They need to know what happened to her.â
Joshâs facade cracked a little right along with his voice. âSure,â he said, âlike being a snitch is going to make my life better? But I already told you. I donât know who did this. Iâve never seen that girl before just now. I donât know who she is or what happened to her.â
âYou do know what happened to her,â Mel shot back. âYou saw it on that video. Someone strangled her before your very eyes.â
Switching topics, Mel tapped a scarlet-tipped fingernail on the stack of drawings. âYou are a kid who likes thinking about dead people, arenât you,â she said. âYou must think torturing people is cool somehow. Who are the people in these pictures, Josh? Are they people you know from school, maybe people you donât like very much?â
âItâs art,â Josh said. âItâs what I do in my spare time. It doesnât mean anything. Art isnât against the law. Isnât there something called freedom of speech in this country?â
âThese drawings speak to the type of person you are,â Mel said. âThey tell us the kinds of hobbies and interests you have as well as the kinds of things youâd like to do to other people if you ever have the chance.â
We were running out of time. Mel and I knew it; so did Josh. All three of us heard the sound of heavy footsteps pounding up the second flight of stairs. Josh crossed his arms, shook his head, and said nothing.
The bedroom door slammed open hard enough that it bounced off the wall behind us.
A burly man in a well-cut suit charged into the room.
âIâm Mr. Deesonâs attorney,â he said. âI demand to know whatâs going on here! Who are you? What are you doing here?â
Mel stepped forward to meet him, holding up her badge in one hand and the search warrant in another.
âMy name is Melissa Soames,â she said. âThis is my partner, J. P. Beaumont. Weâre with the attorney generalâs Special Homicide Investigation Team. Weâre executing a properly issued search warrant of this young manâs room. I donât believe I caught your name.â
âGarvin McCarthy,â he growled, snatching the search warrant from Melâs hands. âLet me see that.â
The gesture would have been more effective if McCarthy hadnât had to dig a pair of reading glasses out of the jacket of his designer suit in order to read what was written on the documents. Before he began reading, however, he shot a venomous look in Joshâs direction.
âNot another word from you, young man. Understand?â
I half expected Josh to balk at this unmistakable order from someone he didnât know, but I think our questions had scared the crap out of him. He knew he was in trouble. He knew he needed help even if that help was unappreciated and coming from his ânotâ grandmother. He nodded and kept quiet.
While McCarthy read the warrant through, line by line, Mel quietly switched off the recorder and stowed it in her purse. Finished reading, he handed the warrant back to Mel.
âWhatâs this all about?â he demanded. âWhy Special Homicide?â
âAsk your client,â she said.
âWhoâs dead?â
âAsk your client.â
âWhat are you, a one-trick pony?â
Mel smiled at him and handed him a business card. That was her only answer. Then she picked up one of the Bankers Boxes and turned to me.
âWeâre done here,â she said casually. âLetâs go. We can stop by and see Mr. Willis on our way out.â
That comment got a rise out of Garvin McCarthy and out of Josh Deeson as well.
âNo,â they said, speaking in inadvertent unison.
The lawyer turned his ire on Josh. âI told you to be quiet and I meant it,â he said, shaking an admonishing finger in the kidâs direction.
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