The Right Call (3 page)

Chapter 4

Brill
glanced up at the black-and-white clock in the interview room at the Sophie Trace police station, where she and Detective Captain Trent Norris sat at an oblong table across from Drew Langley.

“It’s late, and I know you’re tired, Drew,” she said. “I just have a few more questions.”

“I’ve told you everything I can remember.” Drew combed his hands through his hair and planted his elbows on the table. “My mind is fried.”

“I need you to think back to the moment you discovered Tal was shot. You said he made gurgling sounds while you pulled him up on the couch. Is it possible he was struggling to communicate something?”

Drew looked up, his eyelids heavy. “I couldn’t make out any words, ma’am. It just seemed like he was struggling to breathe.”

“Think,” Trent said. “It could be important.”

Drew’s eyes brimmed with tears. “He was dying. Have you ever listened to someone drowning in his own blood? It was horrible.”

“I know what you mean.” Trent softened his tone. “One of our detectives was stabbed a while back and almost died while I was standing there. It isn’t pretty.”

“But if Tal
was
trying to say something”—Brill leaned forward—“he’d want you to figure out what it was, right?”

“I guess so. But I don’t think that’s what was happening.”

“Did Tal have a cell phone?” Trent asked.

“Yes, an iPhone.”

“We didn’t find it on his body or in the apartment or his car.”

“Really? He never went anywhere without it.”

“Do you know his number?”

Drew rubbed his eyes with his palms. “Not by heart. It’s in my contact list. Why is that important?”

“It’s possible the person who shot Tal picked up his phone. The GPS could help us locate him.”

Drew took his cell phone off the belt clip, pulled up Tal in the contact list, and handed the phone to Trent.

“Thanks.” Trent stood. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

In the quiet that followed, Brill could almost feel the anguish oozing from Drew’s pores. Finally she said, “Thanks for talking to us. You’ve been very helpful.”

“I hope so.” Drew blew the hair off his forehead. “I’m really wiped out.”

“It’ll take time to assimilate what’s happened. Are you sure you don’t want to call your parents?”

“I really don’t, ma’am. They’re on a cruise to the Greek Isles for their twenty-fifth anniversary. Why spoil it for them when they can’t do anything?”

“You’re very thoughtful,” Brill said. “Is there any other family?”

“Ethan. We’re really close.”

“Are you planning to stay with him at your aunt and uncle’s?”

“No, I’ll be fine at my parents’ house.”

“This might not be a good time for you to be alone. People who go through trauma like this often experience post-traumatic stress. I think you should expect the memory of what happened to stay with you for a while.”

Drew traced the rim of his water glass with his finger. “You sound like Ethan. You know he’s studying to be a psychologist?”

“Yes, I did know that.”

Trent walked back into the room and strolled over to the table. “We located Tal’s cell phone on the grassy easement about a block from the apartment. He must’ve dropped it when he was walking home.”

“Good,” Brill said. “Dust it for prints and access his phone records. Maybe we’ll get a break.”

Ethan Langley pushed open the glass door at the police station and walked down the steps, his arm around Drew.

“You all right?”

“I will be.” Drew let out a long, anguished sigh. “I still can’t believe Tal’s dead.”

“Me either.”

“I’d never watched anyone die before …” Drew’s voice failed.

“Must’ve been awful.” Ethan waited half a minute, then continued. “Were you able to give the police what they needed?”

“I guess. I really don’t know much.”

Ethan listened as his cousin volunteered the information he had told the police during the repetitious questioning that had seemed to drag on and on.

“After all that, they tested
me
for gunshot residue. Can you believe it?”

“For what it’s worth, Drew, I think it’s standard procedure to rule out the person who discovered the body.”

“Well, they did. I just want to go to my folks’ house and take a shower and get Tal’s blood off me.”

“I’d give anything for you to come to Uncle Ralph and Aunt Gwen’s with me.”

Drew shot him a puzzled look. “Why would I want to do
that?”

“Because they’re family.”

“To you. Not to me. I don’t even know them.”

“Drew, maybe this is the opportune time to put your dad’s feud behind you and take the first step forward. He couldn’t blame you for reaching out to Uncle Ralph under these circumstances.”

“The last place I want to be is between Dad and Uncle Ralph.” Drew walked faster and broke free of Ethan’s arm. “I just want to go home.”

“I wish you’d reconsider.”

“I can’t. Come on, Ethan. You
know
how it is. I’m not going to cross that line. I can’t believe you’d even ask me to.”

“All right”—Ethan took Drew by the arm and slowed his pace—“but I don’t think you should stay by yourself until you’ve had time to absorb all this.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“How about if I camp out at your folks’ place—just until I’m sure you’re okay?”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I
want
to.”

Drew glanced over at him, his eyes pooling, his nose red. “Okay. I really don’t want to be by myself.”

“I should probably swing by Uncle Ralph’s and get some clothes.”

