He checked out the van with wide eyes. It was decked out with Cragar S/S rims, chrome exhaust pipes, and an engine that sounded like a drag racer. This was no ordinary van. It was a custom work of art.
“Nice ride.” Then he recognized Jack. “Holy shit, you’re with the band!”
Jack beamed with pride.
“I love you guys. I totally have tickets to the next show.” He hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Hey, would it be cool if I got a pic and maybe an autograph?”
“No problem,” JD said. He stepped around to the kid as he pulled out his cell phone. They stood close and smiled into the lens. The kid snapped the photo, and Jack signed an autograph for him.
Wild Fury had become a local favorite.
I buzzed Zoe’s apartment from the call box.
She answered a moment later. After a brief exchange, she let us in. We made our way up to her apartment.
Zoe waited for us at the door. “So, now you believe me, huh?”
“I never said I didn’t believe you. I’m still trying to sort this out.”
Zoe rolled her eyes.
I caught her up to speed on Riley.
“Could this have been the girl you saw Richard strangle?” I asked, showing her Riley’s picture.
Zoe studied the image for a moment. "I guess that could be her.”
"What time did this happen?”
Zoe shrugged. "When did I call you?”
I scrolled through my phone. "You called me at exactly 10:59 PM.”
"Well, there you go.”
"Was that right when you saw the alleged crime?”
"I think I was in a panic for a few minutes before I called. But yes. Pretty much."
"Define a few?"
"Maybe 5, maybe 10. I don't know. It's all kind of a blur right now.”
“Maybe 15?”
Zoe shrugged. "Maybe."
"Timing matters."
"Look, I'm doing the best I can.”
I raised my hands in surrender. "What else did you see?"
“That's it. I was watching from the screen as I piloted the drone. Once I saw that, I brought the drone back to recover the memory card.”
“Richard's wife says she came back home around 10 or 10:30 PM. Do you recall seeing her?”
“No,” she said. “I think you guys showed up around 11:15 or 11:20 PM. Did you see his wife come home?”
