see the woman getting exceedingly nervous.
“Well, how about we go in and ask Katie what she knows? Maybe she can shed some light on what happened last night.”
Marty opened the door and noticed Katie’s relieved expression immediately when she saw her mother. The relieved expression disappeared just as fast when she saw who accompanied her.
Getting up, the girl quickly turned her attention back toward her mother and fell into the older woman’s arms. Marty, watching the scene unfold, noticed that although Katie seemed to find comfort in her mother’s embrace, her eyes seemed to be riveted on her mother’s husband.
Mrs. Knox took her daughter’s face in her hands and pushed some stray hairs away that had fallen over the girl’s right eye. Suddenly Katie’s dry eyes began filling up with moisture, and fresh tears began to fall. Her mother wiped them away, gently kissing her daughter’s cheeks.
“Oh, my poor baby, what happened, honey?” The older woman asked, taking a seat at the table, as if she was in too much emotional stress to continue standing.
Frank came back into the room at that moment and handed Katie her Diet Coke. The teenager took a seat next to her mother, once again using just the tips of her fingers to move the chair into position.
Once she was seated, the mayor found a seat at the head of the table, as if to make sure he was in a position of authority. Behind the mayor’s back, Frank sent Marty a look, rolling his eyes in a way Marty assumed to mean that the other detective had little use for the chubby politician.
Marty pulled out a chair opposite Katie. He pulled a small digital recorder out of his pocket and laid it on the center of the table.
“Do you mind, Katie, if we record this conversation?” he asked her. “It may help you remember later some of the things you say here. Sometimes when we experience a trauma, our mind will block things out or things get foggy.”
The mayor turned his attention to Marty. His jowls jiggled like a bowl of Jell-O.
“Is this necessary, Marty? It’s obvious that Katie has been through some trauma. Why don’t you and I discuss this outside?” He started to get up from his seat when Marty motioned for him to sit.
“Yes, Paul, I’m afraid it is necessary. A young girl is lying in the morgue, and Katie may be able to help us find out why.”
Marty turned his attention back to Katie. The tone of his voice softened when he spoke.
“Katie, can you tell me exactly what happened? What were you girls doing up in the woods in the middle of the night?”
“We just wanted to hang out.” Her voice was hardly audible across the table.
“Katie, can you speak up a little bit? I didn’t hear you.” Marty gave her a soft smile, trying to make her feel a little less anxious.
“We just went to hang out. We thought it would be fun… sneaking out.” She spoke a little louder, a bit more self-assured.
“Did you all go up there together? All four of you?”
Katie nodded.
“Can you speak up, Katie?” Marty reminded her of the recording by glancing at the small electronic device.
“Yes,” she answered this time slightly leaning toward the machine.
“How did you get there, Katie?” he questioned her. “It’s too far to walk.”
She hesitated, as if she needed time to formulate an answer.
“We hitchhiked.” Realizing that she was still speaking softly she repeated herself, this time a little bit louder. “We hitchhiked.”
Realizing that this might be an important piece of information and might even lead to a suspect, Marty leaned closer, making an effort to make her feel like he could be trusted. He took great care, though, not to get too close. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by getting into her personal space.
“Who picked you up, Katie? Was it someone you know?” Marty glanced over at Frank. From the other
“Well, how about we go in and ask Katie what she knows? Maybe she can shed some light on what happened last night.”
Marty opened the door and noticed Katie’s relieved expression immediately when she saw her mother. The relieved expression disappeared just as fast when she saw who accompanied her.
Getting up, the girl quickly turned her attention back toward her mother and fell into the older woman’s arms. Marty, watching the scene unfold, noticed that although Katie seemed to find comfort in her mother’s embrace, her eyes seemed to be riveted on her mother’s husband.
Mrs. Knox took her daughter’s face in her hands and pushed some stray hairs away that had fallen over the girl’s right eye. Suddenly Katie’s dry eyes began filling up with moisture, and fresh tears began to fall. Her mother wiped them away, gently kissing her daughter’s cheeks.
“Oh, my poor baby, what happened, honey?” The older woman asked, taking a seat at the table, as if she was in too much emotional stress to continue standing.
Frank came back into the room at that moment and handed Katie her Diet Coke. The teenager took a seat next to her mother, once again using just the tips of her fingers to move the chair into position.
Once she was seated, the mayor found a seat at the head of the table, as if to make sure he was in a position of authority. Behind the mayor’s back, Frank sent Marty a look, rolling his eyes in a way Marty assumed to mean that the other detective had little use for the chubby politician.
Marty pulled out a chair opposite Katie. He pulled a small digital recorder out of his pocket and laid it on the center of the table.
“Do you mind, Katie, if we record this conversation?” he asked her. “It may help you remember later some of the things you say here. Sometimes when we experience a trauma, our mind will block things out or things get foggy.”
The mayor turned his attention to Marty. His jowls jiggled like a bowl of Jell-O.
“Is this necessary, Marty? It’s obvious that Katie has been through some trauma. Why don’t you and I discuss this outside?” He started to get up from his seat when Marty motioned for him to sit.
“Yes, Paul, I’m afraid it is necessary. A young girl is lying in the morgue, and Katie may be able to help us find out why.”
Marty turned his attention back to Katie. The tone of his voice softened when he spoke.
“Katie, can you tell me exactly what happened? What were you girls doing up in the woods in the middle of the night?”
“We just wanted to hang out.” Her voice was hardly audible across the table.
“Katie, can you speak up a little bit? I didn’t hear you.” Marty gave her a soft smile, trying to make her feel a little less anxious.
“We just went to hang out. We thought it would be fun… sneaking out.” She spoke a little louder, a bit more self-assured.
“Did you all go up there together? All four of you?”
Katie nodded.
“Can you speak up, Katie?” Marty reminded her of the recording by glancing at the small electronic device.
“Yes,” she answered this time slightly leaning toward the machine.
“How did you get there, Katie?” he questioned her. “It’s too far to walk.”
She hesitated, as if she needed time to formulate an answer.
“We hitchhiked.” Realizing that she was still speaking softly she repeated herself, this time a little bit louder. “We hitchhiked.”
Realizing that this might be an important piece of information and might even lead to a suspect, Marty leaned closer, making an effort to make her feel like he could be trusted. He took great care, though, not to get too close. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by getting into her personal space.
“Who picked you up, Katie? Was it someone you know?” Marty glanced over at Frank. From the other
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