“She’s turning the facts all around to suit her. She likely feels guilty for taking a life.”
Garrison tamped down a surge of temper. “I thought you two were friends in college.”
A hint of laughter twinkled in her eyes. “That’s a bit of a stretch. She served a purpose.”
“Which was?”
“She’s some kind of genius. She was a few years younger than us, but kept up with the schoolwork so easily. She had a knack for outguessing the teachers and what would be on the tests. She was into probabilities and ratios and said she could predict patterns based on that kind of stuff. I don’t know exactly how it worked, but it wasn’t cheating and it was very useful.”
“So she was not a friend?”
“I let her hang out with our group. But she wasn’t really a friend.”
Malcolm shifted his stance. He said nothing, but the slight movement telegraphed his annoyance toward this woman. “What happened the night of the fire?”
“Lisa, Sara and I went to get more wine. It was our last night on campus. Eva was still the pledge so she had to stay behind and clean up. She was glad to stay and it wasn’t until later that I understood why.”
“Why?”
“Josiah Cross. My boyfriend. They were having an affair. ”
“That came out at the trial.” Garrison kept his tone neutral.
“Don’t be fooled by her. She’s very clever and gets what she wants. She wanted Josiah and she got him.”
“Did you know about the affair?”
“I did. And I told Josiah to break it off. He agreed. I think he came to the house so that he could beg me to come back to him. When he got to the cottage, just Eva was there. Clearly she still had her hooks in him.” Convenient tears welled in her eyes. “Eva must have been furious when he told her to back off. I can just imagine what happened.”
“Please share.”
“She pushed him. Probably demanded he get back with her. What she probably didn’t realize was that Josiah had a bad temper.”
“He ever hit you?” Malcolm said.
“I’d never allow a man to do something like that to me.” The stiffness in her posture said otherwise.
“So what happened after Eva threw herself at Josiah?” The words rang hollow as Garrison spoke them.
“They made love.”
“I read the reports. The sex between them appeared forced and she had a star-shaped burn on her shoulder.”
“We had pendants.” She skidded completely around the rape question. “I gave it to all the girls as a thank you for helping me get into Boston University’s masters program.”
“Do you still have your star?”
“No. I lost it years ago. It was junk jewelry.”
“Lisa kept hers?”
“She always found it hard to let go of the past. ”
“Anyone else that might have had a grudge against Lisa and Sara? ”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“You said you are going out of town?”
“To New York for a few weeks. I’ve a wedding to plan.”
“Where can you be reached?”
She moved to a desk and scribbled numbers on a piece of paper. “This is my cell. You can reach me anytime.”
“Great.”
“I know Eva looks like a sad little creature. But she’s not. She’s smart and cunning. You might want to find out where she was when those poor girls were murdered. I’d bet my trust fund she had something to do with it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Garrison arrived at King’s just after ten at night. He should have just called it a day, but he couldn’t shake the things Kristen said about Eva. Probably because the image he had of her was just as Kristen had described: a sad little creature. There was something about her that made him want to protect her. And that reaction bothered him as a cop and a man. He’d tried to protect his sister and his wife. He’d tried to be their knight and both times it had ended badly.
He took a seat at the bar and watched as she served a customer a beer. She wore her long hair in a high ponytail that accentuated her fresh-scrubbed face. She wore jeans that hung from narrow hips and a form-fitting Redskins T-shirt that fit her frame just right. He grabbed a handful of nuts and popped them in his mouth as he waited for her to notice him. He didn’t have to wait long.
Eva moved toward him, drying her hands on a white towel. An aura of challenge wrapped her small frame, making her seem more like a late twenty-something than a teen. He welcomed the distinction.
“So, Detective, what can I get you?”
“How about a beer?”
She filled a mug from the tap and set it in front of him. “Grill’s open for another half hour. Hungry?”
He hadn’t planned on eating here but the idea made good sense. “Sure.”
“Would you the like the rare roast beef on toasted rye like you had before?”
“Do you ever forget anything?”
“Not generally. ”
“Roast beef would do.” He turned the mug handle toward him. “So if I rattled off a couple of dozen numbers you’d reme
mber them?”
“Yes.”
No bravado. Just a statement of fact. “Care to try?”
She shrugged. “Is this some kind of parlor trick?”
“Just curious. ”
“Sure. Shoot.”
He pulled his notebook and pen from his pocket. “I’ll have to write down what I rattle off or I won’t remember.”
“Sure.”
“Ready.”
“Sure.”
He recited dozens of numbers, taking note of each as he did. “Too much?”
She rested her hand on her hip. “That the best you got?”
He liked seeing her confidence shine through. “Let’s hear the numbers.”
Eva recited the exact same numbers back to him. “How’s that for a show?”
He glanced at his notebook. She’d not missed one. “Photographic memory.”
“So I’m told.” She leaned over and punched his order into the computer.
He loosened his tie. “Why are you working behind a bar?”
“I like it here. King is a good man and the customers for the most part are good folk.”
“Eva, you have a photographic memory. And I’ve read your school file. Your IQ is off the charts.”
“You went to Price.” A bit of the teasing light in her eyes died a bit and he was sorry for it.
It hit him then that she was afraid to show the world just how brilliant her mind was. After all, the last time she did at Price, she’d ended up used, raped and convicted of manslaughter.
“I paid a visit to Kristen today.” He popped a nut in his mouth as he watched for her reaction.
“Did she tell you I came by?”
“Yes.”
She shoved out a sigh. “Before you ask, I went to see her because I had questions about the night Josiah died. Long story short, she offered no help.”
“That’s it?”
“What other reason would I have, Detective?” She leaned forward. “Think I went to kill her?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. People you know have a habit of dying.”
“I’m bad luck. I know that.”
“Kristen said you were having an affair with Cross.”