"Did he invite them?" Jeremy asked.
"Robert is really social. He said he’d invited a few guys from ODU who were in the same fraternity that he was in.” Shaking her head, she winced. “What could I say? I was there at no expense to me since Robert was covering the cost of the house. But the party grew and then got louder and louder.”
Terry made a mental note that Robert Whitman liked being the center of attention.
"How did you feel about the extra guests?" Pete asked.
"I wasn't worried exactly, but I was definitely pissed," Claire admitted. "It got really loud, and we couldn't study anymore. The whole point of the weekend was ruined."
"Tell us about your relationship with Robert," Jeremy said.
Claire's cheeks pinked slightly. "We went out a couple of times, but nothing serious. He's fun to hang out with, but he’s not my type.” She pressed her lips together, then added, “There’s an immaturity about Robert. A Peter Pan… if you know what I mean."
“I think so,” Jeremy said smoothly, “but it would be better if you described your labeling.”
“Robert’s never really had to work hard for anything. But he’s not eighteen anymore. He’s a grad student, and he’ll have ajob waiting for him with his dad’s company when he graduates. There’s less pressure on him to grow up.”
Terry watched her carefully as she described the early part of the party. Her account matched her initial statement and what they'd heard from other witnesses… typical college party behavior, drinking and showing off.
“I was pissed by then,” she admitted. “More and more people showed up. I stayed in my room for most of the evening. I made the mistake of coming downstairs to get something to eat when I heard that pizza had been ordered, but oh my God… the place was trashed! It looked like a frat party gone bad in this gorgeous home.” She leaned forward, her gaze snapping with anger. “My only thought at that moment was that I was glad my name wasn’t on the rental lease!”
Pete’s lips curved slightly. “I’m sure.”
Terry knew his detectives had her at ease and would press forward now. He wasn’t wrong.
"We found a significant amount of drugs at the house. Did you know there were going to be drugs at this gathering?" Jeremy asked suddenly.
"No," Claire said firmly. "I mean, I know some of my friends use recreationally sometimes, but there weren't supposed to be any drugs there. We went to the house to study."
"Do you know who brought them?" Jeremy asked.
Claire shook her head. "I have no idea. There had been no drug use since we’d arrived at the house.”
"When did you first notice something was off?" Pete asked.
"When I came downstairs about midnight, I was upset at the way the place was trashed. But then I noticed the age of most of the people. Some were definitely underage for all the drinking," Claire said. "Look… I get it. A college party has underage drinking. We all know that. But it seemed like everyone was completely wasted. And I was afraid for a few of the girls there.I knew I needed to stay downstairs to make sure no one was assaulted."
"That was very caring of you," Jeremy pointed out.
Her lips pinched together again, and her gaze dropped to her hands resting on the tabletop. “Well… it happens.”
She sucked in a breath, then let it out slowly before lifting her gaze. “I know you want to find out where the drugs came from, but I have no idea. I didn’t know there were any in the house until the police arrived, and they were found.”
“And was there anyone else seen at the house that seemed unusual? Anytime during the weekend?” Jeremy asked.
She blinked before her brows lowered. “Well, on Saturday afternoon.”
Terry’s attention focused as he watched the two detectives in the room with her do the same.
“Who was there?”
"We were on the beach, having a study break, when Robert went back to the house to get some more food. I followed a few minutes later because I needed to use the bathroom. I heard voices but knew that the others were still on the beach.”
“Where in the house?”
“The voices came from the study. There was a guy, maybe a bit older than us… really well-dressed. Expensive suit. Not college party clothes. He was talking to Robert in the corner."
Terry straightened slightly. This was the first mention of an older, well-dressed man.
