Chapter Eleven
Gracie's girlfriend Molly Johnson is brought into the station. She's nineteen, two years older than Gracie, and no longer a minor, so no parents need be present. She's promised to cooperate - so far – and hasn't yet asked for a lawyer. As an officer leads her into the interview room, Detective Clarke and Detective Wells watch.
"You see that?" Landry says. ""About five foot four. Blonde hair. Looks to be around eighteen. That's what the guy said."
"We assumed Gracie. But it matches her description as well."
"She's a student at Antioch University," Landry says, "so maybe at some point she gained access to Dr. Taylor's gun."
"And snuck it out of her purse and snuck it back the same night? Without Dr. Taylor noticing? Highly unlikely," Detective Wells says. "Anyway, we should put her in a line up, along with Gracie, and bring in that guy from the apartment complex."
"You go and take care of the necessary paperwork." From the back - which is the only part of the girl the witness saw – Molly looks a bit like Gracie, but they have different hair styles and slightly different shades of hair. "Gracie could have given her the Hawkins High sweatshirt. I'll find out when I interview her." He watches Molly walk. The way she walks. It's not evidence. It's just instinct. But he knows she's criminal.
"You're doing the interview?" Detective Wells asks. "Because, if she's a lesbian, it might be better – "
"I'm doing the interview," Landry insists.
"Fine. But don't make her cry like you did that woman you had in there last week for the Monty case. She wasn't even a suspect."
"Well, usually it's the girls making me cry. So it's nice to be on the other end for a change."
[****]
He starts by establishing a rapport with Molly Johnson. He never puts the screw on right away, because that's actually the least effective method. First you have to make them think you feel their pain, that you can relate. He convinces her, that despite Coach Taylor's confession, Gracie is the prime suspect, and she will be tried as an adult, and likely imprisoned for life. He works on her guilt and tries to get her to confess. But Molly doesn't.
"You love her don't you?" Landry asks. "Too many people don't understand that kind of love. It can't be easy for you."
This doesn't have quite the effect he expects. She looks ashamed, but not "I'm letting my lover take the rap ashamed." What kind of shame is it? "The I don't want people to know I'm gay shame?" The "everyone thinks I love her but I don't" shame? The "I seduced a girl into her first lesbian relationship" shame? Whatever it is, it's not "I killed Martin Haverty" shame, which could mean one of two things – she didn't kill him, or she coolly premeditated the staged suicide that was foiled by Martin going for his .22.
"I know Gracie loves you. When I interviewed her," - they never interviewed Gracie, she's well lawyered up, but he can lie, and he does. " – She talked about how much she loved you, how she would do anything to protect you."
The girl smiles slightly. It's a very fake smile.
There's a rap on the door. One of the new recruits, a young, good-looking officer, sticks his head in and says, "Line up in five." Landry hasn't told Molly she's a suspect yet, or that she'll be in it. Landry nods, but he's not looking at the young, good-looking officer. He's looking at the way Molly's looking at him. And he's pretty damn sure she's not a lesbian.