The Mystery of Jessica Benson by C.K. Laurence Read Free Book Online Page B

transplant and he died
shortly afterward. It had been the event that came closest to
causing Kyle to quit the game forever, yet morphed into the
driving force for success as a college and pro quarterback.
Again he wanted to reach for her, but Karen, as though
intercepting his thought, opened her eyes wide in warning. She
was three years younger than he and had been a real tomboy. He
had never seen her as anything but Brett’s kid sister, and he had
loved her for that, but the pressures of college football had
interfered and he had eventually lost touch with the Brandt
family.
He gulped some air and finally spoke. “What about last
night? Don’t tell me that creep from Utley’s party filed a
complaint against me. Look, he asked for what he got. I tried to
be civil to him. There were plenty of witnesses. He was the one
who got physical first. I just wanted to get my girl and get outta
there.”
Will raised an eyebrow and asked, “You’re talking a lot,
Sands. You had a problem with someone last night?”
“ Problem might be a stretch, detective. I never saw this
guy before, but he was all over my date. I asked him, more than
once, to let go of her, but he got nasty. He pushed me, so I
slugged him is all.”
Karen watched quietly as the two men pissed out their
territories. She knew Kyle recognized her, as she hoped he
might, but he read her look and shut his mouth. If Will knew
about the past there would be no way he’d let her continue on the
case. But Kyle had been too good to her brother, and following
his death, to her. She felt she owed him and intended to stay on
this case until it was solved.
“There have been no complaints filed by anyone from
last night. I’m afraid it’s more serious than that.” Karen
hesitated, wanting to frame her words just right. “Uh, you were
with Jessica Benson at Tyrell Utley’s party last night, correct?
She was the date you’re referring to?”
“God, is the whole world in on that? Don’t tell me she filed a complaint!”
Karen started to respond, but Will cut her off.
“What makes you think she would file a complaint
against you, or did you slug her too?” Kyle glared at him but said
nothing.
“Well it’s for damn sure you won’t be smacking her
around any time soon,” Will charged on. “She’s dead.”
Kyle did not move at first. He stared at Will as though
trying to gauge his intentions. Then he looked toward Karen for
confirmation. The tension was palpable and his face went slack
when he realized it was true. He did a stutter step with his tongue
and finally spoke.
“When I left her last night she was plenty pissed, but
alive. I don’t…what happened? Was it drugs?”
Karen was livid at Will for his callous behavior. At
times he was insensitive, but today he was downright cruel. As
for Kyle, she felt sure his shock was genuine. He appeared to be
blindsided by the news of Jessica’s death.
“No easy way to say it,” Karen went on. “She was
murdered. I’m sorry to have dropped this on you this way, but
we have to move quickly and have little time for the amenities.
We need to know what time it was when you left her.”
Kyle sat still for a moment. He opened his mouth to
speak a couple of times, but stopped. He looked from Karen to
her partner as though waiting for more. Finally he said, “I guess
it was around eleven. I wasn’t paying any attention to the time.
Like I said, we broke up, and it wasn’t cordial, then, well….”
Karen could see he hadn’t yet gathered his thoughts and
she stepped on his words. “Where did you go when you left her
last night?
Kyle looked dazed. “Home. I just went home.
Karen prayed Will couldn’t gauge the anguish she felt
for putting Kyle on the rack like this.
“Okay. Did you stop anywhere along the way? Talk to
anyone? Make or receive any phone calls?”
“No. I was pretty steamed up. We had an ugly argument
and I left there pretty angry. It’d been coming for a long time.
When I got home