"Look, Mr. Carter, I've missed enough rehearsal as is," Liana protested. "I'm a drum major! I have a solo!"

"So refuse to go," Carter replied. "You're 18." Carter, Liana, Jake, and Lizzie walked up to Catherine, Chelsea, and I.

"It really wouldn't be in your best interest to refuse, Miss Monroe," I advised. Liana did a double-take. "But you don't even have to leave the land of the Jaguars to help us out."

"Who the hell are you?" she gasped.

""Tia Quinn, Las Vegas crime lab. This is Catherine Willows."

Liana's demeanor changed immediately.

"Hi, I'm Liana Monroe. I didn't mean to be rude. It's just...you look so much like Heather..." Liana's voice wavered and she trailed off. Catherine and I exchanged glances.

"We're going to need your clarinets and cases," Catherine told the high schoolers. "As well as any cleaning supplies, extra mouthpieces, pads, and reeds you may have."

"Everything?" Lizzie complained.

"Of course," Liana complied. "It's no problem at all. Lizzie and I each have two clarinets here, one for marching rehearsals, the other for shows and concert band. We'll get those as well." Liana went to her locker and gathered up her instruments. She returned to us while Jake and Lizzie finished up. "Here you go. I'm going back out to the field, Mr. Carter, okay?" Carter nodded. Liana took my hand for a second. "It's truly amazing how much you resemble Heather. And - and you seem to have her spirit, too."

She went back out to the parking lot, flanked by Lizzie and Jake. Liana had left wiping her eyes. Now she was laughing along with her friends. To me, it didn't seem the "remembering the good times" type of laughter.

"Cath, go ahead and finish up here," I told her, still staring after the trio. "I'll meet you at the car."

I dropped the instruments off at the SUV, locked it, then continued to the field. Kevin Rodriguez called out marching drills for basics. The band seemed almost done with that. Liana was just setting up her box for conducting on the thirty yard line.

"Your concern is touching, Liana, but you aren't fooling anyone," I said bluntly. The senior stopped what she was doing and stared at me.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Liana responded calmly. "I'm happy to help with the investigation."

"Come on, Liana, be straight with me. Heather was a huge rival."

"I'm a drum major, Miss Quinn. I have no rivals."

"Heather never wanted to be a DM, Liana. No desire. She was important enough without that; people listened to her anyway. But not you. No, Heather was a rival in other ways." I glanced at the main drum major podium on the fifty yard line, where Adam Nicholas talked with two of the staff members, Noah Hunter and Jordan Montgomery. Liana followed my gaze and glared at Jordan. "Seems you have a problem with any girl that gets close to Adam."

"Heather was a mistake for Adam. All wrong!" Liana snapped.

"Yeah, well, that's where you're wrong. See, because that wasn't your call. And you may think that you've got everyone eating out of the palm of your hand. Because, well, Heather thought that, right? And look how she ended up." I stared Liana down. "You can't fool me and you sure as hell never fooled Heather. She saw you for what you are: a jealous little -"

"Shut up," Liana said quietly.

"A jealous little wannabe -"

"I said, shut up!" Liana tried again.

"- that never thinks of anyone but herself!" I continued. "Jealous because someone else always has what you want. Jealous because even when you get what you want, someone else always has something, or someone, better. And that someone was Heather Masterson. You could never measure up to her in Adam's eyes and you knew it."

"Shut up, you bitch!" Liana shouted, lunging at me. She slapped me hard across the face, scratched me, pulled a chunk of my hair out with her other hand.

By now, the entire band had frozen. The students stared openly at our exchange. Adam, Kevin, Jordan, Noah, Daniels, and the other staff members hauled butt toward Liana and I. Jordan, Kevin, and Jacob, Liana's older brother, pulled the incensed drum major off me. Catherine, Chelsea Logan, and Caleb Carter ran up then.

"Tia! Are you all right?" Catherine asked, worried. I put my hand up to the side of my face, pulled it away, and blood covered my fingers.

"Oh, God, Liana!" Chelsea cried. "You assaulted a police officer!"

I took the tissue Catherine offered me and wiped my face. Liana had given me just the reaction I'd wanted, as well as a bloody nose and cheek and a bruised face. And a bald spot. I rubbed my scalp. Ouch.

"As if we don't have enough lawsuits in this band," Jacob muttered darkly.

"Don't worry, Mr. Monroe. I'm not technically a cop," I reassured Jacob and Chelsea. But I'd let them sweat about a civil lawsuit and whether or not I'd still file charges.

"I think you'd better leave now," Mr. Daniels said quietly. "Caleb, walk these ladies to their car."

"That's not necessary, really," Catherine replied quickly. "Thank you for your help today. We'll be in touch. Come on, Tia." She put her arm around my shoulders and led me to the car.