"Tamara Collins," Scotty announced, putting the box on Lilly's desk.
Lilly said nothing.
"Single gunshot to the chest, multiple stab wounds. She was fifteen, and…pregnant."
Lilly said nothing. Scotty looked up. "Lil? Are you okay?"
"Does it have to be this one?" she asked after an excruciatingly long period of time.
"This is the one the boss told us to do…Why?"
Lilly said nothing, just took the box off her desk and left her office. Scotty and Vera looked at each other, shrugged, and began going through the contents of the box carefully.
"So, the boyfriend, Colter Roberts, was the main suspect at the time. He didn't cooperate with the police and then he left school a few months after the death…nobody ever saw him again. She was pregnant and he was the big jock, guess he didn't want it to mix up his rep."
"Looks like Tamara was pretty popular too. Head cheerleader, Student Council President…Any other suspects?"
"None. The police didn't work very hard, apparently—the investigation ceased after he left."
"Scotty."
Scotty looked up. "What's up, boss?"
"You're going to work with Vera on this case."
"Is Lil okay?"
"She won't be working this case."
"Why not?"
Stillman didn't answer.
"Is she okay?" Scotty persisted.
"She can't work this case."
"Why?"
"She has an emotional involvement."
Doesn't she always? Scotty thought, but didn't press the issue further. He stood up. "Let's go find out the last known address of this Colter Roberts guy."
"Colter Roberts?"
Colter Roberts, in 31 years, hadn't changed. His movements remained slow, lazy, and slightly dumb, as if he'd been hit over the head too many times. "Yuh," he said, noncommittally.
"Philadelphia PD. Can we come in?"
Panic momentarily crossed Colter's face, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared. "Sure."
"You knew Tamara Collins?"
The momentary panic was back. "She's dead…"
"We know. We're the Cold Case Squad."
"She was my girlfriend." Colter hesitated as if he had something else to say. "She…"
"She?"
"She got pregnant."
"And?"
"She…we…she was going to give the baby up. For adoption."
"But she died. Right after she told you."
Colter nodded.
"Colter, did any of the other guys at the school…were any other guys at the school interested in Tamara?"
"Sure. She was hot property, you know? Hot. But especially Jeff Davis."
"Who was he?"
"My best friend on the football team. The co-captain. He was, you know, interested in her. Said…said she did him."
Scotty and Vera looked at each other over Colter's head.
"Why did you leave school after she died, Colter?"
"I was…you know, upset. Couldn't deal. I loved her, you know, loved her."