Lewis asks, “Any more?” as Wolfrom opens the door and peers out.
“Just one.” Wolfrom beckons, and Quentin gets up then comes in, taking the empty seat across from Lewis. He looks at them expectantly.
“Hey, how’s it going? Have you got a bead on the guy yet?”
Wolfrom and Lewis exchange glances, then Lewis says, “The investigation is ongoing. I’m sure you understand.”
“Okay, sure. Can you tell me how Nat’s doing?” he asks.
“Sorry, you’ll have to get that information from the hospital.” Answers Lewis curtly. “And you are?”
“Quentin Bradbury. Photography, I know Natasha.”
“I don’t remember your name from the residence.”
“I’m in Res, just not at Fyfield.” The cop looks confused, so Quentin explains, “My wife and I live in a cottage. I helped Jake and Liz find Nat, and I already spoke to officers at the hospital last night, no I guess it was this morning.”
Lewis flips through paperwork. When she finds his original statement she nods and skims it. “You spoke with PC McKay?”
“Yeah. I was wondering do you have any leads?”
“We’re looking . Any idea who might have done this?”
“No. It just blows my mind. I hope you get the prick.”
“So what can you tell us about Natasha?” she asks.
“She’s a great girl, anybody knows that girl likes her. She’s feisty, and there’s definitely a mouth on her, but she’s real, you know? Not a damn mean bone in her body.”
“No ex-boyfriend? Bad blood with room mates, like that?”
“She’s just … here let me tell you what I mean. I’ve been having a tough year. Okay, I have to say it was really dumb to get married before college, you know. Well, I know now, anyway. Too many big adjustments all at once. So I’ve been screwing up. My marriage is on the rocks, my work has been for shit, I’m been drinking too much. But Natasha, she doesn’t judge, you know? The gal finds me passed out the other night and she doesn’t call security, she kicks me awake and drags me back to the Res and shoves me into the shower. When I come to she sat beside me holding my hand while I threw everything up. Then she sits up all night with me, just talking. Or letting me talk, really. And I don’t know how she did it or anything. Maybe just by letting me talk, cause she never even told me what to do.”
“I’m sorry. Mr. Bradbury, I’m not sure I’m following you.”
“It’s that Natasha just, you know, she helped me see how much I’ve been screwing up. Of course my wife’s pissed I came in so late, and I ended up sleeping most of the day, but when Liz was getting people to look for Natasha last night, I was right there. I’m in even bigger shit with my wife because of it, but finding Nat was more important, you know? She’s a friend. I’m just glad we found her.”
“So you were home alone sleeping for most of yesterday?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Anyone to verify that?”
“Verify? Well no. I mean, it’s a married student residence. They’re those tiny little cottages. It’s just me and Tamara and she was in class. I guess she’ll be able to verify that I left a mess.”
Lewis and Wolfrom exchange glances and Quentin is starting to feel as though he’s just pinned a bullseye to his chest. Shit. He knows better than to talk to cops. Hell, his brother is a cop. He’s heard the stories. James would be some pissed he knew baby brother was babbling like a fool. James always said never talk to cops. Especially if you’re innocent. Just Natasha’s a friend.
“What about Boris?”
“Boris is a great guy.” Taking in their skeptical faces, Quentin is now just as certain that they’re fitting Bo up for this. Hell, he can’t let that happen either. Bo is a friend, too.
“No way man, Jake told me about the fight, but it doesn’t matter, no way Boris is good for it. He might be pissed at her but he’s not gonna lift a hand against that girl. He treasures Natasha. I mean, I didn’t see him yesterday, but I know Boris, and he is no creep. Those two are tight. They have a closeness, well, if my marriage was that solid it wouldn’t be in trouble, okay?”
“That’s all for now, Mr. Bradbury. Thanks for your help. We may have more questions later,” Wolfrom ushers Quentin to the door.
After closing the door, Lewis says to Wolfrom, “What did you think of that?”
“Hey, I think that had the ring of truth, don’t you?”
“What, all they have to do is fess up to their little misdemeanors and they’re off the hook? We gotta look at this guy, Wolfie. His marriage is in the toilet and he’s out all night with the vic? Crying on her shoulder. We check it out. Nobody’s in, but nobody’s out yet either. Except the ones with iron clad alibis.”
“You mean like a room full of people swearing you were in class with them? Yeah, that works for me, too. But isn’t it time we turn the boyfriend? Funny, he’s the only one we haven’t seen yet.”
“Yeah,” says Lewis, “he ‘treasures’ her, so where is he? He’s gotta know we wanna talk to him.”
“Not at the Res, hasn’t been in class.”
“He’s in the same place whether he did it or not.”
Wolfrom’s grin spreads. “The hospital, right?”
Lewis nods. “That’s where he ought to be, either way.”
“We pick up the boyfriend and haul his ass downtown.”
“Yeah, we need to get that one in the box.”
