Noah swallowed hard enough that his Adam’s apple, his laryngeal prominence her interior voice said, bobbed up and down. He said, “We were drinking in town and went back on campus to party some more.”
“Noah!” Cheryl Beth stared at him. “Wait for your lawyer before you say anything.”
He shook his head. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”
Brooks said, “You all were together?”
“Sure. We were together at the bar.” He gave the name of the place, a popular hangout for students.
Cheryl Beth wanted to slap him silly. He was a fool to be talking or to trust Hank Brooks.
Brooks asked, “Why?”
He looked bewildered.
“My point is, did you all have plans? Did one of them go there with you on a date? Did you pick them both up? What?”
Noah said they had met up at the bar. “We were drinking and having fun. First Holly and me, and then we saw Lauren and she joined us.”
“Drank too much?”
“Maybe”
“And you expect me to believe these two good-looking girls, both of ’em, left with you.”
“They did.”
“Must be nice,” Brooks said. He made some notes. Noah’s eyes beseeched her, but all Cheryl Beth could do was give a small, soothing smile she had perfected over the years. At the moment, she was doubtful of its comfort. She mouthed the words: “shut up.” He looked away.
“You’re kind of old to be hanging around campus bars, Noah,” Brooks said. “My information says you’re twenty-five. These girls were both twenty.”
“I was in the Army,” he said. “After my discharge, I went back to school.”
“An honorable discharge?”
“Yes, sir.”
“We’ll check on that.” Brooks put down his pen and stared at the young man. Then his voice resumed its friendly tone. “What time did you leave the bar?”
“I don’t know. Maybe around midnight.”
“You’re sure of that.”
Cheryl Beth turned to Brooks. “He already told you he wasn’t sure.” She turned back to Noah. “You should shut up.”
“I’m innocent.” He said it, looking incredibly boy-like and vulnerable.
“Then how do you know it was after midnight?” Instantly she wished she hadn’t asked it.
“I got a call around midnight, let it go to voice mail. I saw the time then. We left awhile afterwards. The place was getting pretty crowded.”
“Who called you?” Brooks twirled his pen in his fingers.
Noah hesitated. “A friend.”
“Female friend?”
Noah nodded.