"Sorry to keep you waiting," Goren directed his comment at Lucas and glanced briefly at his female companions.
Lucas said nothing, only inhaled deeply. One girl, petite, blonde, All-American-looking, clutched his left arm, held back a sob while the other girl next to her, taller, impossibly thinner, with bright red hair, covered her eyes with her hand.
"We're very sorry about your friends," Goren continued while he sat down across from them, Eames followed suit next to him. "We just need to ask a couple questions…" he looked to his partner on his right.
"When was the last time you saw Campbell and Emily?" Eames cut to the chase.
Lucas leaned back heavily and blew strands of shaggy brown hair out of his matching brown eyes. "Like I already told you, Emily took a bag of trash down around one, and I last saw Cam cleaning up in the lounge. Kelly and Chalise and I headed downstairs before he did."
"Weren't you worried when Campbell didn't come home?" Goren asked, flipping to a clean notebook page.
Lucas smirked bitterly. "I figured he took Emily home, and stayed there."
Goren looked to Eames and continued. "So the three of you went home together, you assumed Campbell and Emily went home also… any other roommates?"
Lucas contemplated, watching his free fingers tap the tabletop. "Sidiq came home with us, but he was gone when I woke up this morning. I went to wake him, after I, after," he bit his lip and cleared his throat, "after I finally answered my cell and found out. He was gone. Bakr was pissed off at Cam and left the lounge right after Dr. Frazier showed up. I don't know where he went; didn't see him at home between now and then."
"Why was…Bakr upset with Campbell?" Goren asked.
"Bakr liked Emily and so did Cam. Bakr was dancing with her, Cam took over, and we gave Bakr a bad time about it. Didn't mean anything. Cam was always getting between them anytime Bakr, or anybody, tried something. Emily and Cam had been on again, off again, for a while."
Goren looked to Eames again, while making notes in his binder.
"Do you know anyone who might want to harm your friends?" Eames asked, concentrating on the young man in front of her.
"No, man, they, I don't know," Lucas covered his eyes with his free hand, "My dad's gonna be pissed as hell when I tell him, and I'll be better off with them, that's all I know."
Goren paused, looked puzzled, and could only formulate a single word, "Why?"
Lucas took a breath and wiped his eyes. "Our dad's work together, mine and Cam's. When they went overseas, promised them I'd watch out for him."
"Your father's are both some sort of diplomats?" Goren asked, taking an assumptive leap, preparing his pencil for new information.
Lucas shook his head. "My dad is, works a lot with our Embassy in Paris. Cam's dad is his assistant, has been forever. Dad was always making me invite Cam to stuff when we were kids. Saying I needed to get to know different kinds of people, people not in private schools…" he twirled his finger in the air and rolled his eyes, "We got to be friends after a while. Cam worshiped Dad…wanted to work overseas, help people like Dad helped him and his dad, gave them a chance, leg up."
"And you?" Goren asked, eyebrows raised, intrigued.
"I just wanted my dad off my back," Lucas scoffed. "He was always saying, why can't you focus more like Cam, work harder like Cam, be more appreciative like Cam? Was always about Cam, better grades, scholarships, jobs, aspirations, girls, everything…" he trailed off and looked away.
"Sounds like quite the rivalry to me," Eames noted provocatively.
Lucas sat straight back, defensively, "Look, we were friends okay? I wouldn't do anything to him, ever! I just, I don't know. This, just, sucks…" He leaned forward and covered his face with his hands, breaking away from Kelly.
"What about Emily?" Goren attempted to change the subject, and turned his attention to the girls.
Kelly shifted uneasily and ran her palms along her thighs while she spoke up for the first time that meeting. "Everyone loves Emily. They always have. She works, worked so hard..." Her eyes welled and she brought a hand to her mouth as realization struck her again.
Goren sensed the young adults were not going to hold up much longer. Chalise had continued to be unable to pull herself together long enough to even speak. "What about these other two guys, how long have you known them?"
Lucas sat up, red-eyed and resigned. "Me and Cam have lived with Sidiq almost two years, since the beginning of grad school. Another of Dad's arrangements to expand my social horizons. We're all in the same program, so it worked out. But, Bakr…we don't know him so well. Emily's brother, Ethan, lived with us before, but he got married just before Christmas. Sidiq is Bakr's student companion in the international exchange program, invited him to take Ethan's room when the semester changed a couple weeks ago. We didn't care, only a semester to go and we were gonna get the hell out of here anyway..."
