Free The Boom Room by Rick Blechta Page A

“That was the press office. The lobby is flooded with media. They’re all demanding to know what’s going on.” He leveled his gaze at Pratt. “Would you mind telling me just what the hell is going on?”
    â€œI hope to be able to tell you that in a few hours.” Pratt stood up wearily. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to prepare some things for the last act in this little drama. The other two band members are waiting in one of the interview rooms. I need to talk to them.”
    â€œNow you’re saying the girl is involved in these murders?” Gordon nearly shouted. “Where did you come up with such a stupid theory?”
    Pratt stopped in the doorway and smiled. “On Facebook.”

Chapter Twenty-Two
    Carolyn Tucci wore a look of abject misery as she was led into the interview room. Pratt and McDonnell were sitting at the far side of the table. In the next room, Gordon, Ellis and Cheevers were looking on from behind a two-way mirror.
    â€œWhy did you drag me out of the hospital? Haven’t I been through enough today?” she asked, obviously annoyed.
    Pratt ignored her questions. “Thank you so much for coming down.”
    â€œBut I don’t want to be here!”
    â€œJust the same, we appreciate you assisting us. I have a few things that need clearing up. Just minor questions, really. May I offer you a coffee or a cold drink? Perhaps a sandwich?”
    â€œI don’t want anything. I just want to get out of here.”
    Pratt said soothingly, “I understand that you’ve been through a lot.”
    â€œBeen through a lot? I should be dead. Someone tried to kill me today! How do you think that feels?”
    â€œWhy don’t you tell me?”
    â€œI don’t believe it.” She put her head down on the table and moaned, then looked up. “Why don’t you just leave me alone?”
    â€œWe will, Carolyn, as soon as we straighten out a few things. We came to your apartment and found a person who’d been stabbed to death. You were the only other person there. We have to be certain about what happened. You told us you couldn’t remember.”
    â€œI still can’t. Master came at me with a big-ass knife. The next thing I know, he’s dead and you’ve just broken down my door. I have no idea what happened in between.”
    â€œIt did look like self-defense.”
    Tucci sat up straight. “Looked like self-defense? It was self-defense. That madman tried to kill me!”
    â€œDid he?”
    â€œAre you saying I made this whole thing up?”
    â€œI’m trying to get to the truth.”
    McDonnell tapped Pratt on the arm and got to his feet, and they left the room. Pratt followed him to the observation room next door.
    â€œWhere are you going with this?” McDonnell asked.
    â€œYeah,” Gordon chimed in. “I’d like to know that too.”
    McDonnell pointed a finger at him.
    â€œYou know what, Flash? Just shut the hell up if you can only make stupid comments.”
    Pratt looked through the mirror into the next room. Carolyn was slumped back in her chair, eyes shut.
    â€œThe two other boys in the band told me some interesting things,” he began slowly. “They didn’t say anything earlier, probably out of a sense of loyalty. The long and short of it is, Carolyn was playing both Jamie Clark and Mike Master. She’s not what she seems.”
    Pratt went back to the interview room. Sitting at the table across from Carolyn, he waited until she finally looked up. McDonnell slipped in but stayed near the door.
    â€œCarolyn,” Pratt said, “I have Fedrano and Blair down the hall. They’ve been telling me about you and Jamie Clark and Mike Master.”
    â€œWhat did they tell you?” she sneered. “They don’t like me. Everything they’ve said is lies.”
    â€œDid you sleep with Mike Master last night?”
    â€œI