Page 74 of State of Alert

“I agree it’s outrageous,” Dunning said, “but the police have the right to question the people closest to the victim.”

Sam wanted to thank him for pointing out the obvious.

“I will not have my girls alone in a room with this woman.”

Sam loved when people referred to her by titles such as “this woman.”

“They won’t be alone,” Dunning said. “I’ll be with them. The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can take them home.”

“And you really think this is necessary the day after they lost their mother?” Frank asked Sam.

“I do, or I’d never ask it of any of you.”

“Fine,” Frank said. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Detective Cruz, would you please take Jada and Frank to interview two while I have a word with Zoe?”

“Of course. Right this way.”

Before he followed Freddie and Jada out of the room, Frank gave Zoe a look that would’ve had Sam curling into the fetal position if it had come from her father.

It didn’t seem to faze Zoe, who seemed impervious to parental stare downs.

Dunning stayed seated next to Zoe, who’d slid into a slouch that conveyed her utter disdain for the entire process.

Sam decided on a different approach. “I feel like we’vegotten off on the wrong foot. I want you to understand that I’m asking you these questions because it’s my job to find out what happened to your mother. You do want me to find out who killed her, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“There might be something you can tell me, something you don’t realize you know or something you think isn’t important but is, that could help with my investigation. So I’d appreciate it if we could just start over and have a conversation like adults. I’m not trying to pin anything on you. I’m trying to solve a murder.”

“Okay.”

“So, Zoe… Do you know what happened to your mother?”

“I… uh… I heard she was in the bathroom upstairs?”

“Yes, and from the looks of things, she’d been bludgeoned by a heavy object. Do you know what that word means? Bludgeoned?”

“Like… hit over the head?”

“That’s right.” Sam was relieved to see the slightest cringe from Zoe at hearing how her mother had died. “She was found naked on the floor of her bathroom. It looked like she’d just gotten out of the shower and was taken by surprise.”

Zoe looked down at the table.

“How would someone have gotten in the house?”

“I have no idea.”

“Your family’s house has keyless entry on all the doors. Who has the code?”

“Just the four of us.”

“You haven’t given it to any of your friends?”

“No. My dad is adamant that no one else have it.”

“If we check the locations of your phone and your boyfriend’s, will they show either of you anywhere near your house yesterday at the time your mother was killed?”

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