Page 86 of Random in Death
The kid had skills, too, in her area of interest. Besides, Eve thought, Feeney’s decision.
“And since I bopped with Jamie, I was going to ask, once this one’s done, if I can do one on Homicide.”
“No.”
“For the upperclassmen.” Quilla rolled right on. “Some of the students, especially the year-rounders like me, give cops the hard eye. We’ve got reasons for it. So it’s good to show cops are mostly just people, doing a job. And if some of them are assholes, most are working really hard to help.”
“We deal with things in this division that aren’t appropriate for students.”
“Why? You have two girls, dead girls, on your board. They’re just like me. Like us. Or like I am now, I guess. Like most of us are trying to be. We’ve got some assholes, too, but mostly we’re trying. Like Dorian’s trying. Shit, Dallas, you know what they did to her in that place. You got all those girls out of there. They raped them and drugged them and sold them. They killed Dorian’s friend, and nearly killed her. How’s what you do here inappropriate?”
Jamie stayed silent, but Eve caught the look, the smile. The pride again.
Christ, it was everywhere.
“And to think I put Nadine onto you. Now I’ve got two of you.”
“Nadine says she’s just helping refine what I had when she took me on.”
She heard Peabody coming. “I’ll think about it.” Much, much later.
“Hey, Jamie, hey, Quilla. I have a strong probable, Dallas. L&W.”
“What the hell is that?”
“Losers and Wheezes,” Quilla said. “A store,” she continued. “Crap junk your cheap aunt Jane buys for your birthday since she doesn’t know better, or doesn’t really give a shit. I wouldn’t even lift a pair of socks from a L&W.” She waited a beat, shrugged. “Back when I maybe considered the possibility of lifting.”
“Uh-huh.” But since she had an expert on the matter, Eve pursued. “Did you notice anyone at the band thing wearing Losers and Wheezes?”
Quilla tipped her head so her purple hair fell over one eye. “Didn’t stick if I did.”
“Off the record.”
Quilla shrugged again. “Okay.”
“Short white guy, around sixteen. Black tee and baggies, Kick It Zoomers, probably black.”
“Kick Its?” Now Jamie spoke up, and the interns rolled their eyes at each other. “Subzero. Maybe you buy them if you have to spend a day walking in mud, because they’re gonna fall apart in a couple weeks anyway.”
“If I got caught dead in a pair, I’d die a second time of humiliation.”
Quilla’s statement cracked Jamie up. They fist-bumped.
“It doesn’t stick,” Quilla said again. “But I’ll look at the vid again.”
“EDD has it.”
“I’ll look, too.”
“Fine. Scram. Go do what you’re here to do.”
“You’ll think about it?”
“I said I would. Go away.”
“Think about what?” Peabody asked as they went away.
“I’m not thinking about it now. How many L&Ws?”