“Pretty much. Some days I wasn’t scheduled to start until five, but for the most part, I always closed.”
“How many nights a week did you work? Was it an established schedule every week?”
“Four nights a week, Thursday through Sunday. They closed at ten on Sundays though.”
He nods, taking in the information but not taking any more notes as of yet. “What about your roommates? Were they always out in the evenings?”
“On the weekend? Pretty much. Most of the time they wouldn’t be there when I got home from work.”
“Hayzel didn’t work, right?”
“No, she was usually intent on her studies, and she had a pretty busy social life… at least before she moved, she did.”
Boone fans out a few papers, not fully uncovering anything. “And financially you guys weren’t in a position that she would have to work.”
I wonder if he’s looking for her bank records. “No, we didn’t have to work.”
“Your parents then grandparents left you pretty sizable inheritances.”
“And after Hayzel died, I got it all,” I snap. This is a bit of a sore spot for me, always has been. People think because you are rich, it makes it easier to accept you’re an orphan. I would return every penny to get any of them back.
“I’m just making an observation, Harlyn. It’s a lot of money. Could anyone else have stood to gain from her death?”
I feel bad for snapping at him, but I don’t apologize. Instead, I shake my head slowly. “No, the police already dug into this angle. I gave them my lawyer’s contact information. From what I understand, everything already has or will transfer to me. I was her only living relative, and she didn’t have a will.”
“You don’t know if the process is complete yet?”
“To be honest, no, which sounds pretty dumb, hearing it out loud right now, but it wouldn’t matter either way. I had more than enough money to live on for the rest of my life before she died.”
“Alright, do you have any objection to me reaching out to your attorney?”
I open my mouth to tell him no, that I can get him the number now, but he holds up his hand to stop me from speaking.
“I’d like to find out if anyone filed a petition other than your lawyer, or if there were any objections.”
“I can get you the number, but I’m pretty sure Tristan would have said something to me if that was the case.”
“Tristan, is that your lawyer?”
“Him and Mr. Cavendish. I deal mostly with Tristan if I need anything. I’ll let him know to expect a call from you and to give you any information you need.”
Boone makes another note on the paper, then he looks up at me expectantly. “Walk me through your day, every detail that you can remember.”
I close my eyes for a moment and think back to the day I can’t seem to forget, even though I wish I could. “After the meeting at school, I grabbed lunch. I called Hayzel to see if she wanted me to get her anything, but she didn’t, so I just went through a drive-through for Popeye’s. I got a bacon and cheese chicken sandwich, no pickles, mashed potatoes with gravy, and coleslaw. I was going to go home because I still had an hour before I needed to be at work, but I didn’t. I sat in the parking lot at work instead, because Hayzel was being a crab, and I didn’t have the energy to deal with her.”
I slam my hand over my mouth. I’ve never said that out loud before, even though the guilt I’ve felt over it has eaten at me since that day.
Boone reaches forward and gently pulls my fingers from my face. He doesn’t tell me it’s okay or give any other platitudes, he just nods for me to continue.
My voice is softer, less sure, when I speak again. “I got to work a few minutes early, maybe around two forty, but I waited to clock in until three. I don’t really remember much about my shift. It was busy, like usual on a Friday night.”
I’m crying now, but the only way I can tell is by the tears falling into my lap. My voice hasn’t changed, nor has my breathing. These are the hard tears to deal with, nearly as bad as sobs because they are just as uncontrollable, but at least I’m not hyperventilating. “I called Hayzel at ten before the kitchen closed to see if she wanted anything, but she didn’t answer. I didn’t think too much of it. I actually figured she was mad that I dismissed her earlier.”
“That’s why you thought she was crabby earlier in the day, because you dismissed something she’d told you?”
“Yeah.”
“What did she tell you?”
