Black Orchid Girls (Detective Amanda Steele)

“Sleeping.”

“Can anyone attest to that?” she asked.

“My parents were home.”

“You live at home.” It was a statement, not a question and not a judgment, but Luke glared at her like he’d taken it as such.

“Yes, I live with Mom and Dad. It’s not a crime, you know.”

“No one is saying that it is. We’ll need their information,” she said firmly.

“No way. You can’t go asking them where I was at the time of the murder. They would never understand that.”

“Have you been in trouble before?” She recalled Trent saying he didn’t have a record so Luke’s reaction was surprising.

“No.”

“Then what wouldn’t they understand?”

“The police coming around, asking questions.”

They didn’t need Luke to track down his parents. All it would take was searching their names in the system. “It’s just procedure. Nothing to worry about. Unless, that is, you did kill Chloe. But”—she held up her hand to stay him from talking—“you said you didn’t.”

“That’s right.” Luke clenched his jaw.

“Guessing since you don’t live on campus, you need to catch a bus or take a taxi?” Trent put the question out in a casual, conversational manner.

“I drive myself.”

“What do you drive?” Trent countered.

“A Honda Insight. Why?”

Trent gave him a pressed-lip smile. “Just asking some questions here. Another one. Do black orchids mean anything to you?”

“The flower?”

“Yeah,” Trent said.

“It doesn’t mean anything to me, but I think it represents death and evil.”

“And how would you know that, Luke?” Amanda asked, feeling a small shiver run down her back. He’d stuck to the one side of the symbolism, leaving out the positive aspects. Not reassuring. His unrequited love could have turned dark.

“I don’t know. My mom is into things like that. I probably just heard her say something about it.”

Amanda would take his word for now, but they would verify his alibi with his parents. They could also obtain a subpoena for the GPS in his Honda Insight to see if it ever went to the park, specifically the morning in question. They’d need more to get that authorized, though. And if they could place his car there, was he the one behind the wheel or had someone dropped him off?

“Have you ever been to Leesylvania State Park?” Depending on how he answered and what they may find out from the GPS, they could catch him in a lie. And there was still the real hope that Briggs would be able to get a license plate for them.

“Ah, yeah. I’ve taken part in some studies on the mystery snails.”

“Did you ever go with Chloe?”

“Alone?” He smirked and gave a small chuckle. “You’re kidding, right? I just told you I was invisible to her. She wasn’t hanging around with me for any reason. Not even snails. But she’d take that boyfriend of hers there.”

Amanda leaned forward. “And how would you know that?” She remembered what Chloe’s roommates had said about Luke, how he followed her around like a puppy dog. Did he stalk her and kill her? This wasn’t the first time suspicion ran through her about Luke Hogan, and she doubted it would go away unless she was given good reason. He was shaping up to be her prime suspect.

“I just know. Okay?”

“It’s not okay if you were stalking her, Luke.”

He frowned. “I wasn’t stalking her. Is that what her friends told you?”

Amanda wasn’t going to respond to that question. “We need you to stay around town. We’ll be speaking with your parents and verifying your alibi.”

His cheeks flushed, and he licked his lips, looking like he might vomit. “I didn’t kill her; I swear to you.”

“From our perspective, that’s not certain,” Amanda said. “You loved Chloe and never had those feelings returned. You hated her boyfriend, and you knew about her comings and goings.”

“That’s a stretch. I just know she went to that park sometimes, often with Josh.”

“Again, I’m going to ask how you know that,” she pressed.

“I’d hear her talking to her friends about it.”

She let a few beats pass in silence. She’d never say as much to a suspect, but it might be a good time for Luke to secure that lawyer. “That’s all. For now.” She gave him her card and told him he could go.

Luke didn’t waste any time leaving and slammed the door behind him.

“Do you think we did the right thing, letting him go?” Trent asked her.

“I sure hope so.” But the truth was they didn’t have enough to justify holding him—yet. And while they could hold him for twenty-four hours without pressing charges, it was best to do so only when charges were imminent.

“Do you want to go talk with his parents now or speak with Stephanie while we’re here?” Trent asked.

She considered. Luke Hogan was looking good for the murder of Chloe Somner, but she didn’t want to have tunnel vision and fixate on one person too soon. The truth was they needed more evidence before they could avidly go after him. The cold case of Annie Frasier in Washington also wasn’t far from her mind. If Chloe was a victim of that same killer, that eliminated Luke. He wouldn’t have been born yet. “We’ll talk with Stephanie and Professor McMillan, then we’ll head over to see the Hogans.”

“Sounds like a plan. I don’t know about you, but Luke comes across guilty as hell.”

The fact he agreed with her made her second-guess herself about letting Luke leave, but ultimately she knew it was the right thing. And by speaking with Stephanie and the professor, they might be able to find out more about Luke and how he was with regard to Chloe Somner. At least for now Amanda could release some fear that a serial killer was out there, lurking in the shadows, ready to strike again. After all, they had a viable suspect from right within Chloe’s circle.