“You can wear something of mine. Please, can we just go?” A tear trickled down Drew’s face, and he whisked it away.

“Sure. My car’s parked right over there.” Ethan tried not to react to his cousin’s show of emotion but figured he was about to lose it.

Ethan sat at the kitchen table at Drew’s house and waited until he heard the shower go on upstairs, then picked up his cell phone and dialed his parents’ number.

“Ethan!” Tom Langley said. “Your mother and I have been beside ourselves waiting for you to call back. I’ve got you on speakerphone. How’s Drew?”

“He’s pretty shaken up. I’m with him now at his
house. I’ve decided to stay over here instead of Uncle Ralph’s—until I’m sure he’s okay.”

“Why don’t you come stay with us?”

“We’re too tired to drive to Maryville tonight. And Drew’s not going to want to leave here.”

“Has he talked to his parents?” Lisa Langley asked.

Ethan sighed. “No. He’s adamant that he’s not going to spoil their anniversary cruise since there’s really nothing they can do.”

“Then your mother and I will come stay with him.”

“Dad,
I’m
with him. Let’s see how he is tomorrow.”

“You sure you’re all right?” Lisa asked.

“We need to let the dust settle. But I think we’re okay.”

A long moment of dead air passed, and Ethan could hear his parents whispering on the other end of the line.

Finally Tom said, “How did Ralph and Gwen react?”

“They’re sick about what happened, but Ralph’s not going to reach out—not that Drew wants him to.”

“All right, son. Get some rest. Tell Drew we’re praying for him. We’ll see you this weekend.”

Ethan caught the scent of deodorant soap and looked up just as Drew walked into the kitchen barefoot, dressed in a pair of denim cutoffs and white T-shirt, his hair still wet.

Drew did a double take when he saw Vanessa standing at the stove.

“I’m going to make you some herbal tea.” She took the teapot off the burner. “It’ll relax you.”

“I didn’t know you were coming over.” Drew pulled back a chair and sat at the table. “I’m not very good company right now.”

“I don’t expect you to be. I just wanted to do something to help while Carter’s asleep. I brought you cold fried chicken, macaroni salad, rolls, and chocolate-chip cookies—just in case you get hungry.”

“Thanks.” Drew tapped his fingers on the table and seemed to stare at nothing.

“I’m so sorry about Tal,” Vanessa said finally. “I can’t imagine how hard it must’ve been finding him that way.”

Ethan waited for Drew to respond, but he didn’t say anything. Had he heard her? Was he too bleary-eyed to respond? Or was he just not in the mood to talk?

Vanessa set a mug of hot water and a tea bag of front of Drew and another in front of Ethan. She poured a mug for herself and sat at the table next to Ethan.

“I was telling Vanessa that I’m going to hang out here with you for a few days.” Ethan put the tea bag in the hot water, then wrapped his hands around the mug and relished the warmth, remembering that he and Drew had very different ideas about where to set the thermostat. “I’ve already told Uncle Ralph and Aunt Gwen what I’m doing.”

“Are they mad?”

“Of course not. They’re worried about you, Drew. In spite of everything, you
are
their nephew.”

“Try telling that to Dad.”

Ethan lifted his gaze. “Maybe
you
should. God uses bad things for good. Maybe He wants you to take this opportunity to help build a bridge.”

“Not tonight He doesn’t. You have no idea what I’ve been through.”

“I know I don’t. It had to have been horrific.” Ethan poked the tea bag with his spoon and watched the hot water turn a deeper shade of green. The last thing he wanted to do was say the wrong thing and add to Drew’s trauma. “When you hurt, I hurt. That’s just the way it is.”

Drew’s expression softened. He fished the tea bag out of the mug and set it on a napkin. “I don’t know why anyone would want to kill Tal. He was the life of the party. Everyone liked him.”

“Maybe it was just random,” Vanessa said. “It was late, and he was walking by himself. Maybe some punks were out looking for trouble.”

“Exactly,” Ethan chimed in. “He could’ve just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. You said yourself there’re a lot of unsavory-looking characters in Henry’s neighborhood. Maybe one of them followed Tal.”

Drew blew on his tea. “Then why didn’t they steal his wallet or his iPhone? The police said his wallet had almost two hundred dollars in it.”

“Maybe someone killed him for kicks,” Ethan said. “It was dangerous to be out walking alone in that part of town.”
Shut up. You’re just making it worse.

Drew sighed and looked out the window. “I told him that. The last thing he said to me was that if anything happened to him, I could have his Hummer. How’s that for ironic?”

Ethan leaned forward on his elbows. “You think he knew someone was after him?”

“Nah. He was just clowning around when he threw me the keys.”

“Did you tell my mom that?” Vanessa said.

“Yes, I told your mom everything.”

Ethan took a sip of tea. “So is the Hummer yours?”

“Doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t drive it now if you paid me.”

“Did the police impound it?”

Drew shrugged. “I assume they did. Tal’s dad will probably take it. I sure don’t want it.”