She heard him push away from the counter and walk across the room. He sat next to her, but didn’t touch her. “I also called my boss. I need to tell him.”
She opened her eyes. He was sitting on the edge of the sofa cushion, back bowed, head down. “Will you be in trouble for not telling him before?”
“Probably. But I didn’t know what do.” He rolled his head to look at her and she saw the pain in his eyes. “If he allows it, I want you to look at the other pictures. You recognized Sheila tonight. Maybe you know some of the other girls.”
She trailed her fingertips down his back lightly. The pain in his eyes had banked her temper. “And maybe we know some of the other men.”
He swallowed. “That, too.”
“You both lived here.” Meredith said. “Why should Alex recognize faces you don’t?”
“I was five years older,” Daniel said. “When it all happened, I was away at college.”
“And he was rich,” Alex added. “The rich kids all went to the private school. Alicia and Shelia and Bailey and I, we all went to the public school. There was a very rigid line between the two worlds.”
“But Simon and Wade were friends.”
“Or at least accomplices,” Daniel said. “Simon was expelled from private school. He graduated from the public school. We need to get our hands on some yearbooks.”
“How do Janet and Claudia fit?” Alex asked. “They were only nine when Alicia died.”
“I don’t know,” Daniel said. He leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes. “I do know that Sheila had something to tell me. My business card was in her pocket.”
“Who killed her?” Meredith asked.
“Some guy robbing the cash register.” Daniel shrugged. “Or that’s what we’re supposed to think.” Abruptly he lurched to his feet, stunned realization on his face. “I can’t believe I missed that.” He opened the door. “Hatton! Can you come here?” He turned to Alex. “I’m going to meet Luke and Chase at the restaurant. Stay here.”
Dutton, Wednesday, January 31, 1:35 a.m.
Daniel walked back into Presto’s Pizza, where Corey Presto was standing just inside the door, shell-shocked. He’d been crying, his face tear-streaked but now dry.
Dr. Toby Granville was examining the body draped over the counter and one of Frank’s deputies was taking pictures with a digital camera. Frank was crouched next to where the young officer had died, staring at the floor. They must have taken the young man to the morgue first. Sheila still sat in the corner, in her grotesque doll-like pose.
Daniel didn’t see Randy Mansfield and assumed he’d been either taken to the hospital or released. “Frank,” Daniel said.
Frank looked up, and for a moment desperation flashed in his eyes. Then the moment was gone and his old friend’s eyes were flat. “Why are you back, Daniel?”
“I’m taking over this scene. Toby, if you wouldn’t mind, please step away from that body. I’ll be calling in the state ME and crime lab.”
Toby Granville’s gaze swung to Frank, who’d stood slowly, his fists on his hips. “No, you’re not,” Frank said.
“That car out back was involved in a hit-and-run with a witness under my protection, just this afternoon. Now it’s here and another witness is dead. This restaurant is now a GBI crime scene. Please, Frank. Move, or I’ll move you.”
Frank’s mouth had fallen open and he jerked to stare at the man hanging across the counter. “Hit-and-run?” he asked unsteadily. “Where? Who?”
“In Atlanta, outside the Underground,” Daniel answered. “Alex Fallon.” He looked at the doctor. “I’m sorry, Toby. I need to process this internally. No offense.”
Granville backed away, gloved hands out. “None taken.”
“Wait,” Corey Presto was shaking his head as if to clear it. “You’re sayin’ this wasn’t a robbery? That that man meant to kill Sheila?”
“I’m just saying that car was involved in an attempted vehicular homicide earlier today.” Daniel turned his gaze to Frank, who looked broken. “And Sheila is dead.”
“What was she a witness to?” Frank asked quietly, and Daniel glimpsed the man he’d known so well. That he thought he’d known, anyway.
“That information’s need-to-know. I’m sorry, Frank.”
Frank dropped his gaze to the bloodstained floor. “Sam was only twenty-one.”
“I’m sorry, Frank,” Daniel said again. “You can stay while we process the scene if you like.” He turned to Presto. “Mr. Presto, we need to know if any cash is missing.”
Presto wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I’d already made the deposit.”
“You were here tonight,” Daniel said, “when I was here with Alex Fallon.”
“Yeah, I was here.” He lifted his chin. “So?”
“Sheila was talking to me. You called her back to the kitchen, and not kindly.”
“I had orders pilin’ up. I don’t pay her to gab.”
“She said that she’d said too much, that she wouldn’t want to upset the powers that be. Who do you think she was talking about?”
“I don’t know.” But the man was lying and they both knew it.
“How long had she worked for you?”
“Four years. Since she got out of rehab. I gave her a chance.”
“Why? Why did you give her a chance?”
Presto’s cheeks flamed. “Because I felt sorry for her.”
Daniel softened his expression. “Why?”
Presto swallowed hard. “She’d had a hard time. I felt sorry for her, that’s all.” But when he looked at Sheila’s lifeless body his throat convulsed and a unique pain filled his eyes, along with new tears, and Daniel understood.
“You loved her,” he said gently.
Presto’s chest heaved once and he dropped his chin, his fists clenched at his sides. No further answer was required.
“Daniel.” Toby Granville had come up behind him, sympathy on his face. “Let him go. He can answer your questions tomorrow.” Toby put his arm around Presto’s shoulders and led him from the restaurant. Ed Randall passed them on his way in.
Ed took one look at the restaurant and whistled softly. “My God.”
“One of the bodies has already been moved,” Daniel said. “I can give you a detailed description of the scene when I came in. Deputy?”
The young officer who’d been taking pictures looked startled. “Y-yes?”
“If you could give us your camera, I can make a copy of the files and return it to you.”
The deputy looked at Frank, who nodded. “That’s fine. You’re dismissed, Alvin.”
The deputy looked infinitely relieved and made a quick exit.
“I’d just finished securing the scene at Bailey Crighton’s when I got your call,” Ed said. “I wasn’t more than twenty minutes out of Dutton when I turned around. I’m guessing the ME guys’ll be here in twenty. Until then, tell me what you saw.”
Luke arrived as Malcolm and his partner Trey were pushing the gunman out on a gurney zipped up in a body bag. Sheila was lying on a second gurney, the body bag zipped only to the middle of her chest. Luke walked straight to Sheila’s body and stood for a moment studying her face, his expression hard.
“You’re right,” he murmured. “I’d hoped you were wrong.”
“Where are they?” Daniel asked quietly.
“Locked in my trunk. My mother’s birthday is June first, by the way, not the fourth.”
“Don’t tell her, okay?”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” he said, but didn’t smile. “You sure about doing this?”
Daniel looked at Sheila’s waxen face and knew he’d never been more sure of anything. “Yeah. If I’d said something a week ago, she might still be alive.”
“You don’t know that.”
“And I never will. Neither will she.”
Luke sighed. “I’ll go get the envelope.”
Daniel stood to one side when Malcolm and Trey came back for the other gurney. Chase came in as they were zipping Sheila up. His boss stood in the middle of the restaurant looking around before bringing his gaze squarely to Daniel’s.