edge of her bed.
Mitchell was crouching next to Caitlin’s roommate, looking up into her face. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “But I need you to pull yourself together, Judy. I have some questions and you have to help me. Stop crying now.”
Her gentle tone softened the implacable demand and had the girl struggling to control her tears. “I’m sorry. Who would shoot her? Who would do that?”
Mitchell sat on the bed next to Judy. “When was the last time you saw Caitlin?”
“Saturday... about seven at night. We had a party and it got loud. I thought she was going to Joel’s apartment for the weekend.” She looked stricken. “Oh, God. I have to tell him.” She tried to get up, but Mitchell laid her hand on her knee.
“Not yet. Caitlin’s father said she’d broken up with Joel.”
“She just told them she did so they’d get off her back. Her dad didn’t like Joel.”
“Why not?” Reed asked and was surprised to see the girl’s wet eyes flash in anger.
“Because her dad’s a control-freak cop. He was always telling Caitlin what to do.”
Something flickered in Mitchell’s eyes, but was quickly controlled. Her dad had been a cop. Reed wondered how much she and Caitlin had in common. “Did she spend the weekend with Joel very often?” Reed asked.
“Yes. But there’s no way Joel did this. He loves her.”
“Judy, do you remember what Caitlin was wearing that night?”
“Jeans, a sweater. It was red.” She started crying. “I gave it to her.”
Mitchell patted her shoulder. “We’ll see ourselves out.” When they’d reached the SUV she spoke. “Did you find any metal rivets or snaps from her jeans near the body?”
Reed opened the door on her side. “Ben said they found metal buttons in the foyer.”
She climbed into the cab, then turned, her eyes grim. “Then he raped her, too.”
“What next?” he asked.
“Let’s go find out how much Joel loved her.”
Monday, November 27, 6:40 P.M.
Joel Rebinowitz’s roommate was pre-law and proud. Zach Thornton stood between Mia and Solliday and the bathroom door, through which came the sounds of Joel’s sobbing. “He’s not going to say another word to you without a lawyer,” Zach snarled.
Mia sighed. “God save us from baby attorneys. Look, kid, move yourself out of the way, or I’ll haul your ass in for obstruction.”
“You can’t do that,” he said belligerently.
“Wanna bet?” Zach’s belligerence faltered. “I didn’t think so.” She rapped on the door. “Joel, come out. We need to talk to you and we’re not leaving until we do.”
“Go away, dammit.” Joel’s voice was ragged. “Leave me alone.”
Mia looked at Solliday. “You want to go in after him?”
Solliday grimaced. “Not really. But I will.”
Thornton changed tactics, his expression gone drastically sincere. “You just told him his girlfriend is dead. Burned beyond recognition. What do you want from him?”
“The truth,” Mia responded. “Joel, five seconds or my partner comes in after you.”
Joel staggered out of the bathroom, his face pale and his eyes swollen from crying. “I’m not talking to you and I’m not going downtown with you.”
Zach nodded, back to smug. “You want him, get a warrant.”
“Joel, help us clear you so we can focus on the real bad guys.”
“The real killer,” Zach jeered. “Right.”
Mia lifted on her toes, putting herself inches from -Thornton’s face. “Shut. Up. Or I swear to God you will spend the night in a cell. I am not bluffing. I have had
Similar Books
