“What stress?”
“Moving, for one. You’ve lived in Chicago for most, if not all, of your life. Your parents are from there and probably their parents before them. It’s also stressful getting out of a long-term relationship. You recently broke up with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Is that what prompted the move?”
Gina stared at her for a long moment. “Boyfriend. Matt. After seven years. But that wasn’t the only reason.”
“In any case, you’re still living out of a hotel while you get your own place. You’re looking to buy, not rent. For now, you’re staying at the Pacific. I hear it’s nice.”
Gina glanced at Metcalf accusingly. “Someone told her.”
“Don’t look at me,” he said. “And I’m sure she didn’t even know you existed until five minutes ago.”
“I didn’t,” Kendra said. “But I know you drove here from Chicago even though the FBI provides you with a company car. Maybe you did it because you wanted to bring a car of your own here, but I’m thinking it was because it was the best way to bring your pet. A parakeet?”
Gina’s expression was becoming more stunned by the moment. “Cockatiel.”
“A very loved and spoiled little bird,” Kendra said.
“Extremely,” Gina said weakly.
“You like seventies rock and Starbucks. You may cook, but you’re also partial to Papa John’s Pizza. And you’re a tennis fan, aren’t you?”
Gina appeared to be dazed. “Yes.”
Kendra turned to Metcalf. “Satisfied?”
His smile was still brimming with mischief. “Come on, you’re not gonna tell her who her first grade teacher was?”
“Mrs. McAlister. She had a mole on her left cheek.”
His jaw dropped. “What in…”
“I’m joking.” She turned back to Gina. “But it would’ve been awesome if I was right about that one, huh?”
She was silent and then said grudgingly, “It’s still pretty awesome. Who the hell told you all this stuff?”
Kendra shrugged. “You did, in the first thirty seconds you were here.”
“I seriously doubt that.”
“Doubt all you please. It’s true.”
Gina was suddenly looking uncomfortable. “Okay, what about the smoking? I’ve been trying to hide it from my new coworkers. It shows a lack of self-discipline.”
“For what it’s worth, I can’t smell smoke on you at all. But I can tell you’ve been chewing Nicorette gum. Cinnamon Surge flavor. It’s on your breath.”
Gina rolled her eyes. “I was trying to decide between that and Fruit Chill.”
“White Ice Mint may be their least distinctive flavor.”
“I’ll take your word for that,” Gina said grimly.
Kendra pointed to Gina’s right upper arm, left bare by her sleeveless top. “There’s also a slight tan line there in the exact dimensions of a nicotine patch.”
Gina looked at her arm. “I quit for four years, and I started up again after my boyfriend and I broke up.”
“… which brings me to another tan line,” Kendra pointed to Gina’s neck. “It looks like you’ve been wearing a heart-shaped pendant for quite some time. Every day for years but you recently stopped wearing it. Your skin is much lighter there. With no sign of an engagement or wedding ring, that suggests a breakup. Also, your left upper arm is much more tanned than your right. That’s where I got the long car trip. You drove here from Chicago.”
“But you knew my parents were there. And my grandparents.”
“Linguistics. You have a born-and-bred Chicago accent. Anyone who’s seen The Blues Brothers could spot it a mile away. It’s doubtful it would be quite so pronounced if your parents didn’t imprint it on you. And if their parents didn’t imprint it on them.”
She scowled. “Right on all counts. But how the hell did you know about my bird?”
Kendra took Gina’s hand and pointed to dozens of light scratches on the back of her hand and arm. “Too small and too light to be a cat or even a pet rodent. It’s clearly a small bird. Those light scratches run all the way up your arm and onto your shoulder. You take him out of his cage frequently. Obviously loved and spoiled.”
“But what about all those other things? Papa John’s? Tennis?”
Kendra smiled. “You were holding your phone when you walked in here. You’d probably just checked messages and your main screen was still lit up. Your app icons gave you away. Papa John’s Pizza, Starbucks, and The Tennis Channel. I could see that your most recent album played from your phone was The Who’s Tommy.”
Gina looked down at her phone. “Oh, man.”
“You can write a biography based on a person’s main Smartphone screen.”
“Pretty pathetic life story.” Gina’s lips twisted. “Pizza delivery and drive-through coffee.”
It did sound pathetic, Kendra thought, and suddenly all the vulnerable details she’d pulled together about Gina Carson were scrolling through her mind. Her antagonism toward the woman was abruptly gone. She smiled. “For the record, I have the same apps on my phone. But I also saw you had the Pacific Guest Suites app, which lets you use your phone to unlock your room. It’s a place I recommend to my colleagues and clients when they’re in town for more than a few days. And you also gave the Zillow real estate app prime placement on your screen, which tells me that you’re looking to buy instead of rent.”
Gina nodded ruefully. “Well, I’ll be more careful about who sees my phone, that’s for damn sure.”
Kendra turned to Metcalf. “The dog and pony show is over. Time for you to go.”
“I said I’d consider leaving. I just did that and I’ve rejected the idea. At least not until you agree to come with us to the crime scene.” He coaxed, “What would it hurt? Just a quick glance around.”
Kendra shook her head. “I have real work to do. My work.”
“Dr. Michaels.” Gina Carson’s voice was hesitant. “I know I probably came on too strong with you. It’s a habit I have. Maybe it’s a little worse right now, because I’m the new kid in town. Everything’s pretty strange here for me right now. I just want you to know that, if you’re not doing what Metcalf wants because you’re pissed off at me, I’m not going to give you any trouble.”
Shit. Those words had been hard for Gina. All she had was a tough fa?ade and that damn cockatiel in her life right now. This was becoming more and more difficult for Kendra. “I’m not pissed off at you.” She made a face. “Not any longer. I just don’t want to get involved in another case right now.”
“I know you don’t,” Metcalf said. “Griffin told me I’d have trouble convincing you. I was hoping that you’d think I was so charming and lovable I wouldn’t have to pull out the wild card Griffin gave me.”
“Wild card?” Kendra repeated warily.
“Griffin told me to tell you something.”
“I can hardly wait to hear what it is,” she said dryly.
“He said you owed him.”
Kendra cursed. “He’s playing that card?”