Michael Gresham: Secrets Girls Keep Part 12

"You weren't going back to the game?"

"No. She wanted to hear about California. My old state."

"So did you meet her?"

"That's just it. I went out by the ticket booth where we were going to meet. Except she never showed up."

Ngo shot a look at Valencia, who was frowning. There was a follow-up needed.

"While you were at the ticket booth, were you watching for Franny?"

"Uh-huh."

"Jana, think hard about this next question. Did you see anyone else come out of the field?"

"Yes. That's why I went to the security guard. I saw a kid come out in a huge hurry. He jumped on his bike and tore off. When Franny didn't show, I asked the security guard if he saw a group of girls walk by. He asked my name and I told him. That's when he threw me on the ground. Then the cops brought me here."

"Okay, okay, back up now. Who was the kid you saw leaving when you were by the ticket booth?"

"Rudy Gomez. He's in my College English cla.s.s."

"Could you identify the boy you saw?"

"Rudy? h.e.l.l yes. What is all this about? Is Franny okay?"

"Franny is not okay. Franny was found dead."

A look of shock, then dismay, crossed Jana's face. The video camera recorded the sequence.

"What happened?"

"Under the bleachers. Same as Amy Tanenbaum."

"Oh, Jesus Christ!"

"Yes."

"Oh, h.e.l.l no! And now you think I-"

"We're only asking questions. We don't think anything."

"Well, you've got the wrong guy. I was never with her except in the stands."

"We believe you."

Jana looked from face to face.

"No, you don't. If you can pin this on me, you will. I want my lawyer. That's the last time I'm going to say it."

"All right, we'll call your lawyer."

The two detectives left Jana alone in the room.

Again, they held a hallway conference.

"So?" said Valencia. "Do we charge him?"

"Uh-uh," said Ngo. "No case."

"That's what I'm thinking."

"We take him home. Then we go round up Rudy Gomez. You call the school and get Rudy's schedule."

"Load the kid up. I'll do it on the way."

"Here we go."

19.

Marcel Rainford was in a panic. When Jana didn't emerge from the restroom, Marcel went looking. He ran out the back door and headed for the stands. Back up the stairs he climbed, up to the group of kids that Franny and Jana had been sitting with. For all he knew, Franny and Jana were close by, probably talking, or maybe necking by then.

But the kids shook their heads and looked at each other. None of them had seen Jana. And Franny had led the way into the restroom but no one remembered her coming out.

So, he sat down and phoned Michael. Michael told him that he had heard nothing from Jana, had no idea where he was, and became upset when Marcel admitted he had lost him. Marcel didn't blame him.

"I'm paying you to keep track of that kid," exclaimed Michael. "And you lost him? What the h.e.l.l kind of investigator loses a seventeen-year-old kid without a car?"

"I don't know, boss. But I did, all right?"

Marcel explained the restroom setup and admitted he had a.s.sumed there was only one entrance. It had never occurred to me to check around back.

"Walk down and ask security if they've seen him. Meantime, I'll call the cops. Go now!"

Marcel jogged back down out of the stands and ran over to the security officer at the east end. He described Jana and asked for information. The security officer was only too glad to tell him that his protege had been arrested in connection with the disappearance of Franny Arlington, who had been found under the stands. The cops were just then preparing to search everyone at the game as they emptied the bleachers. Just at that moment, the referees stopped the football game and the public address system began announcing an emergency. Everyone was asked to remain calm and to begin moving toward the exits. The police had quietly arrived and had set officers at field exit points. The officers were prepared to take down each name and address and phone number, and also inspect all purses and backpacks and coats. It was going to be a mess and Marcel immediately ran for the entrance, where he gave his information, submitted to a pat-down, and then was allowed to leave the field.

Two minutes later, he had the Ram truck headed for the Loop Precinct station. As he drove, he had the operator connect him to the station's switchboard.

"Chicago Police Department. Loop Precinct. Sergeant Wilkins speaking. How may I direct your call?"

