Both sides of a criminal case often received nasty emails. Most of the time nothing came of them, but the tone of this one set off his creep meter. Morgan could handle herself, but Lance still wanted to play bodyguard.
“Yes,” Morgan said. “Except at court appearances, like today.”
“Until this is over, don’t leave home without it.”
Chapter Thirteen
Morgan reached for the doorbell of Piper Allen’s second-floor apartment door. Gray siding and neat white trim gave the newer complex a crisp, clean appearance.
The young woman who opened the door wore slim jeans and a body-hugging top with the shoulders cut out. Thick gray socks covered her feet. Royal-blue highlights in her jet-black hair made her pale skin and blue eyes pop. Whether she intended it or not, the effect was elfin.
“Piper Allen?” When the young woman nodded, Morgan handed over a business card and introduced herself. “This is my investigator, Lance Kruger. \Thank you for seeing us.”
“Come in.” Piper stepped back and opened the door wider. “I’ll do whatever I can to help Haley.”
They went into a tiny tiled foyer. Piper closed the door and led them back to a living room, which was open to a bright kitchen and eating area. Her modern furnishings looked like the type that came in a flat box to be assembled with a hex key.
“How is Haley?” Piper walked into the kitchen.
Morgan followed her. “She should be home soon.”
Lance crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
“I can’t believe that she killed Noah, no matter what the police say.” Piper stopped in front of a cutting board loaded with onions, carrots, and celery. The rest of the apartment might have been furnished on a budget, but the kitchen appliances were all high-end. “You don’t mind if I continue chopping? I need to keep busy.”
“Chop away.” Morgan waved toward the cutting board. “You and Haley went out together Friday night? Whose idea was it to go to the club?”
Regret troubled Piper’s face, and her fingers trembled. She squeezed them into tight fists and then opened her hands. A little steadier, she picked up a large, fat-bladed knife and began to chop carrots. “It was mine. Haley doesn’t really like clubs. She’d rather stay home and game.”
“She plays video games?” Morgan asked.
“Online games. Haley’s a geek. She likes League of Legends, Call of Duty, and World of Warcraft.” Piper lifted the cutting board and used the back of the knife to scrape the chopped carrots into a large bowl. “She didn’t want to go out Friday night, but it was my birthday. She did it to make me happy.”
“Have you and Haley been friends long?” Lance’s gaze was fixed on Piper’s knife.
With practiced hands, she worked the blade through a row of celery stalks. “Since I took the job with the bank three years ago.”
“Would you say Haley is your best friend?” Lance asked.
“Yes.” Piper pushed the celery into the bowl and moved an onion to the center of the board.
“How closely do you work together?” Lance frowned as Piper sliced the onion in half in one deft motion.
“We don’t work in the same department.” She turned the cut sides down and chopped the onion into even pieces. “She’s in marketing, and I’m in tech support. But the bank isn’t that big. We see each other during the day.”
“What time did you get to the club Friday night?” Morgan eyed the wooden knife block on the counter. Piper had clearly not purchased her knives at Target.
“Around nine, I think.” Piper transferred the onion to the bowl, turned to the refrigerator, and took out a whole chicken. Despite her mad knife skills, her hands still shook as she removed the packaging and exchanged her fat knife for a skinny-bladed one.
“What are you making?” Morgan’s kitchen skills leaned more toward short-order than fancy fare.
“A chicken roll.” Piper set the knife down on the board. “My mom used to own a restaurant. I’ve been cooking since before I could reach the counter.” She paused for a deep breath. “I have problems with anxiety sometimes. Cooking helps me relax.”
Morgan watched, both impressed and slightly horrified as Piper snapped the chicken wing joints and slid the bones out whole. Piper picked up her knife, chopped off the tips of the wings, and added them to her bone pile. Then, in one stroke, she cut right through the center of the chicken breast.
“Does it work?” Morgan couldn’t take her eyes off the chicken. It was on its back, the breasts and wings splayed out in a position that reminded her of an autopsy.
Piper worked the knife through the shoulders and around the chest cavity, separating the carcass from the skin. She lifted one pale shoulder in a quick shrug. Her voice quivered. “Sometimes. At least I have a nice meal at the end.”
Had she been this nervous with the police?
“What time did you leave the club?” Morgan asked.
“Around eleven.” Piper shifted her attention to the chicken’s legs.
“You only stayed two hours?” Lance raised an eyebrow. “It was your birthday.”
Piper fumbled. “Damn.”
She shook her hand. Blood welled from a slice across her thumb. She went to the sink and washed her hands with soap and water.
“Are you all right?” Morgan stepped closer and peered over the girl’s shoulder. The cut appeared superficial.
“It’s not deep.” Piper dried her hands with paper towels and wrapped a Band-Aid around her thumb. She reached into the cabinet under the sink and removed a clear vinyl glove from a box. Tugging it onto the hand with the Band-Aid, she picked up her knife again.
“You left early,” Morgan reminded her.
With a combination of slicing and joint cracking, Piper removed the bones from the drumsticks and thighs. “Haley was talking to Noah. She kind of ditched me. I shouldn’t have left her.” Guilt quivered in Piper’s words. “I feel like this is my fault. We have a code. ‘No woman left behind.’ No matter what, we don’t let each other drink too much, and we don’t let each other go home with strange guys. Girls have to watch each other’s backs.”
“That’s a good policy.” Morgan couldn’t decide if the girl was nervous or hiding something.
“But I broke it because I was mad. It was my birthday, and Haley ignored me to spend time with Noah.” Piper’s eyes brightened with anger. She blinked away the moisture.
“Did Haley have her car at the club?” Lance shifted his weight back.
Piper shook her head. “No. We took an Uber. But I figured she’d be going home with Noah. They were into each other in a big way. If she changed her mind, she could always get a ride.” Piper’s voice broke. “But I didn’t even say goodbye. I didn’t even let her know I was going.” She took two quick, steadying breaths, set her jaw, and resumed deboning the chicken. “But Noah and Haley knew each other, so I convinced myself that I wasn’t really breaking our code. I wasn’t letting her go with a stranger.”
Morgan sensed there was more. “But?”
“But that was just a rationalization. I know I couldn’t make her leave with me, but we should have had a good fight about it before I gave in. She’s my friend, and I let her down.” Piper stared at her pile of bones. “It’s funny. Our code is designed to protect us. I never thought it would be a man who’d need protecting. Or that Haley would have been capable of . . .”
A tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away on her shoulder.
“What did you do when you left the club?” Morgan asked.
“I didn’t really want to see anyone.” Piper shook herself. “I came back here and went to bed.”
Piper had no alibi.
“Has Haley ever demonstrated that she has a temper?” Lance studied the girl’s face.
“No.” Piper shook her head. The afternoon sun filtered through the blinds and gleamed on her blue highlights.
Morgan flipped the page on her notepad. “Have you ever seen her in a heated argument with anyone?”
Piper’s shoulders drooped. “Haley’s a geek. She likes to be alone. She’s nonconfrontational to a fault. She lets people take advantage of her. Honestly, I was super surprised to see her being so flirty with Noah. She isn’t normally so outgoing.”