would mentor one, while two other prestigious and powerful women of Birmingham would mentor the other two.
It was an exemplary program, and frankly Kerri had no reason not to like the woman beyond her public decision to ensure a task force investigated this case rather than merely the BPD. Kerri supposed she should be grateful the investigation into the murder of a high-profile citizen wasn’t on her and Falco.
Except she wasn’t.
Agent Cross continued to drone on about the terrifying statistics of drugs and human trafficking and how the cartels were the main drive behind those ugly crimes. Kerri attempted to stay on task, but her thoughts drifted to her daughter and Brighton Academy. She’d sent a text to Tori at lunch and asked how her day was going. Her daughter’s response had been a thumbs-up. Kerri hoped that was the case, but she knew too well how these things went. Rumors would be rampant. Fingers pointed. Accusations thrown about.
She closed her eyes and tried to view the situation objectively. Tori and her friends had been the ones huddled with the Myers girl when she’d fallen. Of course, they would be the center of gossip and innuendo. Kerri forced her eyes open. How could something as seemingly simple as a disagreement between middle schoolers have evolved into something so devastating? The four girls had been standing on the landing. Based on the security camera angle, the leopard-print flats worn by Brendal Myers had been heels toward the camera, which confirmed she’d stood with her back to the descending steps. The other three, including Tori’s black Converses, had been toes toward Myers in a sort of semicircle.
The only conclusion could be that the three had ganged up on Myers somehow. Even as Tori’s mother, Kerri couldn’t deny the way it looked—at least from the perspective of the shoes the girls had been wearing.
It looked bad. No question.
But the video surveillance showed Myers’s right foot coming out behind her as if she’d taken a step back and hit air rather than lost her balance due to being pushed. The movements hadn’t been frantic or clipped. Right leg had swung back ever so slightly, and then she’d tumbled down. The other three sets of shoes had remained exactly as they were for several endless seconds. Then, Tori in the lead, the three had rushed down the stairs. As the girls came into view, the camera captured the stunned expression on Tori’s face. Sarah’s and Alice’s faces had been tilted more downward, so deciphering their expressions was basically impossible.
“You ready?”
Kerri pulled free of the troubling thoughts. The briefing had ended, and folks were filtering out of the conference room. Falco stood over her, his face showing the concern she heard in his voice. He was all too aware of her dilemma.
“Yeah.” She stood. “Look, do you mind if we drop by your place to get your Charger? There’s something I need to do, and then I’ll catch up with you.”
They were working on the list of Kurtz’s friends that George Caldwell had provided. Based on what the employees, including Caldwell, had stated so far, the list likely comprised customers with whom Kurtz had associated more than others or for a longer period of time. There appeared to be no friends outside his employees, customers, and business associates.
“No problem.” Falco eyed her speculatively. “But I would like to know where you’ll be.”
They were partners. No secrets. They’d come to that agreement after their first big case together. With the caveat that they wouldn’t discuss the distant past. Meaning Falco’s undercover days. No reason to, she supposed. Whatever he’d done in the past, good, bad, or indifferent, she trusted him completely.
“I’ve been trying to check in on Sarah Talley, but her mother isn’t returning my calls. I thought I’d stop by. I need to look her in the eye and get her take on what’s happened.”
“You know Sykes and Peterson won’t like it.”
“This is about my daughter. I don’t care how they feel.”
Falco nodded. “Got it. I’ll carry on with that list.”
His face told her he wasn’t particularly happy about their going in separate directions. He was worried. Hell, she was worried, and she damned sure didn’t like anything about this.
In the corridor outside the main conference room, the chief and the mayor were in deep conversation with Cross and a couple wearing visitor’s badges. Kerri was too far away to read the names written on the badges, but the stark pain on the woman’s face was