"I'm the legal a.s.sistant to Michael Gresham. I'm calling about Jana Emerich, a juvenile brought in an hour ago. I need to get him on the phone."

"Do you know what officer brought him in?"

"I don't."

"Spell first and last please."

He spelled as asked.

"I've got him logged into the station about forty minutes ago. It looks like he was logged back out about ten minutes ago."

"Did he leave there alone?"

"My records don't say."

"Did he make any calls before he left?"

"Let me see. No, but he could always have used his cell phone."

Marcel hung up and called Michael again. Michael still hadn't heard from Jana.

He headed back to the football bleachers. Maybe they dropped him back there, was Marcel's thinking, but they had not. He made his way through the remaining crowd and found not a trace of Jana or anyone who had seen him. Several of the kids Jana had been sitting near were questioned, but no one saw him return.

20.

"Where are we going?" Jana asked the officer driving the car.

"We're going to pay a visit to this Rudy kid. We need you to ID him as the guy you saw."

"I just want to go home. I don't want to ID Rudy."

"You're saying you won't help us? What about Franny? Wouldn't she want you to help catch whoever hurt her."

"Maybe," said Jana. He was riding alone in the backseat. He looked out the side window and thought about Franny. Just two hours ago they were together and he was loving every minute of it. He hadn't expected she would like him. That wasn't part of the deal with Rudy. Now, she was gone. Just like that. "I want to help," Jana said. "At least I can put the finger on the guy."

"Great. We're only a couple miles from his house. Sit back and relax."

The cops up front talked together. The radio squawked and Jana tried to make out what it was saying. The detectives didn't answer whoever was talking. He'd seen enough cop shows to know his two cops were already on their way to an important call and they wouldn't get sidetracked for something else. He wondered if he could be a cop someday. He thought he might actually like that. Except for the fact he was charged with murdering Amy Tanenbaum. He didn't know what that would do to his chances, even if he got away not guilty.

Detective Valencia, who was driving, caught Jana's eye in the rearview.

"Did you ever have a date, you two?" he asked Jana.

"No. We never even talked before."

"Did you have any cla.s.ses together?"

"Just one. We were taking life drawing cla.s.s. She sat somewhere behind me."

"Life drawing? What's that?"

"Nude models. Except ours were only partly nude. They were always wearing underwear or shorts."

"Did you like the nude girls?" Valencia continued.

"As much as any other guy in the cla.s.s did, I guess. Yes, I liked the nude girls."

"Did it make you want to have s.e.x?"

"Hey," said Jana. "I thought we were done asking me questions. If you want more answers, get my lawyer in here with me. I'm not saying any more."

"Good for you, Jana," said Edward Ngo. "Don't let him trick you." He turned in his seat and smiled at the young man. "Seriously, we've moved on from you. You're not a suspect."

"That's good to hear. How about dropping the Amy Tanenbaum charges against me while you're at it? I didn't kill her, either."

"No, that's another case. Your m.u.f.fler was found near the body."

"It fell through the stands. What do you want me to say? It dropped through."

"That's what your lawyer can argue. We think otherwise."

"I can prove I didn't hurt Amy."

Both cops turned to look at their pa.s.senger.

"How?" they said simultaneously.

"Give me a lie detector."

"Now that might not be a bad idea. What does your lawyer say?"

"He'll do it if I tell him. He's working for me."

"Maybe not a bad idea. We'll take that up with the SA and get back to you. Okay, here we are."

They pulled into the driveway of a low, ranch style block house. It was set back from the road and appeared to be under siege by the Halloween ghosts propped up in the yard.

"Wait here," Valencia told him.

Jana stayed put while the two detectives went up on the porch and rang the bell. They waited. Then Valencia pressed the doorbell a second time. The door opened and a woman with gray hair stood there, swaying slightly in the back light. They spoke together and then the cops turned and returned to the car.

"He's babysitting," said Ngo once they were back inside. "She won't say where, doesn't want them disturbed."

"I've decided I want to go home," Jana said. He was tired and wanted nothing more to do with the cops. This could go on forever and he wanted out.