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AS THE DJ PLAYED REGGAE music, Destiny’s mother hurried to her daughter’s side and gathered her into an embrace, apparently offering words of comfort. Solomon rounded up McDermott and Perez, and they convened in a seating area of the lobby.
“Piece of work, that bride,” Solomon muttered. “I’ll cut her some slack. Wedding days are huge in the life of a woman, and I can see her thinking her mother-in-law had the nerve to ruin it by dying. Not saying I agree, but I can see it.”
“You think she’s responsible? The bride? Why would she ruin her own wedding?” Perez avoided eye contact with Gordon.
Still embarrassed about his reaction to a dead body? Gordon made a mental note to have McDermott talk to the rookie later.
Vicky huffed. “She’s the bride, Rookie. It’s a given she’s the center of attention. Why would she want to be responsible for someone dying?”
“Craves sympathy?” Rafe smirked. “Wanted the wedding nobody would ever forget?”
Cop humor was a way of relieving stress, but Rafe needed to be made aware of when and where it was appropriate. Gordon added the subject to his instructions for Vicky.
Solomon raised his palms. “We have nothing that says anyone is responsible for the death of Mrs. Volmer. We’re following procedure, Rookie, covering our collective asses, not making assumptions. In either direction. Stop acting like the FNG.”
Rafe ducked his head, pinched the back of his neck. “Sorry, Sir.”
“Any word from the coroner’s office?” Gordon asked, changing the subject before Solomon and McDermott got caught up in baiting the fucking new guy. “Would be nice to tie this up with a pretty red ribbon.”
“To match the décor?” Rafe said.
Vicky’s lips twitched. She relayed what she’d learned when she’d interviewed Megan. Everything matched what Solomon had reported.
“Did you talk to the site manager?” Solomon asked. “The catering director’s office is right next to hers. Did she see or hear anything?”
Vicky flipped pages in her notebook. “She said she was catching up on paperwork, and except for a trip to the kitchen for coffee, and another to the restroom, she was in her office the entire time. She made a few phone calls from the office line, exchanged a few emails, did other computer work. She said everything is time-stamped, and she’d be willing to give us access.”
Solomon cocked his head. “Did she offer this before or after you asked her whereabouts. People who volunteer alibis before they’re asked send up red flags for me. Besides, phone and computer records don’t prove who used them, only that someone did.”
“Agreed,” Gordon said. “Being overeager often means they have something to hide.”
“I asked her if anyone could corroborate her being in her office, and that’s when she gave me the information,” McDermott said.
“Get a sense she wasn’t being honest?” Solomon asked.
“No. She was still pretty shook up.”
“Before we leave, I want to see where Megan found Mrs. Volmer,” Gordon said.
“I’ve got pictures.” Vicky extended her phone to Gordon. “Of everything. Where they found Mrs. Volmer, the kitchen, dining room, the works.”
Gordon took the phone, scrolled through a few of the images. He reminded himself that his officers knew their jobs, and repeating steps they’d already taken might be interpreted as mistrust. He stood. “This is enough. Make sure they’re uploaded to the case report. I’d still like to talk to Megan, though.”
“One more thing,” Solomon said. “Vicky, get the manager to let you into Mrs. Volmer’s room. Check for any insights into her death. If anything sends up a red flag, call the crime scene techs back. After that, you and Rafe can return to your normal duties. The chief and I rode together, so I’ll wait for him.”
“Does that mean I’m no longer on door duty, Sir?” Perez asked.
“It’s no longer necessary. We know how to reach everyone,” Solomon said.
Gordon went to the kitchen in search of Megan. He found her perched on a stool, sipping from a mug, Angie hovering nearby. He’d bet the mug contained one of Angie’s herbal teas. Megan lifted her gaze—her hazel eyes were red-rimmed—but any tears she had shed were gone. He paused, then stepped to her side.
“What can you tell us?” Angie asked.
Solomon joined the group in the kitchen. “The coroner has taken Mrs. Volmer’s body to the morgue where he’ll try to determine the cause of death. According to the medics, it didn’t look like food poisoning, which should absolve your company of any blame.”
“Doesn’t mean people won’t talk and make assumptions,” Megan said.
“We’ll deal with that when and if it happens.” Angie rested a hand on Megan’s shoulder.
“We’d like Megan to tell us how she found the body,” Solomon said.
“I already went over it with Officer McDermott,” Megan said. “Do I have to do it again?”
“Just a few questions.” Solomon led Megan to a quiet spot away from where the staff was working. “When you went into the room, did you notice anything unusual?”
“Other than a dead body?” Megan forced a laugh. “No. Why? You think I had something to do with it?”
“No, it’s all routine,” Solomon said. “Just a couple more questions.”
Megan heaved a deep sigh. “All right. But then can I—all of us—go home?”
“Don’t see why not,” Gordon said.
“How long did you stay with the body?” Solomon asked.
“Maybe thirty seconds,” Megan said. “If that long. I saw her on the loveseat. She was on her back, one arm and one leg hanging off the edge. Her eyes were open, but she wasn’t moving or blinking. I went in, checked for a pulse, called her name, but I was sure she was dead. I didn’t have my phone, so I went to the office and told the manager to call 911, then went to the kitchen.”
“Did McDermott report what the manager said?” Gordon asked Solomon.
“Dispatch had told her to check for vitals. When there weren’t any, she told her to lock the door to preserve the scene. Nobody else was in there until the medics arrived.”
“I wouldn’t know if that’s true,” Megan said. “I didn’t leave the kitchen until Officer McDermott told me to stay in the hospitality room.”
“Which is where?” Solomon asked.
“Off the lobby. It’s like the sitting room part of a suite. Couch, table and chairs, television set, and a powder room.”
“How heated did the arguments get between you and Mrs. Volmer?” Solomon asked.
Megan huffed. “All the heat was on her side. She was a major whiner, but it’s not like she threatened me.”
Everything else Megan relayed matched what McDermott had reported.
“One more question, and that should be it,” Solomon said. “Why did you go into the catering office?”