Page 8 of Passions in Death
She slipped the card and contents back in the envelope.
“She wanted the room so she could change into this getup. The shoes mean something—I’ll find out what—but the rest is clear enough.”
Frowning, she studied the black overnight.
“Why didn’t he take the bag? Doesn’t even open it to see what was in it? Because he already knew. Either he didn’t care, or panicked after the kill and forgot.”
She paced around the body and the blood. “How did he get in? Did she let him in? Why would she? A friend, a colleague. ‘Great, you can help me change for the big surprise.’
“But I don’t think so. I don’t think so. Look at the position of the body, the blood on the door. He was in here, already in here. How did he get in here?”
“I took a look at the locks while you tended to her. I don’t see any sign of tampering.”
“If I’m wrong, he might have followed her, come in after. But not by force. She would’ve let him—or her—in, so that’s trust. But the whole thing reads like her killer was already in the room.”
“Someone had to bring the bag.”
“Yeah, and if she didn’t bring it in herself, her killer did. Something else to find out.”
She pulled out her ’link. “I’ll bring in the morgue and the sweepers. Then we’ll start finding out.”
Chapter Two
When she went out, she saw McNab had cleared most of his side.
“Some Monday night regulars,” McNab told her. “They come in on a slow night for the boobies and brew, maybe try to get lucky. Crack verified. A table of tourists from Topeka, doing some club-hopping. Came in because of the name. They were pretty trashed, and their story checked. Working my way through, hit on a few hard cases, but nobody rings.”
“All right. Finish it out.”
She signaled Peabody.
As she walked to Eve, Peabody’s sympathetic face went to cop face. “They’re a mess, Dallas. They’re all either friends of one bride or the other, most of them both. None of them, so far, knew anything about a privacy room, and nobody noticed the victim leaving the club area. Some of them, including the other bride, were onstage with the holo-band. A lot of them stripped down to their underwear—or less. According to the statements I’ve taken, they’d taken over the dance floor. Some not with the group came up, joined in. No problems. One guy even bought a round of drinks, but he left.”
“When?”
“Closest we’ve got is about midnight, maybe a little before that. He got some ’link numbers. Wade—no last name. Tall, blond, tanned, built.”
“TOD’s twenty-three-forty-six, so that’s cutting it close. But I want to know if he contacts any of them. I’ll see if Crack knows him. Dead wagon and sweepers on the way. Why aren’t any of them leaving?”
“Solidarity. They stay until they all can go. And they wait for Shauna. It’s a nice group of women, Dallas.”
“Nice people kill, too.”
She crossed to the bar where Crack stood waiting.
Fury still vibrated. “Handing out Sober-Up, water, coffee.”
“We’ll clear them out as soon as we can.”
“Shit, it ain’t that, skinny white girl. We get trouble in here sometimes. I crack heads, kick some asses. You get people puking, passing out.” He shrugged that off. “Had a guy last month—had to be ninety—shaking it like a kid out on the dance floor till he drops with a goddamn heart attack. Got the MTs in quick, but Siri—she’s working her way through medical school—already had him back when they got here.
“Nobody ever died in my place. Nobody ever got murdered. I keep an eye, try to keep a good eye, but I didn’t see her leave. Didn’t notice how long she was gone. Mondays are slow, and we usually close down by one. Hell, I don’t usually take the stick on Mondays, but I knew Erin, and I wanted to be here, make sure it went smooth for her. The way the girls were going, I figured we’d give them till two, so I texted Ro, just so she’d know I’d be home later than usual. I figured she’d be sleeping, but she was up. So I was texting with my lady, and I didn’t keep a good eye.”
“I’m going to tell you something while you make me some of that bullshit you call coffee in here.”
“Don’t drink that swill, girl. I got Pepsi.”
“Better. I’m going to tell you whoever did this wouldn’t have looked threatening, wouldn’t have stood out to your good eye. My first instinct is Erin knew them.”
