that when you’re out with women?”
“Lauren had it,” he said. “We took one each, watched the stars, and talked.”
Brooks sighed. Then: “Did you hook up?”
“Sure. That’s kind of the idea.”
“With both of them?”
Noah nodded.
“Man, you are a lucky guy,” Brooks said, circling around behind Noah. Cheryl Beth noted again how short he was, how he radiated short-man insecurities. It reminded her of certain doctors she had known.
Brooks said, “What made you kill them?”
“I didn’t!”
The deputy stepped closer and Noah slumped in his chair.
Brooks leaned in behind Noah’s left side.
“You own a knife?”
“Probably. Yes, I do. I have a couple from the service.” Noah leaned back and turned his head, but Brooks had switched sides. He spoke into Noah’s other ear, barely a whisper.
“What about handcuffs?”
“No, of course not.”
“Those girls had abrasions on their wrists. Somebody handcuffed them, Noah. I think that somebody is you.”
He shook his head, saying “No” over and over.
“We’re going to find the knife that killed those girls, Noah. We’re going to find the handcuffs. And when we do, we’re going to find your fingerprints on it. So why don’t you tell me what really happened.”
“I’m trying to tell you the truth. Somebody hit me from behind.”
“Somebody?”
He nodded and Brooks sat back down. Some anonymous sounds came from back in the jail, and Brooks leaned in, baring his teeth.
“You like to hurt women, right?”
“I never…!”
“You’re really sick to have done this, Noah. Carve up those girls that way.”
Noah shivered and sobbed.
Brooks’ tone shifted again. In a quieter voice, he asked, “Did the girls see this somebody? Did they warn you? Did they scream?”
“No. They were passed out. I was about to wake them up so we could go.”
“Passed out?” Brooks cocked an eyebrow and stroked his mustache. “I didn’t think ecstasy made you pass out. I thought it made you feel all full of peace and self-acceptance and shit like that.”
“We’d had a lot to drink.”
“But not too much for you to have sex with them.”
“We had sex.”
“Your DNA’s going to be in those bodies, Noah. Why did you kill them?”
“I didn’t kill them!” His face was red and he was crying.
“Because somebody hit you.”
“That’s right. When I came to, I felt like hell. Holly and Lauren were gone. It was raining, but I passed out again. The next thing I know was when you guys… Wait. Holly and Lauren were gone because I wasn’t in the Formal Gardens when I woke up. I was off in some bushes. Like somebody dragged me over there.”
“That ‘somebody’ again,” Brooks said.
“Noah,” Cheryl Beth said, “When you three were together, were you alone in the gardens? Did you notice anyone else?”
He hung his head, shaking it slowly. “I don’t remember.”
His story seemed implausible. But Cheryl Beth also knew that many of the behaviors Noah exhibited, from the loss of focus, impaired attention, and even paranoia were after-effects of Ecstasy, otherwise known as MDMA.
She turned to Brooks: “Did you notice any marks on the grass as if he’d been dragged?”
Brooks glared at her.
“Has anyone examined the back of his head?” she asked.
“This is bullshit,” Brooks said,
“May I?” She stood. “I’m an R.N.”
The deputy seemed unsure.
“Go ahead,” Brooks said. “What the hell.”
She walked behind Noah and felt above his neck into his hair. There was no bleeding but a noticeable lump. “There is a hematoma there,” she said. “A big bruise. A blow from the back could have made it. He needs to be checked for a concussion.”
“That’s what I’m telling you.” Noah said.
“It could also have come from the arrest,” Brooks said. “Or maybe you fell. Killers are stupid that way.” He stood and walked to the door.
“I’ll see you in the lobby, Cheryl Beth. You,” he pointed at Noah. “You
“Lauren had it,” he said. “We took one each, watched the stars, and talked.”
Brooks sighed. Then: “Did you hook up?”
“Sure. That’s kind of the idea.”
“With both of them?”
Noah nodded.
“Man, you are a lucky guy,” Brooks said, circling around behind Noah. Cheryl Beth noted again how short he was, how he radiated short-man insecurities. It reminded her of certain doctors she had known.
Brooks said, “What made you kill them?”
“I didn’t!”
The deputy stepped closer and Noah slumped in his chair.
Brooks leaned in behind Noah’s left side.
“You own a knife?”
“Probably. Yes, I do. I have a couple from the service.” Noah leaned back and turned his head, but Brooks had switched sides. He spoke into Noah’s other ear, barely a whisper.
“What about handcuffs?”
“No, of course not.”
“Those girls had abrasions on their wrists. Somebody handcuffed them, Noah. I think that somebody is you.”
He shook his head, saying “No” over and over.
“We’re going to find the knife that killed those girls, Noah. We’re going to find the handcuffs. And when we do, we’re going to find your fingerprints on it. So why don’t you tell me what really happened.”
“I’m trying to tell you the truth. Somebody hit me from behind.”
“Somebody?”
He nodded and Brooks sat back down. Some anonymous sounds came from back in the jail, and Brooks leaned in, baring his teeth.
“You like to hurt women, right?”
“I never…!”
“You’re really sick to have done this, Noah. Carve up those girls that way.”
Noah shivered and sobbed.
Brooks’ tone shifted again. In a quieter voice, he asked, “Did the girls see this somebody? Did they warn you? Did they scream?”
“No. They were passed out. I was about to wake them up so we could go.”
“Passed out?” Brooks cocked an eyebrow and stroked his mustache. “I didn’t think ecstasy made you pass out. I thought it made you feel all full of peace and self-acceptance and shit like that.”
“We’d had a lot to drink.”
“But not too much for you to have sex with them.”
“We had sex.”
“Your DNA’s going to be in those bodies, Noah. Why did you kill them?”
“I didn’t kill them!” His face was red and he was crying.
“Because somebody hit you.”
“That’s right. When I came to, I felt like hell. Holly and Lauren were gone. It was raining, but I passed out again. The next thing I know was when you guys… Wait. Holly and Lauren were gone because I wasn’t in the Formal Gardens when I woke up. I was off in some bushes. Like somebody dragged me over there.”
“That ‘somebody’ again,” Brooks said.
“Noah,” Cheryl Beth said, “When you three were together, were you alone in the gardens? Did you notice anyone else?”
He hung his head, shaking it slowly. “I don’t remember.”
His story seemed implausible. But Cheryl Beth also knew that many of the behaviors Noah exhibited, from the loss of focus, impaired attention, and even paranoia were after-effects of Ecstasy, otherwise known as MDMA.
She turned to Brooks: “Did you notice any marks on the grass as if he’d been dragged?”
Brooks glared at her.
“Has anyone examined the back of his head?” she asked.
“This is bullshit,” Brooks said,
“May I?” She stood. “I’m an R.N.”
The deputy seemed unsure.
“Go ahead,” Brooks said. “What the hell.”
She walked behind Noah and felt above his neck into his hair. There was no bleeding but a noticeable lump. “There is a hematoma there,” she said. “A big bruise. A blow from the back could have made it. He needs to be checked for a concussion.”
“That’s what I’m telling you.” Noah said.
“It could also have come from the arrest,” Brooks said. “Or maybe you fell. Killers are stupid that way.” He stood and walked to the door.
“I’ll see you in the lobby, Cheryl Beth. You,” he pointed at Noah. “You
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