Juan pulled on his boots and reached for his shirt. "Fine, I'll go defend myself. But this is bullshit. What is Bill going to do to whoever got rid of that piece of shit?"
Travis ran his hands over his hair. "I have no clue. Hell, how do we handle a murder? Or any crime?"
Juan tugged on his shirt as Jenni scrambled to slide into her jeans, pulling them on over her shorts. "Travis, you know me. I would not do this. "
"I know that. I know. I know you were here with Jenni. I don't think anything will come of it. "
"Yeah, well you try to be a Hispanic male in a white society and see if you feel comfortable with that answer," Juan answered. He pushed past Travis and Katie, his face set, his eyes blazing, and headed into the hall.
"Where is Bill?"
"On the roof," Travis answered.
Jenni grabbed Katie's hand as they moved up the stairs and leaned toward her. "Are you okay?"
Katie smiled at her slightly. "Nightmares. "
"Lydia?"
Katie nodded.
Jenni sighed and rubbed Katie's back with one hand as they walked. "I really didn't sleep. "
"Yeah, I figured that out," Katie said with a smile.
Jenni giggled then her expression grew serious as Curtis' voice sounded from above.
"…I said to put him out of his misery then chuck him over," Curtis was shouting at Bill.
Bill nodded. "I understand, but you were heard saying very clearly you wanted Ritchie dead. "
"Because he's a threat, Bill. Or he was. " Curtis looked fiercely upset.
Nearby, Fred, one of the construction workers, was keeping watch on the street below. He said, "I was gone for maybe ten minutes. I got the kids down into the council room and grabbed a poncho and headed back up here.
Whoever it was moved fast. "
"The door to Ritchie's cell is easily unlocked from outside. It's just a deadbolt. Anyone could have done it," Juan said as he joined Bill and Curtis.
"He was sleeping with me last night," Jenni said quickly, her hand grabbing Juan's. "All night. And not really sleeping. "
Bill blinked and looked back and forth between them.
"I have an alibi," Juan said, his dark green eyes stormy.
"Okay, but I need to question you, too. "
Katie walked over to look down at the lone figure standing in the street below. It was just staring up at the roof of the building. The duct tape had survived the feeding as had part of the boy's T-shirt. He was almost stripped to the bone, but most of his long ponytail with the skull and crossbones clasp remained. His arms hung at his side, free of their bonds. But one of his ankles trailed a long bit of duck tape with a good chunk of flesh attached to the end.
It moaned when it saw Katie and reached its hand out to her, staggering forward slightly.
The questions continued behind her as she watched what was left of Ritchie. She wondered why he stood there, alone, while the others banged away on the gate. But there he stood, staring, reaching out, and moaning.
With a squeal of tires, the big red Ram 1500 4x4 that Katie had driven to rescue Jason came roaring around the corner and slammed into Ritchie. His head splattered against the grill and his body flew across the street as the truck came to a screeching stop. There was a moment of hesitation, then the truck charged forward.
"Ralph and Nerit are here!" Katie turned toward Travis who ran forward to see.
They both watched as the truck sped down the street slammed into another wandering, slow zombie. The truck swerved around and came to a stop as the driver seemed to try to figure out where to go next.