office. She looked in and saw a monitor. Once inside the office, she shut the door and flipped the monitor on. It was a view of inside the interrogation room. Though black and white, the picture was good.
Garcia sat across from Randall and offered him a soda. Randall couldn’t take it because his hands were still cuffed. Garcia unlocked the cuffs and handed him the drink.
“You good?” Garcia said.
Randall didn’t say anything.
“Randall, I know what it’s like to be single in a large city. Trust me, I know. That’s why it’s hard to blame you for her death. Was it an accident? Is that what happened? You two were making love and she just got you so upset you couldn’t control it? Because if that’s what it is, you’d be amazed how much that happens.”
Randall placed the soda down on the table. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Michelle Barlow.”
“That girl that was kidnapped? I called you guys on that.”
“You telling me you don’t know that she was killed?”
His eyes went wide and he didn’t blink for a few moments. “That’s what… you think I killed her? Are you kidding me?”
“Look,” Garcia said calmly, “I know the stress of being your age in this city. It’s monstrous. The bombardment of sex. It’s everywhere. Every billboard, every TV show, every magazine… it gets to us. We’re not meant to see it that much.”
Randall leaned forward and enunciated every word clearly as he said, “I did not kill anybody. Especially that girl. I don’t even know who she was. She ran in to my sister’s building and was crying. She was outta control. She jumped on me and was screaming. She said she was kidnapped and I called the cops.”
Garcia leaned back in the chair. “Let’s say I believe you. Why’d you run?”
“I got warrants. Drug charges. I thought that’s why you guys were there.”
Garcia ran his tongue over his lip. “I want a sample of your DNA. If what you say is true, that’ll clear you.”
“Fine. Yeah, man. Whatever. Have it.”
Garcia kept his eyes on him a while, and then rose and walked out of the room. Jessica quickly opened the door. She wanted to get back to her seat and act like she hadn’t moved. But it was too late. Garcia’s eyes caught her as she stepped out. She shut the door behind her and didn’t say anything.
Garcia didn’t mention it either.
“Brad,” Garcia called out. A young man of maybe twenty peeked around the corner. “DNA swab on one H. Now.”
“Got it, Detective.”
Garcia looked to her. His brow was furrowed, his hair messy from the exertion of the chase. His three top buttons were undone, revealing the upper muscles of his chest. “It’s not him,” he said.
“How do you know?”
“A hunch. He offered his DNA too quickly. I don’t think it’s going to come back a match. It’s not him,” he said, shaking his head.
“Well, maybe he knows something?”
“Yeah, maybe. It’s going to be a long day, Jessica. Maybe you should head back to your hotel? I’ll give you a call when I finish up with him if he has anything important to tell us.”
“I’d like to stay.”
He shook his head. “Not on this. Just interrogation and paperwork. I promise I’ll call you if there’s anything. And the officer just out and to the right can take your statement about what happened with Randall.”
“ Okay. Call me if you find out anything.”
“I will.”
As she turned the corner, she glanced back and saw Garcia run his hand through his hair and sigh. She wondered if he took every case this personally.
Jessica stopped by the coffee shop again after leaving the precinct. She was too wired to go back to the hotel and just watch television. Instead, she sipped a latte and listened to the conversations around her. Many of them were early twenties drama. Boyfriend this and professor hates me that. But occasionally there would be a conversation about something substantive. The direction of the country, or what
Garcia sat across from Randall and offered him a soda. Randall couldn’t take it because his hands were still cuffed. Garcia unlocked the cuffs and handed him the drink.
“You good?” Garcia said.
Randall didn’t say anything.
“Randall, I know what it’s like to be single in a large city. Trust me, I know. That’s why it’s hard to blame you for her death. Was it an accident? Is that what happened? You two were making love and she just got you so upset you couldn’t control it? Because if that’s what it is, you’d be amazed how much that happens.”
Randall placed the soda down on the table. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Michelle Barlow.”
“That girl that was kidnapped? I called you guys on that.”
“You telling me you don’t know that she was killed?”
His eyes went wide and he didn’t blink for a few moments. “That’s what… you think I killed her? Are you kidding me?”
“Look,” Garcia said calmly, “I know the stress of being your age in this city. It’s monstrous. The bombardment of sex. It’s everywhere. Every billboard, every TV show, every magazine… it gets to us. We’re not meant to see it that much.”
Randall leaned forward and enunciated every word clearly as he said, “I did not kill anybody. Especially that girl. I don’t even know who she was. She ran in to my sister’s building and was crying. She was outta control. She jumped on me and was screaming. She said she was kidnapped and I called the cops.”
Garcia leaned back in the chair. “Let’s say I believe you. Why’d you run?”
“I got warrants. Drug charges. I thought that’s why you guys were there.”
Garcia ran his tongue over his lip. “I want a sample of your DNA. If what you say is true, that’ll clear you.”
“Fine. Yeah, man. Whatever. Have it.”
Garcia kept his eyes on him a while, and then rose and walked out of the room. Jessica quickly opened the door. She wanted to get back to her seat and act like she hadn’t moved. But it was too late. Garcia’s eyes caught her as she stepped out. She shut the door behind her and didn’t say anything.
Garcia didn’t mention it either.
“Brad,” Garcia called out. A young man of maybe twenty peeked around the corner. “DNA swab on one H. Now.”
“Got it, Detective.”
Garcia looked to her. His brow was furrowed, his hair messy from the exertion of the chase. His three top buttons were undone, revealing the upper muscles of his chest. “It’s not him,” he said.
“How do you know?”
“A hunch. He offered his DNA too quickly. I don’t think it’s going to come back a match. It’s not him,” he said, shaking his head.
“Well, maybe he knows something?”
“Yeah, maybe. It’s going to be a long day, Jessica. Maybe you should head back to your hotel? I’ll give you a call when I finish up with him if he has anything important to tell us.”
“I’d like to stay.”
He shook his head. “Not on this. Just interrogation and paperwork. I promise I’ll call you if there’s anything. And the officer just out and to the right can take your statement about what happened with Randall.”
“ Okay. Call me if you find out anything.”
“I will.”
As she turned the corner, she glanced back and saw Garcia run his hand through his hair and sigh. She wondered if he took every case this personally.
Jessica stopped by the coffee shop again after leaving the precinct. She was too wired to go back to the hotel and just watch television. Instead, she sipped a latte and listened to the conversations around her. Many of them were early twenties drama. Boyfriend this and professor hates me that. But occasionally there would be a conversation about something substantive. The direction of the country, or what
Similar Books
