She closed her eyes and tried to view the situation objectively. Tori and her friends had been the ones huddled with the Myers girl when she’d fallen. Of course, they would be the center of gossip and innuendo. Kerri forced her eyes open. How could something as seemingly simple as a disagreement between middle schoolers have evolved into something so devastating? The four girls had been standing on the landing. Based on the security camera angle, the leopard-print flats worn by Brendal Myers had been heels toward the camera, which confirmed she’d stood with her back to the descending steps. The other three, including Tori’s black Converses, had been toes toward Myers in a sort of semicircle.

The only conclusion could be that the three had ganged up on Myers somehow. Even as Tori’s mother, Kerri couldn’t deny the way it looked—at least from the perspective of the shoes the girls had been wearing.

It looked bad. No question.

But the video surveillance showed Myers’s right foot coming out behind her as if she’d taken a step back and hit air rather than lost her balance due to being pushed. The movements hadn’t been frantic or clipped. Right leg had swung back ever so slightly, and then she’d tumbled down. The other three sets of shoes had remained exactly as they were for several endless seconds. Then, Tori in the lead, the three had rushed down the stairs. As the girls came into view, the camera captured the stunned expression on Tori’s face. Sarah’s and Alice’s faces had been tilted more downward, so deciphering their expressions was basically impossible.

“You ready?”

Kerri pulled free of the troubling thoughts. The briefing had ended, and folks were filtering out of the conference room. Falco stood over her, his face showing the concern she heard in his voice. He was all too aware of her dilemma.

“Yeah.” She stood. “Look, do you mind if we drop by your place to get your Charger? There’s something I need to do, and then I’ll catch up with you.”

They were working on the list of Kurtz’s friends that George Caldwell had provided. Based on what the employees, including Caldwell, had stated so far, the list likely comprised customers with whom Kurtz had associated more than others or for a longer period of time. There appeared to be no friends outside his employees, customers, and business associates.

“No problem.” Falco eyed her speculatively. “But I would like to know where you’ll be.”

They were partners. No secrets. They’d come to that agreement after their first big case together. With the caveat that they wouldn’t discuss the distant past. Meaning Falco’s undercover days. No reason to, she supposed. Whatever he’d done in the past, good, bad, or indifferent, she trusted him completely.

“I’ve been trying to check in on Sarah Talley, but her mother isn’t returning my calls. I thought I’d stop by. I need to look her in the eye and get her take on what’s happened.”

“You know Sykes and Peterson won’t like it.”

“This is about my daughter. I don’t care how they feel.”

Falco nodded. “Got it. I’ll carry on with that list.”

His face told her he wasn’t particularly happy about their going in separate directions. He was worried. Hell, she was worried, and she damned sure didn’t like anything about this.

In the corridor outside the main conference room, the chief and the mayor were in deep conversation with Cross and a couple wearing visitor’s badges. Kerri was too far away to read the names written on the badges, but the stark pain on the woman’s face was telling enough even before Kerri recognized her.

The mother, Lana Walsh.

The man was the father, Leland Walsh. There was some resemblance to the murdered DDA in his profile. The sharpness of the nose, the thick eyebrows.

“Walsh’s parents arrived last night,” Brooks said quietly as he moved in shoulder to shoulder with Kerri. “The chief will be giving them a full update. As will Agent Cross, apparently.”

The LT’s tone hinted that he wasn’t too thrilled with Cross, either, but he was far too diplomatic to say as much.

“Everyone is watching.” Brooks looked from Kerri to Falco and back. “Stay inside the lines on this one.”

Kerri nodded. Falco did the same.

It wasn’t until they were past the painful huddle in the corridor that Kerri could breathe again.

The only thing people were watching more than this investigation was the incident at Brighton Academy. It was all over the news, including the video of her loading Tori into her Wagoneer and speeding away.

Worry chewed at Kerri’s ribs. How in the world could she fix this?

“I need to pop into the ladies’ room,” she said to her partner. What she needed was a moment.

Falco nodded. “I’ll meet you outside.”

He strode on to the stairwell exit as Kerri moved toward her destination. The hydraulic wheeze of the ladies’ room door closing behind her followed Kerri into the first stall. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the cool metal. She needed a moment of total silence to quiet the worries spiraling out of control in her head. The hydraulic wheeze sounded again, followed by heels clicking on tile. Kerri ignored the realization that she was no longer alone and worked to calm her thoughts. Tori would never hurt anyone. She was a good kid. A happy kid—at least as happy as teenagers could be. She needed her mother to be strong. To be there for her.

Kerri drew in a deep breath. Losing it wasn’t going to help her daughter.

She squared her shoulders, reached back and flushed the toilet, and then exited the stall. A woman stood at the row of sinks, her head bowed. Kerri looked away, walked straight ahead to the first porcelain bowl, and went through the motions of washing her hands. Another deep breath. She forced the lines of worry on her face to relax. Everything would be okay. Sykes and Peterson would find the truth—she would help—and Tori would be cleared. Life would go back to normal.

Kerri would not allow any other outcome. Good. Okay. She had to go. Falco was waiting.

“You’re working on my son’s case.”

Kerri’s attention shifted to her right. Lana Walsh. If Kerri hadn’t been so flustered, she would have recognized the elegant suit the woman wore. Damn.

“Yes.” Kerri grabbed a paper towel and dried her hands. “Detective Kerri Devlin.”

The mother moved closer, her eyes searching Kerri’s. “I need you to do something for me, Detective Devlin.”