Debra Webb - The Longest Silence

Once he was gone, Riley said, “I told you all I know about Tiffany.”

“Sit.” Tony indicated the other chair. No matter how much psychology he forced into his brain, the idea of how mankind survived, considering survival required the species to go through puberty and adolescence, remained a mystery to him.

Riley sidled over to the chair on her side of the room and collapsed into it. “Are you going to tell on me and ruin my college career? I’ll lose my scholarship, you know.”

Gee, so nice to see more of that overwhelming concern for her roommate.

“That depends on how cooperative you are in the next five minutes.”

The girl glanced at his crotch.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Really?”

She cleared her throat. “What do I have to do?”

Leaning forward, he braced his forearms on his thighs and looked her straight in the eyes. “You have to tell me the truth. You and Tiffany weren’t getting along, were you?”

For one long moment she didn’t answer. She drew in a deep breath and released it. “We hate each other.”

Tony concluded as much. “Why?”

“She came into the room and caught me with...a guy.”

It happened. Guys loved it when other guys caught them getting laid by most any means. Apparently girls didn’t feel the same way. “Why was that such a big deal?”

Another exaggerated sigh huffed from her gloss-shined lips as she glanced to the bare mattress behind Tony. “Because we were in her bed.”

Now that was dirty. “So you were conducting your little business in this room in Tiffany’s bed?”

Riley nodded.

“I can see why she would be angry. When did this happen?” He opened his phone to his notepad.

She gasped. He showed her the screen to confirm he wasn’t calling anyone.

“Right after the semester break. She’s barely spoken to me since.”

“Have you been using your own bed?” He held up a hand. “Before you answer that question, keep in mind that the forensic folks will find all DNA on Tiffany’s bed linens.”

She nodded adamantly. “I don’t go near her side of the room anymore.”

Tony decided she was telling the truth. “We’ll keep this between us, if you tell me what you believe happened to Tiffany.”

She blinked, her eyes still wide behind the oversize eyewear. “I already said what I think in my statement.”

“I want everything you have, Riley, even if you aren’t completely sure it’s important. Any suspicions you have or rumors you’ve heard might be important, too.” He shrugged. “The goal here is to make sure Tiffany comes back home safely, right? Unless, of course, you have some reason to hope she doesn’t come back.”

The missing tears showed up then. “I don’t want Tiffany to be hurt. I mean, we’re not friends or anything, but I wouldn’t wish anything bad on anyone.”

Tony rolled his hand in a go-on motion.

“So there was this guy...” She shrugged. “I saw Tiffany with him once and she kept talking to someone on her cell. I think it was the same guy. That’s why I told the chief she had a new boyfriend. That’s what I figured.”

Frustration lit in Tony’s veins. “Did you recognize him or hear her say his name?”

Riley shook her head. “No. She’s very private. Not that she would have shared any of her business with me anyway.”

“Something made you think this guy was different,” Tony suggested. “Something more than just a study friend or a friend-friend?”

“Oh yeah for sure,” she agreed. “He was older. Maybe closer to forty. Like thirty-five or something.” She frowned as if trying to recall. “Dark hair. Blackish, you know. Taller than Tiffany. About your height, I guess. She acted all swoony around him like she was with some rock star.”

Now they were getting somewhere. “Heavy? Thin? Muscular?”

“Kinda lean and muscular. Not the overdone body builder type. I remember thinking he looked like a construction worker but better dressed.”

Tony added those details to his notes. “When did you first notice Tiffany with this man?”

“Early last month. I remember because I’m a leap-year baby. When I was a kid, every year that wasn’t a leap year we always celebrated my birthday on March first. This year I was at a club in Macon with a friend. For my birthday.” She put the word in air quotes. “I saw Tiffany with this guy but I never got a good look at his face. It was dark and I was a little—”

“I get the picture. What was the name of the club?”

“Wild Things. Fair warning, it’s not exactly one of the better establishments.”

Obviously. If they served alcohol to minors the place fell far below that mark. “Is that the only time you saw Tiffany with this man?”

She shook her head. “Friday I saw her getting into her Jeep with him.”

“Her Jeep?” Tony pushed to his feet. He refrained from demanding why the hell she hadn’t told anyone this already. He needed her cooperative. “You’re certain it was hers?”

“Positive. The black Jeep Wrangler she drives has one of the pink breast cancer ribbons on the tailgate. I think she said her mom survived breast cancer.”

An ache pierced his gut. His sister had gone through a rough time four years ago. She’d been cancer free since. He hoped like hell she stayed that way. He did not want to lose her. This kind of stress was not good for her, or anyone for that matter.

“You’re certain it was Friday—the same Friday she disappeared?”

The girl nodded. “Positive. I told the chief I saw them together but I might have forgotten to mention the part about the Jeep. I really just remembered that part.”

“Thanks, Riley.” Tony moved toward the door, but hesitated before opening it. “I may have other questions about Tiffany. As long as you stay truthful with me, no one will hear about your secret from me.” He handed her a card with his name and number. Something else he’d dragged out of the box in the trunk of his BMW. “Call me if you think of anything else or hear anything. For now, I’ll talk to Chief Phelps about getting a sketch artist in touch with you. If we can locate the man you saw Tiffany with, he might be able to help.”

She accepted his card, then nodded. “Okay.”

Tony had Phelps on the line before he reached the first floor. He explained about the potential suspect perhaps being far more than just a new boyfriend, considering his age. “If you haven’t already lined up a sketch artist to meet with the roommate, I think you need to make that happen.”

“This is exactly why eyewitnesses are so blasted unreliable,” Phelps complained. “Fallon insisted she didn’t know the guy’s name and barely caught a glimpse of him on one occasion.”

Tony wasn’t surprised. Fallon had no desire to mention the club in Macon. She was more concerned with protecting herself than helping the investigation.

“I’ll get a sketch artist lined up ASAP,” Phelps assured him.

“We also need a complete forensic examination of Tiffany’s Jeep.” Tony exited the building and dragged a chestful of air into his lungs. He prayed this was the lead they needed to find his niece.

“Her vehicle is still in the parking lot at the college. You know something else I don’t, LeDoux?”

“Fallon saw Tiffany in the Jeep with an older man as recently as a few hours before she disappeared. The same older man she spotted her with at the club in Macon. This man may very well be the unsub we’re looking for. He may have driven the Jeep back to campus to confuse the investigation. At any rate, it’s a lead and I’m headed to the club now to follow up on it.”

Phelps hesitated for a moment. “I’m curious as to why the roommate was so forthcoming with you when she gave us diddly-squat.”