at the high school nosing around, Chief. If a gang’s marking its territory, you can bet someone’s bragging about it. Plus we should start seeing graffiti again.”
“That’s all we need. I will not give them one inch of this town.”
Trent unwrapped a Tootsie Pop and stuck it in his mouth. “We’re talking to other tenants in the building and neighbors in the area. So far, at least a dozen people said they heard the shots last night, in addition to the eight that called us. But no one heard a scream or had any idea that Ms. Roberts had been hit. The roommate was beside herself when she called 9-1-1. Paramedics sedated her.”
“I doubt the victim had a chance to scream,” Brill said. “Probably died instantly.”
“I saw a picture of her. She was beautiful.”
“Does she have a boyfriend?”
Trent shook his head. “No one serious. The roommate said she was friendly, well liked. Couldn’t think of anyone who didn’t like her.”
“Have you checked her computer?”
“Not in great detail, but her emails seemed to be mostly girl talk. She had a couple hundred friends listed on her Facebook page. Nothing stood out to me at first glance, but we’ll dig a little deeper.”
Chapter 7
Brill got out of her squad car, the night air thick with humidity, the cricket choir she’d enjoyed the night before grating on her like the sound of a novice practicing the violin.
She trudged toward the front door, her purse strapped over her shoulder. The only thing hurting worse than her feet was her heart.
She pushed open the door and let the scent of flowers draw her into the comfort of home.
Kurt came out of the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her. “You must be glad to get this day behind you.”
“I’d hardly call it behind me, but at least I’m home. Nothing gets under my skin like someone’s child being murdered on my watch. And now I’ve got two.”
He didn’t say anything and just held her. She tried to imagine the weight she carried being lifted from her. It didn’t work.
“Hi, Mom.” Emily came down the stairs, holding Carter on her hip. She moved his hand up and down. “Wave hello to Grandma.”
“Hi there, big boy.” Brill took the smiling baby into her arms and gave him a tender hug, reveling in his obvious delight to see her.
“Dinner won’t be ready for thirty minutes.” Vanessa stood in the kitchen doorway, wiping her hands with a towel. “Why don’t you go put your feet up?”
“Thanks, honey. That sounds wonderful. How’s Drew Langley holding up?”
“He’s still pretty fragile.”
“Come on, little man,” Emily coaxed Carter, “let’s go outside and swing.”
Brill handed the baby back to Emily. She seemed so mature for eleven, more like a little mother than his aunt.
“Let’s get you off your feet.” Kurt took Brill by the hand and led her to the couch. He had her stretch out, took off her shoes, and then began to gently massage her feet.
“How’s that?” he said.
“Feels soooo good.” She yielded herself completely to the arms of the couch, almost as if she were floating on water. “Did you drive over to the Pigeon Forge store?”
“Yes, everything’s fine. Business is up. We got the sign man to come out and change the wording on the marquis. Truthfully, I’m much more interested in how you’re doing.”
Brill closed her eyes. “Kurt, we put a beautiful young coed with part of her face missing into a body bag and notified her parents. How do you think I’m doing?” She paused for several seconds, then softened her tone. “Sorry. I keep wondering how I’d feel if it were Vanessa.”
“Did this girl go to Stanton?”
“Yes. Her name is Skyler Roberts. The medical examiner said she had been dead at least twelve hours when her roommate found her. Ballistics confirmed that the nine-millimeter bullet that killed her came from the same gun that killed Tal Davison. We’ve now recovered a matching bullet lodged in the wall at Woodall’s
“That’s all we need. I will not give them one inch of this town.”
Trent unwrapped a Tootsie Pop and stuck it in his mouth. “We’re talking to other tenants in the building and neighbors in the area. So far, at least a dozen people said they heard the shots last night, in addition to the eight that called us. But no one heard a scream or had any idea that Ms. Roberts had been hit. The roommate was beside herself when she called 9-1-1. Paramedics sedated her.”
“I doubt the victim had a chance to scream,” Brill said. “Probably died instantly.”
“I saw a picture of her. She was beautiful.”
“Does she have a boyfriend?”
Trent shook his head. “No one serious. The roommate said she was friendly, well liked. Couldn’t think of anyone who didn’t like her.”
“Have you checked her computer?”
“Not in great detail, but her emails seemed to be mostly girl talk. She had a couple hundred friends listed on her Facebook page. Nothing stood out to me at first glance, but we’ll dig a little deeper.”
Chapter 7
Brill got out of her squad car, the night air thick with humidity, the cricket choir she’d enjoyed the night before grating on her like the sound of a novice practicing the violin.
She trudged toward the front door, her purse strapped over her shoulder. The only thing hurting worse than her feet was her heart.
She pushed open the door and let the scent of flowers draw her into the comfort of home.
Kurt came out of the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her. “You must be glad to get this day behind you.”
“I’d hardly call it behind me, but at least I’m home. Nothing gets under my skin like someone’s child being murdered on my watch. And now I’ve got two.”
He didn’t say anything and just held her. She tried to imagine the weight she carried being lifted from her. It didn’t work.
“Hi, Mom.” Emily came down the stairs, holding Carter on her hip. She moved his hand up and down. “Wave hello to Grandma.”
“Hi there, big boy.” Brill took the smiling baby into her arms and gave him a tender hug, reveling in his obvious delight to see her.
“Dinner won’t be ready for thirty minutes.” Vanessa stood in the kitchen doorway, wiping her hands with a towel. “Why don’t you go put your feet up?”
“Thanks, honey. That sounds wonderful. How’s Drew Langley holding up?”
“He’s still pretty fragile.”
“Come on, little man,” Emily coaxed Carter, “let’s go outside and swing.”
Brill handed the baby back to Emily. She seemed so mature for eleven, more like a little mother than his aunt.
“Let’s get you off your feet.” Kurt took Brill by the hand and led her to the couch. He had her stretch out, took off her shoes, and then began to gently massage her feet.
“How’s that?” he said.
“Feels soooo good.” She yielded herself completely to the arms of the couch, almost as if she were floating on water. “Did you drive over to the Pigeon Forge store?”
“Yes, everything’s fine. Business is up. We got the sign man to come out and change the wording on the marquis. Truthfully, I’m much more interested in how you’re doing.”
Brill closed her eyes. “Kurt, we put a beautiful young coed with part of her face missing into a body bag and notified her parents. How do you think I’m doing?” She paused for several seconds, then softened her tone. “Sorry. I keep wondering how I’d feel if it were Vanessa.”
“Did this girl go to Stanton?”
“Yes. Her name is Skyler Roberts. The medical examiner said she had been dead at least twelve hours when her roommate found her. Ballistics confirmed that the nine-millimeter bullet that killed her came from the same gun that killed Tal Davison. We’ve now recovered a matching bullet lodged in the wall at Woodall’s
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