“No, of course not,” he said, relaxing back in the red chair. “I’m just pointing out that you’re not the only common denominator, as you keep insisting.”
“Okay, let’s leave Gabriel out of the equation,” I said. “So you have Minka being attacked. Then Layla is killed, and now the mysterious Mr. Soo ends up dead. They’re all connected to BABA. So we have a pot full of suspects to choose from.”
“Well, let’s figure out who did it,” Robin said eagerly as she pushed herself up off the couch. “I’m going to get a notepad and we’re going to make a chart.”
“I love party games,” Vinnie said.
I laughed, then glanced over and caught Derek shaking his head at me.
I shrugged. “Hey, it beats Trivial Pursuit.”
“Don’t deny it. You’re in heaven,” he said in a half-accusing tone.
“And I’m glad you’re here with me,” I said softly.
He reached over and squeezed my knee affectionately. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
“Suzie, aren’t they a cute couple?” Vinnie said, gazing fondly at both of us.
“They’re freaking adorable,” Suzie said drolly. She stood and grabbed the empty wine bottle off the coffee table. “Come on, Vin, let’s get some more wine.”
Derek tried not to laugh. I felt my cheeks burning. I’d always hated when couples made googly eyes at each other in front of their friends. Now I was doing it. I’d lost all sense of dignity and didn’t mind at all.
“Here we go,” Robin said, walking back in with a legal pad and pen. “We’re going to solve a murder.”
“Two murders,” Vinnie corrected, as she put a freshly opened bottle of wine on the coffee table. “Plus the attacks on your friend Gabriel and that evil cow, Minka.”
Robin snorted with laughter and Suzie grinned with pride. “Gotta love her.”
“Forgive me,” Vinnie said, scowling. “I should not speak ill of cows.”
After Robin had written down the long list of suspects and motives, Derek stood and took the list from her. He studied it for a moment and a speculative gleam appeared in his eye.
“All right, let’s do this,” he said decisively, patting the back of the red chair. “Brooklyn, darling, you sit over here so you can concentrate more fully.”
I was suddenly apprehensive, but I brushed it off and switched chairs. I tucked my legs under me and shifted until I was comfortable.
Derek touched my arm. “Now, I’m going to take you step by step through both Minka’s and Layla’s attacks. Will you be okay with that?”
“Sure,” I said, hoping for the best.
He glanced at my three friends. “You’ll all take notes and point out inconsistencies, won’t you?”
Vinnie nodded eagerly.
“Coolio,” Suzie said, and settled into her corner of the couch.
“We’ll start with the night of Layla’s murder,” Derek said. “You were in your classroom, correct?”
“Yes. The signatures had dried and we were hammering the spines to round them.”
“Fine,” he said, hunkering down in front of me and resting his hands on my knees. “Close your eyes, darling, and think back. Who was in the building that night?”
I thought of Naomi and Karalee, Marky and Ned. Minka was back from the hospital, although I didn’t see her until later. I assumed all her students were there with her.
“Now, you’re in your class,” Derek murmured. “Can you see it?”
After a moment of concentration, I could picture my classroom, the students, the smell of PVA glue.
“Now, where were you standing?” Derek asked.
I answered him, and we went back and forth. What tool was in my hand? Who else was in the room? Picture the students. Go around the room and name them. I did as he instructed.
“Now you hear the gunshot,” he said. “Who’s in the room with you now?”
“All of my students,” I said, then frowned. “No, wait. Cynthia Hardesty had left to make a phone call. And Alice had to run to the bathroom. And Gina . . . no, Whitney. No, wait. They’re both in the room. They scream and huddle under the table.”
“What else?”
“Kylie isn’t there. Did she go to the ladies’ room? And I can’t see Jennifer. But she’s probably there. She’s quiet.” I sighed. “That’s all I can remember.”
“So, to recap,” Derek said, glancing at his own notes. “Cynthia, Kylie, and Alice were out of the room when the gunshot went off.”
I closed my eyes and tried to picture the classroom at the precise moment. “Yes, I’m pretty sure.”
“You hear the shot and run down the hall,” Derek continued. “There you see the body. Who’s with you?”
“Mitchell,” I said instantly. “He wouldn’t stay in the room.”
“Who else?” Derek asked, pacing a few feet in each direction as he peppered me with questions. “Where is everybody now? Who do you see next?”
I went down the line, picturing Alice and Gina at the gallery end of the hall. I remembered Mitchell saying he’d assigned Ned to watch the other hallway. But I never saw Ned that night.