“Who would she have told about him?”
“Jo, if anybody. Jo Jennings. BGPFAE.”
“Sorry?”
“Ah, best girl pals forever and ever. They’ve been hooked since grade school. But Deena could keep things tight when she wanted or needed. Plus, she’d rather listen than talk. She didn’t like to stand out, got wizzy if people paid too much attention to her.”
“All right. We’re going to be talking to Jo Jennings.”
“What about the security?” Jamie demanded. “She wouldn’t have turned off the cams, not even for someone she knew. House rule, h and f—hard and fast. Cams on and activated twenty-four/seven.”
“It appears the killer deactivated them, and removed the record discs.”
“Then he’d have to access the control room, and it’s passcoded. He had to know how. He had to know . . .” Already pale, his face seemed to whiten to bone. “He planned it, right along. He scoped her. Did he jam them first?”
“We haven’t gotten that far.”
“Even if he figured how to delete the hard drive, took the disc—and he’d have to have some skills on the e-side for the delete, he’d be on there. He’d still be on there in shadows and echoes. You have the captain on this? You have Feeney?”
“He should be there now, with a team.”
“I want in. Dallas, you have to let me in.”
“I don’t have to do anything,” she said coolly. “Captain Feeney will have autonomy on e-details.”
He got to his feet again, every line in his body tensed. “You won’t block me.”
“Is that a question or a statement?”
He remembered himself—and her. “A request.”
“As I said, e-detail is under Feeney’s province. The work’s harder when it’s someone you care about. You already know that.”
His throat worked as he nodded. “When Alice was murdered, Deena was a rock for me. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, but she just kept being there until I had to. I’m going to be there for her now. I can handle it. In three years when I’m finished college, I’m joining the force. College first, that’s the deal I made, but then I’m going for the badge. I can handle it.”
“Deal with who?”
“With Roarke, since he’s picking up the freight the scholarship doesn’t cover. And you didn’t know that.” The faintest smile came back to his eyes. “I guess he knows how to keep things tight, too.”
“Apparently. If Feeney gives you the nod, I’ve got no problem with it. I’m sorry you lost your friend, Jamie.”
“Do her parents know?”
“They found her this morning.”
He sighed. “I’d like to go over. Not just for the work, but I may be able to help them.”
“They’re with the Whitneys.”
He nodded. “I’m going to go over anyway, speak to the captain. Ask him to let me in.”
“Clean up first. Even e-geeks should have some standards.”
“McNab will be there.” Peabody spoke for the first time, then rose. She crossed to Jamie, hugged him. “You could toss some stuff in a bag, and hang out at our place if you don’t want to be alone here.”
“Maybe. Thanks.” He sighed again. “Yeah, maybe.”
And when he laid his head on Peabody’s shoulder Eve saw there was still a boy in there. “I went to a party last night. Maybe if I’d asked her to go. Maybe—”