responsible for it, so don’t even go there.”
Gus arched his eyebrows. “Did I say anything about the legend?”
“No, but you were thinking it,” Tessa said. “Ever since Billy Dan went on Larry King Live, you’ve been more superstitious than ever.”
“Well, I believe him.” Gus’s eyes narrowed. “You weren’t the one that got caught up by red shadows and was left for dead on an Indian burial ground. Billy Dan saw what he saw. You can’t take that from him.”
“Fine,” Tessa said. “Just don’t try to turn this boy’s killing into a paranormal experience. It was more than likely a random shooting.”
“That’s the spin the cops will put on it.”
“Guess we’ll see.”
“Guess we will.”
“I’m ready to order,” Maggie said, louder than she needed to.
Antonio smiled knowingly. “Good idea.”
Jo Beth McCauley seemed to come out of nowhere, green pad in hand. She reached back and moved her long braid so it fell neatly down the center of her back. “I’ll take your orders when y’all are ready.”
“Specials for Maggie and me,” Gus said.
Antonio nodded. “Ditto.”
“Coffee all around and a Coke for Gus?” she said.
Four heads bobbed in affirmation.
“I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
Nick came over to the counter. “What’d I miss?”
“Oh, we’re just talkin’ about the Davison kid,” Gus said.
“Who isn’t? That’s all my customers have been talking about all day.”
“Well, the shooting became personal for Antonio and me,” Tessa said. “We just found out this morning that the victim was Vanessa Jessup’s boyfriend’s cousin’s roommate.”
Gus chuckled. “You call that personal?”
Maggie nudged him with her elbow. “Gus, she’s saying that Ethan’s cousin shared an apartment with the boy that was killed.”
“Oh.”
“The cousin’s name is Drew Langley,” Tessa said. “He and Ethan are very close.”
Maggie looked down the counter at her. “According to the news, Drew tried to resuscitate the victim.”
“Yes, and was really shaken by his death. Vanessa and Ethan spent the evening with him.”
Gus rubbed his white mustache. “I also heard that Chief Jessup and her officers questioned Win Davison like he’s the one who did the shootin’. He’s demanded an apology.”
“I’m sure there’s more to the story,” Tessa said.
Clint Ames slid onto the stool next to her and set his sunglasses on the counter. “Hi, all. Hope you didn’t wait on me to order.”
“No, we went ahead.” Gus turned and seemed to study Clint. “Somethin’ wrong?”
“Yeah.” Clint let out a long sigh and slowly shook his head. “The body of a young woman was just found on a balcony at the Essex Apartments. Shot in the head.”
Brill pulled the sheet over the face of the female victim sprawled on the balcony floor of apartment 206, then slowly rose to her feet, hoping she could keep down her lunch.
“The victim’s name is Skyler Roberts,” Trent said. “She was a sophomore at Stanton. Parents have been notified. They’re flying in from Atlanta. Dad’s a CPA. Mom’s a schoolteacher.”
“Who found her?”
“Her roommate, Olivia Jones. She returned to the apartment around eleven this morning after spending the night with her sister in Knoxville. Her story is airtight. She placed the 9-1-1 call.”
“How long has the victim been dead?”
“Judging from the condition of the body, she’s been dead at least twelve hours. If the bullet’s trajectory proves to be a straight line from the middle of the street to the balcony, we could be looking at a drive-by. And since gunshots were reported in this neighborhood shortly after Davison was hit, and the bullet that killed Ms. Roberts is a nine-millimeter, it wouldn’t surprise me if she was shot with the same gun. Ballistics will tell us soon.”
“If a gang’s responsible, I won’t let up until every last one of them is behind bars!”
“We’ve already got our snitch
Gus arched his eyebrows. “Did I say anything about the legend?”
“No, but you were thinking it,” Tessa said. “Ever since Billy Dan went on Larry King Live, you’ve been more superstitious than ever.”
“Well, I believe him.” Gus’s eyes narrowed. “You weren’t the one that got caught up by red shadows and was left for dead on an Indian burial ground. Billy Dan saw what he saw. You can’t take that from him.”
“Fine,” Tessa said. “Just don’t try to turn this boy’s killing into a paranormal experience. It was more than likely a random shooting.”
“That’s the spin the cops will put on it.”
“Guess we’ll see.”
“Guess we will.”
“I’m ready to order,” Maggie said, louder than she needed to.
Antonio smiled knowingly. “Good idea.”
Jo Beth McCauley seemed to come out of nowhere, green pad in hand. She reached back and moved her long braid so it fell neatly down the center of her back. “I’ll take your orders when y’all are ready.”
“Specials for Maggie and me,” Gus said.
Antonio nodded. “Ditto.”
“Coffee all around and a Coke for Gus?” she said.
Four heads bobbed in affirmation.
“I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
Nick came over to the counter. “What’d I miss?”
“Oh, we’re just talkin’ about the Davison kid,” Gus said.
“Who isn’t? That’s all my customers have been talking about all day.”
“Well, the shooting became personal for Antonio and me,” Tessa said. “We just found out this morning that the victim was Vanessa Jessup’s boyfriend’s cousin’s roommate.”
Gus chuckled. “You call that personal?”
Maggie nudged him with her elbow. “Gus, she’s saying that Ethan’s cousin shared an apartment with the boy that was killed.”
“Oh.”
“The cousin’s name is Drew Langley,” Tessa said. “He and Ethan are very close.”
Maggie looked down the counter at her. “According to the news, Drew tried to resuscitate the victim.”
“Yes, and was really shaken by his death. Vanessa and Ethan spent the evening with him.”
Gus rubbed his white mustache. “I also heard that Chief Jessup and her officers questioned Win Davison like he’s the one who did the shootin’. He’s demanded an apology.”
“I’m sure there’s more to the story,” Tessa said.
Clint Ames slid onto the stool next to her and set his sunglasses on the counter. “Hi, all. Hope you didn’t wait on me to order.”
“No, we went ahead.” Gus turned and seemed to study Clint. “Somethin’ wrong?”
“Yeah.” Clint let out a long sigh and slowly shook his head. “The body of a young woman was just found on a balcony at the Essex Apartments. Shot in the head.”
Brill pulled the sheet over the face of the female victim sprawled on the balcony floor of apartment 206, then slowly rose to her feet, hoping she could keep down her lunch.
“The victim’s name is Skyler Roberts,” Trent said. “She was a sophomore at Stanton. Parents have been notified. They’re flying in from Atlanta. Dad’s a CPA. Mom’s a schoolteacher.”
“Who found her?”
“Her roommate, Olivia Jones. She returned to the apartment around eleven this morning after spending the night with her sister in Knoxville. Her story is airtight. She placed the 9-1-1 call.”
“How long has the victim been dead?”
“Judging from the condition of the body, she’s been dead at least twelve hours. If the bullet’s trajectory proves to be a straight line from the middle of the street to the balcony, we could be looking at a drive-by. And since gunshots were reported in this neighborhood shortly after Davison was hit, and the bullet that killed Ms. Roberts is a nine-millimeter, it wouldn’t surprise me if she was shot with the same gun. Ballistics will tell us soon.”
“If a gang’s responsible, I won’t let up until every last one of them is behind bars!”
“We’ve already got our snitch
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