"And you're sure you don't know where we can find either one of them?" Eames asked.
Lucas shook his head. "I don't know. They stick together, the whole group of them." He sneered.
"Of who?" Goren caught Eames eyes and shifted uncomfortably.
Lucas looked to Kelly, and refused to meet Goren's gaze as he chose his words carefully, "You know, the sand…" he swallowed, "the, Arabs."
Goren nodded and appeared relieved at Lucas apparent omission of a disparaging term. "Okay. Well. I think that's enough for now. We'll be in touch." He slipped his pencil back into place and closed his binder.
"When you do find them…hope you got a translator," Lucas stated snidely.
Goren's brow wrinkled, "They don't speak English? Isn't that a requirement?"
Lucas shrugged and frowned. "Sidiq does fine, but most of the time he'd have to interpret between us and Bakr, annoying as hell. You'd think he'd know like, close the refrigerator, put down the toilet seat, do you want fries or a salad..."
Goren's face still emitted confusion, and Eames' mirrored his. "Alright," he stood, "we'll have an officer take you all home. But I expect you to give us a call as soon as you hear from Bakr or Sidiq. We'll need to talk to them." He slid a business card across the table.
Lucas nodded, shoved it into his pant pocket, and rejoined his arm to Kelly's.
Goren and Eames exited the meeting room.
After their interview with Lucas Jordanais and his friends, Goren and Eames reported to Captain Ross about the nature and progress of their case. He blithely advised them to investigate heartily into the lives of Bakr Okaly and Sidiq Fayyad. He also provided superfluous warnings about the potential for the case to develop gratuitous attention due to the ethnicity of the missing roommates. The detectives obligatorily nodded, agreed and promised to keep him in the loop.
TARU had informed them that the security cameras in the student union building had been set up for appearances only, as a deterrent. None of the cameras yet possessed the capability to observe or record. CSU had no updates on the broken glass, trace evidence or fingerprints. The ME had little to add to the already established causes of death. Emily had been strangled, likely by someone leaning forcefully on her neck with their forearm while they assaulted her. Campbell's body exhibited five precise stab wounds on his lower back and abdomen, approximately three inches deep. Campbell's slight build allowed the attacker to inflict maximum damage with minimum effort using, "a standard switchblade, nothing special, other than he probably carries it illegally, along with a million other people," Rogers had mused. Both young adults' TOX analysis revealed intoxication slightly above the legal limit, and thankfully nothing more.
By the time they had finished with Ross, visited various lab technicians, written up their preliminary crime scene, evidence, and interview reports, made multiple telephone calls to the university, and begun various computer-based searches on the half dozen young adults on their persons of interest list, it was early evening. Both detectives had exceeded their tolerance level for one day and had begun to discuss their approach for the day to follow.
"Eames, line one," Jefferies shouted from the pod of desks to Eames' right, interrupting their planning.
She answered, involuntarily nodded whilst mumbling something about being right over, thanked the caller, and hung up. "That was a secretary from the School of International and Public Affairs," she raised an eyebrow in subliminal mockery of the lengthy name, "Dr. Frazier is available to speak with us."
"Nice of him to get us into his schedule," Goren echoed her deliberate ridicule with a miniscule smile.
They pushed away from their desks in unison, shouldered their coats and headed for the elevators.
Dr. Brooks Frasier was a pretentious man who appeared barely older than 30. In reality, he was closer to 40, but never felt compelled to admit that to any possible suitor. Dr. Frazier exuded arrogant confidence and intelligence. In short, he was a typical pretty-boy, pompous-ass.
Goren and Eames arrived at the International Studies building, professors' office floor, where a secretary promptly and politely asked them to wait. They were not surprised.
Dr. Frazier invited them into his office several minutes later.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Detectives. It's been a busy day."
"Uh, we know, us too. We won't keep you long." Goren played with niceties. "We were told you were among the last to see Campbell Brown and Emily Choi last night."
Dr. Frazier sat down at his desk and motioned for the detectives to sit across from him. He exhaled deeply and nodded. "Damn shame. Campbell Brown was really going places, and Emily…sweet girl, good family. I taught her brother."
Goren eyed Eames while making notes in his binder. She resumed the questions. "When did you last see Campbell and Emily?"
