Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

PAULA ACOSTA CAN'T quite take it in. Diana Brewer is dead ? She looks back at the familiar police officer in the corridor outside her classroom. ‘What?' she says.

The officer, Chris Shepherd, replies, ‘Her body was found a short time ago in a field outside of town. Major Crimes is there now.'

Paula turns to Principal Kelly. He looks overwhelmed, like he doesn't know how he's going to cope.

‘You mean – she was murdered ?' Paula asks in disbelief.

‘It looks that way.'

‘Dear God,' Paula breathes, her right hand moving involuntarily to her heart. ‘That lovely girl.' She thinks of her own daughter, Taylor. Then she thinks of Diana's mother, whom she's met, numerous times, in parent–teacher conferences. Her life destroyed, just like that. Paula feels a sudden need to sit down, but there are no chairs in the corridor.

‘There are some officers from state police in the principal's office. They want to talk to the students who knew her,' Shepherd says. ‘There are detectives and more officers coming in from Major Crimes to handle the investigation.' He glances at Kelly. ‘Principal Kelly tells us that two of her best friends are in your class – Riley Mead and Evan Carr. Are they here now?'

‘Yes.'

‘We'd like to cause as little distress and disruption as possible,' Shepherd says, ‘but the news is going to get out very quickly, and it will make its way to the kids' phones. We should get out in front of it and tell them now.'

‘She has a boyfriend, Cameron Farrell,' Paula hears herself say.

Shepherd nods. ‘There are officers talking to him now. Shall we?' he says, reaching for the classroom door.

Riley watches the door open with dread. Her heart is beating too fast, and she has a terrible premonition of what's going to happen next. Mrs Acosta enters the room first, looking distressed and pale, very different from the cheerful way she'd come in just a few minutes earlier. Principal Kelly looks even worse, accompanied by the police officer she now recognizes, Chris Shepherd, usually so upbeat when seen about town, now wearing a solemn expression. Someone has died , Riley thinks. She feels like she might faint.

Principal Kelly clears his throat and says, ‘I'm afraid I have some terrible, tragic news.' The class has gone completely quiet, all the teenage energy stilled. ‘Your classmate, Diana Brewer, has died.'

Riley gasps so audibly that faces turn toward her. She sees Kelly looking at her too.

He says, directly to her, ‘I'm so sorry.'

She can see him choking up as he says it. She's breathing too fast, in short gasps, her eyes blurring with tears.

‘Class is dismissed for today,' Kelly says, ‘but please don't leave the school just yet. There will be counsellors here very soon for anyone who wants to talk to them. I encourage you all to do so. Also, there are state police here, in my office, and they would like to talk to anyone who knew Diana, to help in their investigation.'

‘Investigation?' comes a voice from the back of the room.

Principal Kelly seems at a loss for words, and Shepherd steps forward. ‘There's no easy way to say this,' he says, gravely surveying the students in the room. ‘Diana was murdered. We're going to need your help.'

Edward Farrell arrives at the Fairhill Police Station at the same time as his wife – his truck follows her car in. They each left work to be here for their son, Cameron. It's a terrible thing – his girlfriend has been murdered. It's hard to take in. Such a lovely girl. Their son will need all their support through this.

In the parking lot, Edward hugs his wife, Shelby, tightly. She's been crying. She has a tissue clutched in her hand and her mascara is running. Her blonde hair is in disarray.

‘I can't believe it,' she says to him, finally pulling back from his embrace, her face a mask of shock.

‘I can't either,' he says.

‘And Cameron – how will he cope with this?' she asks in distress.

‘I don't know.'

Finally, they brace themselves and turn toward the steps of the small police station. Their son is in there. He needs them.

Inside the redbrick building they are quickly escorted to an interview room, where their son is hunched in a chair. At the sight of him, Edward's heart almost breaks.

