Hintz was reviewing notes hed taken from the other girls, who of course had told him what theyd known about Rileys actions, including the fact that Riley had left them to go downstairs.
But you didnt dance with them, he said.
No, Riley said.
Why not?
Riley was startled. Why could her reluctance to dance possibly matter, anyway?
Then she noticed Officer Frisbie giving her a sympathetic look and shaking her head. It seemed obvious now that the woman thought Hintz was being a bit of an asshole, but there really wasnt anything she could do about it.
Riley said slowly and carefully, I just well, I wasnt in much of a party mood. Id been trying to study, and Rhea and Trudy had pretty much dragged me there. So I bought a glass of wine and headed on downstairs.
Alone? Hintz asked.
Yeah, alone. I sat down in a booth by myself.
Hintz thumbed through his notes.
So you didnt talk to anyone else while you were at the Centaurs Den?
Riley thought for a moment, then said, Well, Harry Rampling came over to my table
Hintz smiled a little at the mention of Harrys name. Riley realized that, like most of the community, the chief probably thought pretty highly of the schools quarterback.
He asked, Did he sit down with you?
No, Riley said. I brushed him off.
Hintz frowned with disapproval, apparently annoyed that any girl would have the poor judgment to reject a true hero like Harry Rampling. Riley was starting to feel a little exasperated. Why was her taste in guys any business of Hintzs, anyway? What did it have to do with what had happened to Rhea?
Hintz asked, Did you talk to anyone else?
Riley gulped.
Yes, she had talked to someone else.
But was she going to get the guy in trouble by talking about him?
She said, Um a law student came over to my booth. He sat down with me and we talked for a while.
And then? Hintz asked.
Riley shrugged.
He said he had studying to do, and he left.
Hintz was jotting down some notes.
What was his name? he asked.
Riley said, Look, I dont see why hes important. He was just another guy at the Centaurs Den. Theres no reason for you to think
Just answer my question.
Riley swallowed hard and said, Ryan Paige.
Had you met him before?
No.
Do you know where he lives?
No.
Riley was momentarily glad that Ryan had managed to keep himself so mysterious, without giving her so much as his address or phone number. She saw no reason why she should be answering any questions about him at all, and she sure didnt want to get him into any trouble. It seemed almost kind of stupid that Hintz was pushing her about it. And Riley could tell by how Officer Frisbie rolled her eyes that she felt the same way.
Hintz tapped his pencil eraser against the table and asked, Did you see Rhea Thorson with anybody in particular at the Centaurs Den? Aside from the friends you went with, I mean?
Riley was starting to feel more frustrated than nervous.
Didnt Hintz understand anything shed been saying?
No, she said. Like I said, I went off by myself. I didnt see Rhea at all after that.
Hintz kept tapping his eraser, looking at his notes.
He asked, Does the name Rory Burdon mean anything to you?
Riley thought quickly.
Rory
Yes, the first name was familiar, anyway.
She said, Rhea seemed to be kind of interested in him, I guess. I saw her dancing with him a few other times at the Centaurs Den.
But not tonight?
Riley fought down a sigh. She wanted to say
How many times do I have to tell you, I didnt see Rhea at all after I got there?
Instead, she simply said, No.
She figured Rory must have been there tonight as well, and that the other girls had told Hintz theyd seen Rhea hanging on him.
What do you know about him? Hintz asked.
Riley paused. What little she did know seemed too trivial to mention. Rory was a tall, skinny, awkward guy with thick glasses, and all the girls except Riley had teased Rhea for being interested in him.
She said, Not much, except he lives off campus somewhere.
She realized that Hintz was just staring at her again, as if he expected her to say something more.
Does Hintz consider him a suspect? she wondered.
Riley was sure that the chief was way off base if he did suspect Rory. The guy had struck her as shy and gentle, not the least bit aggressive.
She was about to say so to Hintz, but the police chief glanced down at the papers in front of him and moved on with his questions.
When did you leave the Centaurs Den? he asked.
Riley made the best guess she could about the timeit had been pretty late.
Then Hintz said, Did you see any of your friends before you left?
Riley remembered the girls staggering down the stairs, and how Trudy had been carrying the pitcher of beer when shed asked
Hey, Riley! Who was the cute guy?
Riley said, Trudy and Heather and Gina and Cassie all came downstairs. They said Rhea had already gone. That was when I left.
As Hintz jotted down notes, Rileys head started to fill with questions of her own. She remembered asking where Rhea was, and Trudy had said
I dunno. Where is Rhea?
and then Heather had said
Rhea went back to the dorm.
Riley wonderedwhat did Heather or any of the other girls know about Rheas departure?
Did they know whether she had left the Centaurs Den alone or not?
And what had they told Hintz about it?
Riley wished she could ask, but knew that she mustnt.
Did you leave the bar alone? Hintz asked.
Yeah, Riley said.
And you walked all the way back to the dorm alone?
Yeah.
Hintzs frown deepened as he glared at her.
Are you sure that was wise? The school offers an escort service for crossing the campus at night. Why didnt you call for it?
Riley gulped. This seemed to her like the first really good question Hintz had asked so far.
She said, I guess I always felt safe walking on campus at night. But now
Her voice faded.
Now things are really different, she thought.
Hintz frowned again.
Well, I hope you use better judgment in the future. Especially when youve been drinking too much.
Rileys eyes widened.
I only had one glass of wine, she said.
Hintz squinted at her. She could tell by his expression that he thought she was lying. The other girls must have admitted to drinking a lot, and he assumed that Riley had as well.
She resented his attitude, but she quickly told herself that whatever Hintz thought of her didnt matter right now. It would be stupid and petty of her to get pissed off about it.
Hintz kept jotting things down and said, That will be allfor now. You must obey the same rules as everybody else in the dorm. Stay in your room tonight. Dont plan on leaving the campus until youre notified otherwise. We might want to ask you more questions soon.
Riley was oddly startled.
Is that it? she wondered.
Was the interview really over?
Because she sure still had questions, even if Hintz didnt.