He shook his head. “Some things, but I have a timeline and all important documents at my apartment, off campus.” He looked at his phone. “We don’t really have time to go over there before the show, but maybe after, if you want.”
“That’s good for me if it’s good for you.”
“Yeah. Any help you can give I’d appreciate.”
She didn’t have anything else to do, and helping Lucas solve this murder—along with giving Candace’s family closure—gave her a purpose.
Which Regan really needed right now.
Nine
Regan had never been inside the campus recording studio before—she’d never had reason to be. While she didn’t have a lot of experience with radio or podcasts, the studio appeared state-of-the-art, small but well-appointed. Lucas’s partner, Lizzy, was a bundle of energy and came into the room drinking a Red Bull. Cute and petite, Lizzy might have weighed ninety pounds soaking wet.
“We’re so excited that you agreed to come in,” Lizzy said with a grin, revealing deep dimples. “I’m Lucas’s producer, I guess you can say. I handle the recording, the live cast, editing, taking calls, the whole nine yards. I even convinced my advisor to give me a credit for the work as part of an independent-study project.” She laughed. “Not that I need it, but it’s nice to have the points, you know?”
“Slight change of plans,” Lucas said. “I’m going to read an email I got last night, and Regan is going to help frame the questions. If we don’t get immediate calls, then I’ll interview her about missing-persons cases as I planned, and specifically how to handle witnesses. I’m hoping having someone of her caliber in the studio will make people feel more comfortable calling in. But I also want to cut in with the second part of the interview with Chrissy, what she says after I tell her about the forensics report.”
“Tugging on heartstrings,” Lizzy said.
“Chrissy wants to help,” Lucas said. “She knows what I’m trying to do here.”
“I was kinda joking. But it is emotional for her. That plays on the tape. I’ll have it cued up for you, just give me the signal.”
Lucas motioned for Regan to follow him into a soundproof booth. Lizzy was on the other side of thick glass with most of the controls. Lucas had his laptop, plus on the table was a multiline telephone and speaker that went into the producer’s booth. Two comfortable chairs were positioned in front of the hanging mic.
“Lizzy had never done this before, but she learned everything practically overnight,” he said. “I couldn’t do this without her.”
“Good friends are hard to come by,” Regan said. She thought of Jessie, who would do anything for her. And likewise.
Lucas pulled two semicold water bottles from his backpack, put one in front of her. “I’ll introduce you first, ask a bit about US Marshals, then why I asked you to join me, then I’ll read the email, okay?” He opened his laptop and turned a page to her. “I’m going to read this by way of introduction. Good?”
She skimmed the brief bio. “Yes, perfect. Slick to mention my dad.”
“Yeah, well, anything I can do to command authority, or whatever it is that people are waiting for before they call. And I know they’re out there.”
Lucas and Lizzy tested all the equipment, then she started the countdown. The on-air light came on above the door, which they could see through the booth. Lizzy controlled the music lead-in, then Lucas took over. He gave a brief summary of the last two episodes then said, “With me tonight is NAU alum and former US Marshal Regan Merritt. Regan majored in criminal justice and psychology. She follows a long line of law enforcement—her grandfather was a forest ranger in Kaibab, her father was the elected sheriff of Coconino County for sixteen years before retiring three years ago, and her brother is a deputy sheriff for Maricopa County. The last six of her thirteen years in the Marshals Service she served as part of the Fugitive Apprehension Unit.”
He explained what the Marshals Service did, then said, “I planned on asking Regan questions about missing persons and witness recollection, and I will do that later in the episode, but first I want to read an email I received from someone who signed it A Concerned Sister. She chose to come forward after hearing our caller on Friday.”
He read the key part of the email, leaving out the comment about the sorority protecting its image.
“I saw Candace driving like a bat out of hell into Mountain View parking. It was around ten at night, two days after the party, Sunday night, and she almost hit me. I don’t know if that helps you, but I’d get in trouble if I called.”