Blood Loss

request on Facebook … the ultimate teen trauma according to my fifteen-year-old daughter. Jared Labati has already lied to us, so … we’re not considering him a reliable witness. Jane Allen says that Shelby had been on Facebook talking about not having enough money for Lady Gaga tickets, and maybe to suck up to her, Labati offered her a way of earning money at the hotel. Yes, you can still read someone’s Facebook profile without being “friends” with them …’

Gary Dettling, you dorky dad.

‘So,’ said Gary, ‘Jared Labati could have been doing anything to get close to Shelby Royce. He certainly tipped the power balance in his favor on Saturday night. He may have seen her as “owing him one” after that.’

‘Maybe he went up to the room to collect,’ said one of the detectives. ‘And the little girl got in the way …’

‘That’s a possibility,’ said Gary.

‘It’s not really a break-in when the guy’s got a key …’ said Bob.

‘What about the stepfather?’ said Paul. He glanced at his notes. ‘Dale Merritt?’

‘Seems like a big friendly giant,’ said Ren. ‘I’m not getting evil stepfather vibes.’

‘There is one other person who was in the room …’ said Gary.

‘A very little person,’ said Ren.

Mark and Erica Whaley sat, holding hands, in Bob’s office. Leo was in a fold-away stroller beside them. His little arm was wrapped around a Spiderman action figure, his fist curled into a ball.

Adorable.

‘I am really uncomfortable with Leo being interviewed again,’ said Mark Whaley, glancing down at his son. ‘He’s been through too much. First off, he wakes up alone in a strange room, God knows what he’s witnessed, his parents come in and start shouting and screaming … then he’s taken away from us at the Sheriff’s Office, and he’s put in a room with a stranger and asked a bunch of questions …’

‘We’d like God not to be the only one who knows what he witnessed …’ said Bob.

Risky.

Mark looked at him. ‘He’s been through enough.’

‘He’s three, Mark,’ said Erica. ‘He’ll be able to get through this a lot quicker than he’d get over the loss of his big sister …’ She slid her hand from Mark’s.

No-one said a word.

Eventually, Mark spoke. ‘He probably saw nothing. And if he did, it’s unlikely he’d be able to vocalize it.’

Erica stared at him. ‘Last week, you were calling him “easily one of the smartest kids” in pre-school, and saying how wide his vocabulary is.’

‘Erica, this is completely different. What they’re asking for, ultimately, is for our three-year-old son to relive the most traumatic experience of his short life …’

‘Mr Whaley, Leo won’t be asked leading questions, so he won’t be exposed to any scenario that’s outside of his experience on that night,’ said Ren. ‘He won’t have scary images planted in his mind. Child forensic interviewing is a real skill, and we have one of the country’s leading interviewers here.’

‘Well, she didn’t find anything out the last time …’ said Mark.

‘This kind of interview usually takes place when the child is well rested, and has eaten. We couldn’t afford the time to wait for that the first time. The circumstances early Sunday morning were not very conducive to a successful outcome, but we wanted to try.’

Erica was nodding. ‘Mark — she’s right. Leo isn’t able to concentrate when he’s tired. He’s not himself when he hasn’t slept. You say so yourself. His Spidey senses are weak.’ She tried to smile.

‘When do you want to do this?’ said Mark.

‘This afternoon,’ said Gary. ‘Some time around four p.m.’

Erica turned to Mark.

He was staring at the ground. ‘Fine, then …’ he said. ‘Go ahead. But … ’

‘Thank you,’ said Erica. She nodded toward Ren.

God bless you.

Gary followed everyone back into the command center.

‘Ren and Colin,’ said Gary. ‘About our old Tinytoes Bandit case — there’s a discovery conference at the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the AUSA and the defense attorney at twelve today — I need you to go to that.’

‘What?’ said Ren. ‘But-’

‘Colin — you drive,’ said Gary.

‘Good,’ he said. ‘I get to hold on to my breakfast.’

Ren grabbed her purse. ‘OK. I think I can channel Miss Daisy.’

Colin and Ren spent the first ten minutes of the drive in silence.

I want to slam your foot onto the accelerator.

‘Why the hell do we have to go to Denver in the middle of all this?’ said Ren.

‘I think they can survive without us for a couple hours,’ said Colin.

No, they can’t.

‘Do you mind if we go to Safe Streets first?’ said Colin.

‘No,’ said Ren.

‘I just need to pick something up.’

Much like your girlfriend needs to pick things up. Here goes: ‘Naomi sure knows how to have a good time,’ said Ren.

Colin smiled. ‘She is a live wire,’ he said.

‘We had a blast that night we were out,’ said Ren.

Colin nodded. ‘Yes … I guess she doesn’t have a lot of female friends …’

Probably because she’s stolen their men. ‘Really?’ said Ren.

‘Well, she’s moved around a lot,’ said Colin.

Probably because she was being hunted down by her female friends for stealing their men. ‘That’s hard,’ said Ren.

‘So, did she out-drink you?’ said Colin, glancing at her.

‘Not a chance,’ said Ren. Just go for it. ‘She definitely out-chatted me, though …’

‘You two fighting for air time …’ said Colin.

‘More she was chatting with the people we met,’ said Ren. ‘This group of snowboarders …’ Male snowboarders. Men. Other men.

Colin nodded. ‘Tis the season …’

To be whoring. Fa-la-la-la-la …

Ren turned on the radio.

There was a package on Ren’s desk when she arrived at Safe Streets. It had a Spyder logo. She ripped it open.

It was a new ski jacket. Her heart soared. She had bought it on a second screen while she was buying Ethan’s gifts.

I had forgotten about you.

She was shaking off her jacket to try the new one on, when the phone rang. It was Glenn Buddy.

‘Did you listen to the Kennington tape?’ he said.

‘Yes,’ said Ren.

‘She’s still swearing she doesn’t know who organized the party,’ said Glenn. ‘Neither does the guy-friend or the boy from school she said she liked.’

‘We need to find out who was behind that party,’ said Ren. ‘And whether there’s any significance in the choice of venue.’

‘The significance is kids’ fascination with asylums,’ said Glenn. ‘There are websites devoted to this, there are asylum “fans” …’

‘I’m fascinated myself,’ said Ren. ‘But I wouldn’t go to a party in one … especially the condition it was in.’

‘Even when you were sixteen …’ said Glenn.