Shock and murmur traveled through the crowd. My jaw dropped, and I clasped my hand over my mouth in disbelief. To my right, someone whimpered and began to sob.
“Oh, my God,” Thalia whispered.
“What happened?” Beth asked.
Grayson linked his fingers together behind his back. His lips were drawn in a tight line, and his shoulders slumped; I almost feared his next words. “She was found on a street, stabbed, with her throat cut open,” he said quietly. “The police have declared it murder.”
The image of Gina lying on the street sent goosebumps up my spine.
“They think she was mugged for her handbag, because it wasn’t at the crime scene when they found her at five a.m.”
“Where was she found?” I didn’t know why I asked the question when it didn’t really matter. Everyone’s head snapped in my direction. It took me every ounce of my willpower not to react when Grayson communicated the name of the street we had visited the day before. “She was attacked in a back alley, behind the La Rue bar. A bouncer found her body hidden behind a dumpster.”
Another wave of shock echoed through the room, and the chatter began: gossip, I assumed. As usual, everyone had their own theory about the tragedy. As for me, my head began to spin.
“I can’t believe she’s dead,” Thalia whispered to me. We were standing behind everyone else, with our backs to the wall. “Who would kill her and leave her lying around like trash? She was the nicest person I’ve ever known.”
“I can’t believe it either.”
“And to think, we used to date before I met my current girlfriend.” She shook her head in disbelief, and a tear ran down her cheek.
I turned to face her. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“No one did.” Thalia shrugged and wiped a hand over her tear-stained face. I hugged her, because I couldn’t stand seeing her in pain. It was always sad when someone died. As short as my meeting with Gina had been, and in spite of the questionable drinks, I had still liked her as a person.
Her death was such a tragedy, and it had come out of the blue. It felt surreal to know we had seen her less than twenty-four hours ago; my memories of the redhead were still fresh in my mind.
“She must have gone back to the La Rue bar,” Thalia whispered.
My attention snapped in her direction. “What do you mean? Why would she do that?”
“After you hooked up with that guy, Gina and I had one more drink together. I got a headache and called it a day, but she decided to stay, so I left, figuring she’d be all right,” she said, barely able hide her remorse. “I should have stayed. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened. Maybe she’d still be alive.”
Or maybe they’d both be dead.
“Did she meet anyone else?” I asked, keeping my true thoughts to myself.
But Thalia didn’t hear me anymore; she simply walked away mumbling, “I have to tell him.”
I followed her and stopped a step behind, listening to her conversation with Grayson.
“Jenna, Gina and I visited the La Rue bar yesterday,” she said. Silence fell over the room as everyone turned to look at her. “We had a few drinks together before we moved on to the HUSH HUSH club. That was the last place we saw her.”
Grayson’s face remained an impenetrable mask. “Just the three of you?” he asked, and Thalia nodded.
His forehead creased into a frown as his gaze swept over the shocked faces around him, then settled on Thalia’s again. Finally, he turned. Following his line of vision, I realized the guy he had been talking to before hadn’t left with the rest of the guests. He was standing in the background, near the wall, hidden in the shadows, observing us all along.
I frowned.
“I’d like to introduce you to Detective Barrow,” Grayson said grimly. “He’s leading the investigation.”
As the man stepped forward, my heart spluttered in my chest and skipped a beat.
Oh, my God.
Oh. My. God.
It was in that instant that I recognized him as the guy from the hotel. The guy with the newspaper. The guy who had glanced at me. My breath remained trapped in my throat, and my knees began to shake, threatening to buckle beneath me.
What was he doing here?
“I’m afraid I’ll have to keep you girls a little longer,” I heard Grayson say. “Detective Barrow will want to ask each of you a few questions, but no worries. In spite of the disruption in our work schedule, you’ll still be paid your usual fee for the night. Feel free to leave after the detective’s done with you. Any questions?”
I shook my head, but not because I didn’t have any questions.