A grim look washed over her face. Katie pulled up a chair and sat at the table. I broke the bad news, and tears spurted from her eyes. Her chest heaved with jerking sobs, and neighboring tables gawked.
Her manager approached. "Is there a problem here?"
I displayed my badge. "She's gonna need a little time. Might want to have the other girls cover her section right now.”
His eyes darted between me and Katie. Then he decided not to ask any questions. He nodded, then stepped away.
When Katie settled, I asked her all the standard questions, then got down to business about her ex-boyfriend.
11
"Adam is your ex-boyfriend, and you’re telling me he tends bar here at Shrimptastic with you?" I said.
Katie nodded.
"And that doesn't cause problems?”
"It was a little awkward at first, but he's totally over it.”
I looked at her with skeptical eyes. "Are you sure about that?”
She shrugged sheepishly. "I guess. I don't know.”
"Is he working today?”
"He's not in yet. He should be here pretty soon. He was supposed to be on shift half an hour ago.”
I shared a look with JD.
"Did he know Cody was working at the mall today?"
"I don't know. I don't think so. But I could have mentioned something. I'm not sure.”
"Do you have contact information for Adam?" I asked.
"Yeah, his number is still in my phone.”
She pulled out her device and tabbed through her contact list. I gave her my number to send the information to. Adam’s contact info buzzed my phone a moment later. I forwarded the information to Isabella and asked her to look into the phone’s location history.
We asked Katie a few more questions, then she begged her manager to take the rest of the day off. He didn’t look too happy about it, but he cut her loose.
JD and I hung out and waited for Adam to show up after Katie left.
"Think she's got something going on with her ex?" JD asked.
I shrugged.
Adam strolled through the front door a few moments later. The manager chastised him for being late. I climbed off the barstool and interrupted the two. I flashed my badge and made introductions.
Adam was a tall guy with a muscular physique and untamed brown hair that hung just past the top of his ears. He could have been the shooter. It was hard to say.
"I just need to ask you a few questions before you start your shift.”
He looked at me with a wrinkled brow. "What's going on?"
I ignored the question. "Can you tell me where you were this morning?”
"In my apartment. Why?”