Cameron jumps up when he sees them, falls into his mother's arms, and sobs. Edward swallows, watching them. It takes effort not to break down himself, but he wants to be strong for his son. He knows Cameron was serious about Diana. First love. What a way for it to end.

The door opens behind them, and two people appear, distracting Edward from the sight of his son and wife. A tall, well-built man enters – he looks to be in his mid forties, and is dressed in a smart suit and a white shirt open at the neck, and no tie. His brown hair is short and starting to go grey. He's clean-shaven. He carries himself with quiet authority.

‘I'm Detective Stone, from Major Crimes, Vermont State Police, and this is Detective Godfrey,' he says, introducing another detective, a woman. She's petite, with dark hair cut short, in a navy trouser suit. ‘I'm so sorry for your loss,' Detective Stone says to the three of them. He seems sincere, respectful. ‘Please, have a seat.'

They all sit down. ‘We'd like to talk to your son about Diana, see if he can help us find out who did this,' Stone explains. ‘But as he's a minor, we need to have a parent present. You can both stay.'

Edward nods. ‘Okay.' He glances at his wife.

Stone turns to Cameron. ‘This is purely voluntary, son. You don't have to answer our questions, but it might be helpful to us. And the sooner we talk, the better.'

Edward watches Cameron nod. His athletic, good-looking son is unusually pale, his face tear-streaked, but he is calm enough now, after his crying jag. He seems relieved that his parents have come.

‘My officers said you saw Diana last night. Can we go over that again?'

Cameron glances briefly at his mother and says, ‘Okay.' He begins. ‘I drove over to her place around ten o'clock. I often go see her around then. Her mom leaves for work just before ten. She works as a nurse on the night shift at the hospital in Windsor.'

‘What car did you drive?'

Edward notices that Cameron looks startled at this. Edward is a little taken aback as well. What the hell difference does it make what car he drove?

Cameron says, ‘My dad's pickup. He always lets me use it if he doesn't need it, and he was already home for the night.' Edward nods in agreement. ‘So I went over to her place and picked her up and we went for a drive.'

‘Why did you go for a drive?' Stone asks casually.

Edward sees his son flush crimson, and he knows.

‘Sometimes we go for a drive, and park somewhere …' He leaves that hanging, as if he doesn't want to spell it out.

‘I see. Did you have sex with her last night?' Stone asks. He adds, ‘I'm sorry, I have to ask.'

Cameron studiously avoids looking at his parents, looks down at the table instead. ‘Yes.'

‘Okay. Did you use a condom?'

‘Yes.'

‘If you don't mind my asking, why didn't you stay in the house?' Stone asks.

At that, Cameron looks up from the table at the detective. ‘What?'

‘The house was empty. Diana's mother was at work. No one else lives there.'

Edward watches his son flush, his eyes directed again to the table. Cameron mumbles, ‘Diana didn't like to do it in the house. She thought it was disrespectful to her mother.'

Stone nods, as if he understands perfectly, but Edward is annoyed at the detective. He's being rude and insensitive. His son has just lost someone he cares deeply about. Now he's being embarrassed unnecessarily in front of his parents.

‘What was she wearing?' Stone asks next.

‘Um, blue jeans, a plaid shirt, and her beige corduroy jacket.'

‘What about her underwear?'

Cameron flushes again. ‘She had a bra and panties on, but I don't know what colour. It was dark. Socks and sneakers. Why are you asking me this?'

Stone ignores him. ‘What time did you bring her home?'

‘I'm not sure exactly, but around eleven. And then I went home.'

‘Did you accompany her inside, or drop her at the door?'

‘I stopped the truck in front of her house and watched her go in. She waved and closed the door behind her, then I left.'

‘Did she unlock the door when she went in?'

Cameron pauses. ‘I didn't notice.' He adds, ‘But I don't think she locked it behind her when we left.'

‘Okay,' Stone says. ‘Did Diana ever mention that she was worried about someone? Had anyone been bothering her?'

‘No. Everybody loved her,' Cameron says.