Free Accused: A Rosato & Associates Novel by Lisa Scottoline Page B

there was an outside world.
    “So I think that Fiona and Lonnie were, you know, together, when she was babysitting me.”
    “How many times? Five? Ten?”
    “Five. I think she volunteered to babysit me so he could come over. And she knew him, they hugged and kissed. The night she was murdered, I think he went into the small conference room to meet her, to be together. He wouldn’t kill her. He had a major crush on her.”
    Mary tried to process the information. “She was sixteen, right?”
    “Right, and Lonnie was eighteen.”
    “Where did she go to high school?”
    “Shipwyn, in Bryn Mawr. It’s a private school. She didn’t board.”
    Mary didn’t understand why Allegra boarded when Fiona didn’t, but she let that go for now. “Did she have a boyfriend at school? Was she popular?”
    “Fiona was super popular.” Allegra brightened. “She was smart and funny and she was nice to everybody, not only the cool kids. Her school was very cliquey but she was never a mean girl, ever. All the boys were crazy about her, but she didn’t date anyone there except for Tim Gage.”
    Mary made a mental note of his name. “Do you think Tim or the kids at school knew about Lonnie?”
    “No.” Allegra shook her head, emphatically. “I don’t think anybody knows about Lonnie. Lonnie was Fiona’s secret.”
    Judy, who had been listening quietly, stepped over. “Allegra, fast-forward to after your sister’s murder. Did you tell your parents that you thought Lonnie and Fiona were seeing each other?”
    “Yes, but they didn’t believe me, and they still don’t. They think Lonnie was just one of the waiters. They don’t know that he knew Fiona.”
    “When did you tell them?”
    “After I heard that Lonnie was arrested. I knew his name, not his last name, but his first. I remember I even told the detectives, when they came to the house. I told my parents’ lawyers, too.”
    “Your parents had lawyers, then?” Judy caught herself. “Of course, they would have.”
    “Yes, totally. Mr. Patel.” Allegra permitted herself a tight smile. “My Dad is a really careful guy, and the lawyers are always around. That’s the weird thing about a family business. Like I remember when I was having a problem with one of the mean kids at school, Mr. Patel wanted to sue the parents.”
    Judy paused. “So you don’t know what happened after that, if the police investigated whether Lonnie knew Fiona.”
    “No, I don’t.”
    Judy nodded. “The fact that Lonnie knew Fiona doesn’t mean that he didn’t kill her. In fact, it cuts both ways.”
    Mary didn’t say what Judy was thinking, which was that, if anything, it gave Lonnie evidence of motive, making him look guiltier.
    Allegra frowned. “I know, but I just don’t think it was him. He’s a quiet, shy guy. It’s just not him. He didn’t do it.”
    “You didn’t go to the trial, did you?”
    “No. My parents didn’t think I should. I was eight by then, but they thought I was too young.”
    “Lonnie took the stand in his own defense and he didn’t say anything about knowing Fiona, or that they were meeting that night. He said he heard a noise and that’s why he went into the small conference room.”
    Allegra pursed her lips. “I remember my parents telling me that, but I don’t understand that.”
    “Maybe it was the truth.”
    “Maybe not. That’s what I want you guys to figure out.”
    Judy turned to Mary, her eyes narrowing against the bright sun. “Sounds like we have our work cut out with that for us.”
    “Right.” Mary nodded, turning to Allegra. “To switch gears a moment, I have a question for you. Before I ask you, you understand that anything we talk about is confidential, right? That means we won’t tell your parents anything we discussed, without your approval.”
    Allegra nodded. “Yes, I understand that.”
    “You gave me a cell-phone number at our office that was different from the one your father gave me. Do you have two cell