Page 57 of Random in Death
“Okay.” Eve took an evidence bag out of her pocket. “Where are your adults?”
“They took everybody back. I mean they were over there.” Turning, Quilla pointed. “And it happened over there. Nobody could’ve seen anything. But Ms. Pickering said everyone would be available for interview.”
“All right. Why are you still here?”
“I got permission, because Jamie’s with me, and you were coming. And I tagged Nadine, and she said to document, and she’s coming.”
“Do you think it’s connected to the murder at Club Rock It?”
Eve gave Jamie one long, flat look. “You’re too smart to ask me that question at this time, in this place.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Stay here.”
“Ah, sir, I could assist if—”
She cut Jamie off with that same look. “This is a minor female. She is in your charge.”
“Bogus” was Quilla’s opinion. And the opinion got her a swift elbow jab from Jamie. Which resulted in a massively exaggerated eye roll from Quilla.
Rather than dignify any of it, Eve walked away.
“They’re dating, aren’t they?” The idea made her twitchy. “How can they be dating?”
“Well now, that usually begins with mutual attraction, perhaps a mutual interest.”
“Shut up.”
She saw the body on the grass, gauged its proximity to the now-empty stage. Far enough back, she judged, there would have been people in front of them.
She stepped up to the two uniforms near the body.
“Let’s hear it.”
“Sir. The call came in at twenty-two-forty. The MTs, standing by for the event, responded within two minutes. A witness, Nikki Lieberman, was performing CPR on the victim, and a doctor, Dr. James Marcell, took over from her. The MTs attempted to resuscitate the victim, but weren’t successful. Several uniforms assigned to the event, including myself and Officer Danby, also responded. Danby and I arrived just as the MTs took over. We secured the scene, while other officers moved the crowd clear.”
“How much of a crowd?”
“Estimate about twenty-two hundred, Lieutenant,” Danby told her, “not including the performers, judges, vid crew, concessions, souvie stalls.
“We have the three individuals who came with the victim, Lieutenant. We’ve also secured the performers and the vid crew, and others who worked the event. Most of the crowd disbursed. A lot of kids, Loo,” he added. “And if they came with adults, the adults got them gone. We had some panic to deal with, but felt securing the scene had priority.”
He’d have been long gone anyway, Eve thought.
“Where are the people she came with?”
“They’ve got a couple tents behind the stage. Their parents gave permission for the interviews. There’s an officer with them in one of the tents. They’re pretty shook.”
“All right. Let’s get some shields around the body. I don’t want to see this dead girl on the morning media.”
She looked to the skirted table—judges’ table—and concluded from that vantage point they’d have seen nothing to help. “I want someone to interview the judges, get their contacts. Release them. Anyone who was back of the stage, in one of the tents, the same. Hold the video crew, and whoever was onstage. Either my partner or I will talk to the victim’s friends as soon as possible.”
With her field kit, she crouched by the body. A pretty girl, her hair in long braids with blue woven with the black. Blue, like the undertone in her skin, like her mouth.
Eve took out her Identi-pad.
“Victim’s ID confirmed as Arlie Dillon, mixed-race female, age seventeen. Resides 1205 Third Avenue. Victim’s skin, mouth have a blue cast. The only visible wound, an apparent needle mark, reddened and raw, left biceps. My on-scene concludes the same method, same drug cocktail, administered without her consent as Jenna Harbough.”