so freaked, he pulled the fire alarm instead.”
Green’s antennae quivered. “Can you give me a description of this student?”
She searched her thoughts, chewing her lip. “It happened so fast, and…I was so shaken up. Things are just a blur. All I remember is thick dark hair and a red top. Plaid, I think.”
“You said ‘he’. What makes you sure it was a male?” “He was kind of tall. And there was something about his face...” She shut her eyes, remembering. “I think he had a mustache. Yes, a big, dark mustache.”
Green leaned forward, willing her to focus. “Did you notice anything unusual about him? Was he breathing hard? Seem scared? Did you see anything on him that could have been blood?”
She was shaking her head firmly. “He looked more…bewildered than anything else.”
“Did you actually see him pull the fire alarm?”
“No, but it’s right by the elevator.”
Green turned to Sullivan. “Did you get a lead on him, Brian? Did the rescue guys get a name?”
“I haven’t checked with them yet. I ran out of time.”
Green tossed his notebook down. “What? Call over there and tell them to find him right away!”
“Watts and Charbonneau will be—”
“They’ll think you did it! Who the hell wouldn’t follow up a potential suspect and one of the two witnesses in the case?”
Sullivan flushed red. Pushing away his cup, he glanced at Carrie. “Is there a phone I can use?”
Her eyes were sympathetic as she smiled at him. “In the bedroom. Just ignore the mess.”
With a twinge of guilt, Green watched Sullivan stalk across the room and bang the door shut behind him. When he turned his attention back to Carrie MacDonald, he found her eyes on him appraisingly. There was no sympathy in them now, and he felt his annoyance return.
“Hard taskmaster, aren’t you, Inspector?”
“I expect competence from my men,” he said. “Especially him.”
“He was very competent last night, I assure you. But by now I’d say he’s been without sleep for quite a while.”
“He should be used to that,” he replied, his eyes on his notes. Her level tone, and his own resentment, unsettled him.
“Most of us are a long way from perfect, Inspector.”
“A man has died, and we not only have to find out who did it, but we have to prove it in court, so mistakes are not an option. Now, can we get on with this?”
Chastened, she got up to pour herself another cup of coffee, which gave him time to chastise himself. Jealousy, professional or personal, had no place in police work. By the time she returned to the table, eyes averted, he felt he was back on track.
“Okay, let’s go back to the few minutes when you were sorting books by the elevator, just before you left with the cart. Can you remember who came to the elevator?”
She searched her memory for a long moment, shaking her head. Just as he was about to intervene, she held up her hand. “Give me a minute.” She sat back in her chair, folded her hands in her lap and shut her eyes. She remained immobile, breathing deeply. Without her gaze to unsettle him, he allowed himself to study her. There was a peace and control in her expression that surprised him. An unusual woman, he thought, full of unexpected twists. He found himself looking at her chest as she breathed, watching it swell as she inhaled, stretching the black T-shirt. He felt himself stir in response and hastened to return to his notes. Not that he was upset by his response, which was familiar and harmless, only by the scattering of his thoughts, which he could not afford yet again. He was still trying to collect them when she resumed.
“Only one man stands out in my mind. He was the last one to take the elevator before I began shelving.” She remained with her eyes shut, scanning.
Green hoped his voice was neutral. “Describe him.”
“He was gross. Huge and fat. He wheezed as he waited. At least 275 and six-foot-two. He reminded me of John Candy— you know, the movie star?—but his hair was lighter brown, and he had a silly little mustache. He was into leather, but if he was hoping to score points with it, no woman in her right mind— Oh!” Her eyes flew open, intensely blue. “There was a woman too! Dashed in at the last second. She seemed kind of worried, like she was looking for someone.”
“Any physical details?”
“Kind of hard looking. Blonde, but out of a bottle and with one too many perms. Bony face. Full of angles. It’s hard to describe people in words.” For the first time, she smiled at him, her eyes crinkling and two dimples framing her cheeks. His lustful thoughts took wing again. “I could draw them if you like.”
“You draw?”
“One of my many talents, Inspector. I’ve always doodled, and sometimes the hours at the library are long and boring. I draw sketches of the people I see, just for fun. In fact, I drew a picture of Jonathan Blair last week.”
He stared at her. “You’re kidding!”
She jumped to her feet. “I’ll show it to you. I look for special faces, unique expressions...”
She skipped out of the room, and Green found himself looking around for clues to her many facets. The apartment was small and crammed with cheap furniture. In the corner of the room stood a ten-speed and a child’s bike. Bunched into the cushions of the sagging sofa was a young girl’s jacket, and a pair of children’s rain boots stood by the door. Stacks of notes, books and old newspapers covered most of the surfaces. A busy woman, he thought, full of curiosity and ideas, but not enough hours in the day for them all.
She emerged from the other room holding up a sketchpad in triumph. He was struck by how vividly blue her eyes were. It was an effort to force his down onto the paper she held. Then he received a second surprise. Jonathan Blair gazed out at him from the sketch, sad and contemplative. His face, partly cast in shadow, was breathtakingly handsome. The drawing was brilliant.
“Was he really this handsome?”
Reverence glinted in her eyes as she studied the picture. “Yes, he was. Thick dark hair and blue eyes you could die in. That’s why I noticed him. He was reading this journal article and taking notes, just like any other student on the floor. But then he set down his pen, rested his chin on his hand and stared into space. There was such profound despair on his face! Like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He stayed that way for the entire fifteen minutes it took me to draw him.”
“Had you seen him before or since?”
“I had, in fact. He was a regular, and once you see that face you never forget it.”
“Ever talk to him?”
She smiled and shook her head, suddenly sheepish. “No, I keep my fantasies to myself. The last thing I need is a man in my life.”
I don’t
