interrogation section.
As he was escorted away, he yelled, “Tell the kids they don’t have to say anything.”
She yelled back, “I’ll take care of the students; you tell Homer to start calling their parents.”
Wally was speaking as she entered the kitchen. “We’re just trying to figure out what happened to your friend. There’s no need to be afraid.” He leaned casually against the counter.
The blonde sitting at the aqua Formica kitchen table did not look frightened. The girl’s cold blue eyes sparkled with disdain as she turned them toward Skye. “You’re that shrink that talked to us this morning.”
Skye nodded. “I’m Ms. Denison, the school psychologist. And you’re Zoë VanHorn, Lorelei’s best friend.”
“Right on the first try.” Zoë examined her long purple nails. “I don’t have to talk to the cops, correct?”
Before Skye could answer, Wally moved from the counter to her side and ordered in a low voice, “Get out.”
“No.” Skye wrinkled her brow. Darn, this whole business was so much harder with Wally still mad at her. Maybe he was right. Maybe she had betrayed his trust by investigating alone last summer, but she had apologized repeatedly. What more could she do to make things right between them? She had never dreamed he would be this hurt.
Wally took her arm and tried to lead her away.
She refused to budge. “Have you called Zoë’s parents?”
Wally released his grip. “Get out, or I’ll have you removed by force.”
“A school representative must be present if a minor is to be interrogated without a parent in attendance.”
“That’s not the law.”
“No? Well, it’s in the school handbook, which I’m obligated to follow, and the school attorney has advised us to handle things this way.” Good thing she had actually read the manual when she was first hired.
“Tough. Get out.” Wally turned his back on her.
Zoë waved her hand. “I want her to stay.”
“No.” Wally’s face was beginning to turn red.
The teen shrugged. “Then I want a lawyer.”
Wally’s face went from cherry to maroon. “Have a seat, Ms. Denison.”
“Thank you, Chief Boyd.” Skye settled herself in a chrome kitchen chair and studied Wally. Once his face had returned to its natural tan hue, he was a handsome man. He had recently turned forty, but except for a few gray threads in his curly black hair, and a couple of lines radiating from his brown eyes, there were few signs of his age.
Skye shook her head. She had been half in love with him since she was fifteen. When she first met him he was fresh out of the police academy. Everyone liked him, especially the teens. He was fair and honest with them. She had developed a huge crush on the young officer, and he had handled it kindly without ever embarrassing her or taking advantage of the situation.
In the ensuing years she had moved away, he had gotten married, she had moved back, and they had become friends. But last summer she had destroyed that friendship by going behind his back. That betrayal, and his wife’s leaving him for another man, had changed Wally. Skye kept hoping it was a temporary situation and that he would return to his old self, given enough time.
Skye suddenly noticed that both the chief and the teen were staring at her, waiting for her to speak. “So, what were you and Zoë discussing?”
“I had asked Zoë to tell me a little about Lorelei’s movements yesterday.”
The girl ran her fingers through her short curls and wet her already-glossy lips. “Let’s see. It was pretty much same old, same old.”
Wally drew up a chair and sat opposite the females. “Start at the beginning. When was the first time you saw Lorelei yesterday?”
“I picked her up at her house around seven, and we buzzed the gut for a half hour or so.”
Wally and Skye’s eyes met. “Buzzing the gut” was what the teens called driving down Basin Street, Scumble River’s main drag, and circling back by cutting through
As he was escorted away, he yelled, “Tell the kids they don’t have to say anything.”
She yelled back, “I’ll take care of the students; you tell Homer to start calling their parents.”
Wally was speaking as she entered the kitchen. “We’re just trying to figure out what happened to your friend. There’s no need to be afraid.” He leaned casually against the counter.
The blonde sitting at the aqua Formica kitchen table did not look frightened. The girl’s cold blue eyes sparkled with disdain as she turned them toward Skye. “You’re that shrink that talked to us this morning.”
Skye nodded. “I’m Ms. Denison, the school psychologist. And you’re Zoë VanHorn, Lorelei’s best friend.”
“Right on the first try.” Zoë examined her long purple nails. “I don’t have to talk to the cops, correct?”
Before Skye could answer, Wally moved from the counter to her side and ordered in a low voice, “Get out.”
“No.” Skye wrinkled her brow. Darn, this whole business was so much harder with Wally still mad at her. Maybe he was right. Maybe she had betrayed his trust by investigating alone last summer, but she had apologized repeatedly. What more could she do to make things right between them? She had never dreamed he would be this hurt.
Wally took her arm and tried to lead her away.
She refused to budge. “Have you called Zoë’s parents?”
Wally released his grip. “Get out, or I’ll have you removed by force.”
“A school representative must be present if a minor is to be interrogated without a parent in attendance.”
“That’s not the law.”
“No? Well, it’s in the school handbook, which I’m obligated to follow, and the school attorney has advised us to handle things this way.” Good thing she had actually read the manual when she was first hired.
“Tough. Get out.” Wally turned his back on her.
Zoë waved her hand. “I want her to stay.”
“No.” Wally’s face was beginning to turn red.
The teen shrugged. “Then I want a lawyer.”
Wally’s face went from cherry to maroon. “Have a seat, Ms. Denison.”
“Thank you, Chief Boyd.” Skye settled herself in a chrome kitchen chair and studied Wally. Once his face had returned to its natural tan hue, he was a handsome man. He had recently turned forty, but except for a few gray threads in his curly black hair, and a couple of lines radiating from his brown eyes, there were few signs of his age.
Skye shook her head. She had been half in love with him since she was fifteen. When she first met him he was fresh out of the police academy. Everyone liked him, especially the teens. He was fair and honest with them. She had developed a huge crush on the young officer, and he had handled it kindly without ever embarrassing her or taking advantage of the situation.
In the ensuing years she had moved away, he had gotten married, she had moved back, and they had become friends. But last summer she had destroyed that friendship by going behind his back. That betrayal, and his wife’s leaving him for another man, had changed Wally. Skye kept hoping it was a temporary situation and that he would return to his old self, given enough time.
Skye suddenly noticed that both the chief and the teen were staring at her, waiting for her to speak. “So, what were you and Zoë discussing?”
“I had asked Zoë to tell me a little about Lorelei’s movements yesterday.”
The girl ran her fingers through her short curls and wet her already-glossy lips. “Let’s see. It was pretty much same old, same old.”
Wally drew up a chair and sat opposite the females. “Start at the beginning. When was the first time you saw Lorelei yesterday?”
“I picked her up at her house around seven, and we buzzed the gut for a half hour or so.”
Wally and Skye’s eyes met. “Buzzing the gut” was what the teens called driving down Basin Street, Scumble River’s main drag, and circling back by cutting through
Similar Books