"I was wrapping up some midterm grades in my office around midnight, and as I was leaving campus I saw lights on and many figures in the lounge area. The university has had some real issues this year, with the kids partying there, drinking, drugs… The administration instituted an eleven o'clock closing time for the lounge on school nights and a campus curfew to try to curb it. When I got inside and saw Lucas and his friends, I decided to cut them a break. Lucas, Campbell, and their other roommates are all students of mine. We have an understanding, wasn't all that long ago that I was in their shoes, trying to get through school and still have fun. I stayed to make sure they cleaned up after themselves, and when it looked like everyone was on their way out at about one, I left; I was exhausted, friendly as I try to be, I'm definitely not 22 anymore."
Goren held back an eye roll with a tilt of the head, "So, Lucas, Campbell, and," Goren flipped a page in his notebook, "Sidiq Fayyad and Bakr Okaly are all students of yours?"
"Yes, and I advise them all in the SIPA program," he leaned back in his chair and sat up a little taller.
"How well do you know Sidiq and, uh, Bakr?" Goren asked.
"Sidiq came to us from Saudi Arabia autumn semester of 2006. Brilliant boy. He will really have a lot to offer his compatriots when he returns there this summer. Bakr is from Egypt. Not quite as bright as Sidiq, has had some struggles with the language, fitting in…I paired him with Sidiq, hoped he would rub off. I understand Sidiq met Lucas and Campbell through an arrangement made by Mr. Jordanais."
Goren nodded, "Have you heard from either of them today?"
Dr. Frazier's jaw dropped slightly, "Well, no, I would imagine they're quite upset and seeking solace with their other friends."
Goren eyed Eames who again took over. "Actually, neither of them has spoken to Lucas, Kelly, Chalise or anyone else at all today."
"Really," Dr. Frazier slumped slightly, "You don't think… You don't think they had anything to do with this do you?"
"Do you know of any reason they might?" she countered.
"Well, no, no of course not. When I got to the lounge last night, Bakr seemed to be upset about something, and on his way out the door. I tried to have him stay, but I lost track of him in the rush of fleeing kids."
"We were told he had a bit of a skirmish with Campbell." Eames offered.
"Bakr was a bit smitten with Emily, but I understand she and Campbell were occasionally more than friends, especially since her brother Ethan moved out of Lucas's place. Beyond that, I don't know."
Eames caught Goren's eye, and he closed his notebook. "Alright. Well, thank you, for meeting with us Dr. Frazier. We'll be in touch. If you do hear from them, Bakr or Sidiq, please let us know." He placed a business card on the desk as he stood.
"If I can do anything else, anything at all, please let me know. This really is a tragedy for the university, and the SIPA community especially."
Goren nodded and Eames led the way from the office.
"Whatever happened to toga parties, bonfires and spin the bottle?" Eames asked as they buckled their seatbelts, back in the car.
Goren smiled slightly and leaned his head back against the chair.
They drove a few blocks before the buzzing of Goren's cell phone interrupted the silence. He tugged it out of his pocket and checked the display.
"Restricted number. Great," he muttered as he flipped it open, "Goren."
Eames glanced to her right when he abruptly sat straighter in his chair. His jaw slackened and his eyes widened. He quickly banished his show of surprise, hoping Eames hadn't noticed, yet knowing she had. He swallowed hard, trying to bring moisture back to his throat before replying. "Fine, good, I'm… how are you?" He scratched his forehead with his right hand, drawing attention away from his reddening cheeks as he continued, "Where are you?"
Eames watched him from the corner of her eye and continued to listen to his half of the conversation as she continued to drive back towards 1PP.
"You're in the city?" Pause. "Dinner?" Pause. "I'm with my partner; we're just finishing for the day." Pause. "Uh, yeah, okay, I'll ask her. Um, where can I meet you, should I pick you up?" Pause. "Yeah, on Spring Street. We're headed that way now, ten minutes maybe." Pause. "O-okay. See you soon." He closed the phone.
"Hot date?" Eames joked.
Goren looked at her hesitantly. "Old friend. You're invited."
Eames wrinkled her nose and tried not to mirror his gaze, remembering the good, odd, and ugly of his unique and often unusual friends.
"You don't have to, if you…" Goren suggested awkwardly.
Eames shrugged slightly and forced a smile, which quickly dissolved into a legitimate grin, "Where we going?"