Something like four inches of rain in two days, and that’s just this week. I’ll leave it to you to imagine what that might do to complicate things.”
“How long was she out there?”
There was a knock at the door, and a slight red-haired officer with a face full of freckles leaned in.
“We’re in Interview One, Chief,” the officer said in a voice that was much deeper than his small body would have suggested.
“Great, thanks, Chris,” Steve said. “I’ll be there in a minute.” When the officer was gone, Steve turned back to me. “To answer your question, we don’t know how long she was out there. That’ll be for the medical examiner to determine, too.”
“Do you think the baby is connected to the university?” I asked. “Given where she was left?”
Steve frowned and shook his head. “There’s no reason to suspect a connection to any of the students at the university.”
“Would the university tell you if there were?” I asked. “My understanding is that Campus Safety handles a lot of criminal matters on their own.”
“Not without keeping us informed, they don’t.” Steve leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. His mouth turned down. The university question had been one step too far, though his defensive posture had done nothing to assuage my curiosity. “Now, I’m afraid we’ll have to leave it at that for the moment. I have another meeting to get to. I’ll give you an hour to get a story online before we issue an official statement. That sound fair?”
I thought about my long list of other questions, all the ones I hadn’t asked, including my zingers about resources and Steve’s experience with this kind of complex investigation. But they all seemed premature or unwisely hostile now. “Can I ask one last question?”
“Can’t promise I’ll answer it,” Steve said tiredly. “But you can ask.”
“I came across an incident in my research, a death in town years ago. It happened in virtually the same spot where the baby was found.” I looked down at my notes. “A high school student named Simon Barton?”
Steve nodded grimly. “I wouldn’t read anything into the location. That area near the Essex Bridge is secluded. Even back then, there weren’t many places in Ridgedale that out of sight. Kids have always partied back there.”
“Is that who you think left the baby? Some partying kids?”
He shook his head, frowning down at his desk. I waited for him to seem annoyed, but he looked genuinely sad. “No, ma’am. I don’t think any party anywhere ends that way. At least I sure as hell hope not.” He narrowed his eyes at me, as if appraising the kind of person who would suggest such a thing. “You’re new to town?”
I was caught off guard by his shift in focus. My throat felt suddenly dry. “Yes, my husband just got a position with the university. He’s an English professor. We moved here with our daughter at the end of August.”
“A daughter, that’s great.” Steve’s face brightened. “How old?”
“Five.” I picked up my bag from the floor as my mind tumbled forward. Was there any reason I didn’t want Steve to know these personal details? I didn’t think so, not that I had a choice anyway. “She’s in kindergarten.”
“At Ridgedale Elementary?” He smiled wider. “My son, Cole, is in kindergarten there, too.”
Cole. Which meant Barbara was his wife. I felt nervous remembering how I’d listened to Stella bad-mouth her. I’d even agreed with her.
“Actually, I think Cole’s in class with Ella,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound guilty. “I’ve met your wife, I think. Barbara?” Better to get it out on the table, hope he wouldn’t be able to tell I didn’t like her.
“Yes, well, Barbara is—” He hesitated, then nodded. “She saves my ass, is what she does. I couldn’t do what she does with the kids. No way.” He looked self-conscious. I wasn’t sure why. “Anyway, welcome to town. I’ve been here a long time,
“How long was she out there?”
There was a knock at the door, and a slight red-haired officer with a face full of freckles leaned in.
“We’re in Interview One, Chief,” the officer said in a voice that was much deeper than his small body would have suggested.
“Great, thanks, Chris,” Steve said. “I’ll be there in a minute.” When the officer was gone, Steve turned back to me. “To answer your question, we don’t know how long she was out there. That’ll be for the medical examiner to determine, too.”
“Do you think the baby is connected to the university?” I asked. “Given where she was left?”
Steve frowned and shook his head. “There’s no reason to suspect a connection to any of the students at the university.”
“Would the university tell you if there were?” I asked. “My understanding is that Campus Safety handles a lot of criminal matters on their own.”
“Not without keeping us informed, they don’t.” Steve leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. His mouth turned down. The university question had been one step too far, though his defensive posture had done nothing to assuage my curiosity. “Now, I’m afraid we’ll have to leave it at that for the moment. I have another meeting to get to. I’ll give you an hour to get a story online before we issue an official statement. That sound fair?”
I thought about my long list of other questions, all the ones I hadn’t asked, including my zingers about resources and Steve’s experience with this kind of complex investigation. But they all seemed premature or unwisely hostile now. “Can I ask one last question?”
“Can’t promise I’ll answer it,” Steve said tiredly. “But you can ask.”
“I came across an incident in my research, a death in town years ago. It happened in virtually the same spot where the baby was found.” I looked down at my notes. “A high school student named Simon Barton?”
Steve nodded grimly. “I wouldn’t read anything into the location. That area near the Essex Bridge is secluded. Even back then, there weren’t many places in Ridgedale that out of sight. Kids have always partied back there.”
“Is that who you think left the baby? Some partying kids?”
He shook his head, frowning down at his desk. I waited for him to seem annoyed, but he looked genuinely sad. “No, ma’am. I don’t think any party anywhere ends that way. At least I sure as hell hope not.” He narrowed his eyes at me, as if appraising the kind of person who would suggest such a thing. “You’re new to town?”
I was caught off guard by his shift in focus. My throat felt suddenly dry. “Yes, my husband just got a position with the university. He’s an English professor. We moved here with our daughter at the end of August.”
“A daughter, that’s great.” Steve’s face brightened. “How old?”
“Five.” I picked up my bag from the floor as my mind tumbled forward. Was there any reason I didn’t want Steve to know these personal details? I didn’t think so, not that I had a choice anyway. “She’s in kindergarten.”
“At Ridgedale Elementary?” He smiled wider. “My son, Cole, is in kindergarten there, too.”
Cole. Which meant Barbara was his wife. I felt nervous remembering how I’d listened to Stella bad-mouth her. I’d even agreed with her.
“Actually, I think Cole’s in class with Ella,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound guilty. “I’ve met your wife, I think. Barbara?” Better to get it out on the table, hope he wouldn’t be able to tell I didn’t like her.
“Yes, well, Barbara is—” He hesitated, then nodded. “She saves my ass, is what she does. I couldn’t do what she does with the kids. No way.” He looked self-conscious. I wasn’t sure why. “Anyway, welcome to town. I’ve been here a long time,
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