Page 54 of Liar's Point

“Hey, Britta,” Lainey said in a softer voice. “This is the police detective I told you about.”

Britta gave him a nervous look and set her phone down. She seemed upset, yes, but not nearly as undone as Aubrey’s mother had been earlier.

“You need anything?” Lainey asked her. “Maybe some water?”

She shook her head. “No, thank you.”

“We won’t be long,” Emmet said, mostly for Britta’s benefit. “I just have a couple questions.”

“Sure thing.”

Lainey stepped out, leaving the door ajar behind her.

Emmet took the side chair he’d occupied yesterday, putting the witness in the power position, which he hoped would make her more comfortable.

“I’m Detective Davis.” He pulled a business card from the pocket of his jacket and slid it across the desk.

She eyed it warily but didn’t touch it. Like all the servers here, she wore a black T-shirt with the O’Toole’s logo on the front. Aubrey had two identical T-shirts hanging in the closet at her apartment.

“Lainey tells me you and Aubrey worked together?” he said.

She nodded.

“I’m talking to some of her friends and relatives, trying to learn more about her.” He paused. “How did you hear the news?”

She cleared her throat. “We have a text thread.”

“We?”

“Some of us who work here. Me, Jill, and Chantal.” She paused. “And Aubrey.”

“Do you guys talk every day?”

“Not really. Usually just when someone needs a sub or someone to swap shifts with them.”

Emmet pulled a spiral notebook from his pocket. “Mind if I take notes?”

She shook her head.

He took a moment to jot down the names of the other two co-workers in case he needed to follow up with them later. Then he looked at her. “So, do you know if Aubrey was having any problems with anyone lately? Did she mention anything?”

“No.”

“All right. Do you know if she was dating anyone recently?”

“Not right now. Well, there was this one guy.”

“Yeah?”

“But they stopped seeing each other. At least, that’s what she told me.”

“You know his name?”

“Sam.”

He nodded. “You happen to know his last name?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think she ever mentioned it.”

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