In Death 24 - Innocent in Death

away from that. It’s another avenue we need to explore.”
    “All right. But in her current mood you may not get anything but the silent treatment, too.
    I’ll get her.”
    Angela rose and walked out of the room. Eve could hear muted voices-the impatience in the mother’s, the sulky defiance in the child’s.
    Shortly, a grim-faced little girl was marched into the living area by her equally grim-faced parent. “Melodie, sit. And if you’re as impolite to Lieutenant Dallas and Detective Peabody as you have been to me, you can expect to be on house arrest for the next two weeks.”
    Melodie shrugged, a pissy little gesture, and kept her gaze on the floor as she plopped into a chair.
    “It’s not my fault Mr. Foster and Mr. Williams are dead. But I get punished.”
    “I’m not going to start this round again,” Angela said wearily.
    Eve decided to do a straight push. “Melodie, I need Rayleen’s diary.”
    The girl’s chin jerked up, quick shock, then just as quickly lowered. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”
    “Sure you do. Rayleen gave you her diary. I need to have it.”
    “I don’t have Rayleen’s diary.”
    “But she has a diary.”
    “She…I don’t know. Diaries are private.”
    “Do you have one?”
    “Yes, ma’am. It’s private.” And she looked imploringly at her mother.
     
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    “Yes, it is.” Angela sat on the arm of Melodie’s chair, laid a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. Whatever their battle lines, Eve noted, this was a united front. “Melodie knows she can write whatever she needs or wants to write in her diary, and no one will read it. I don’t understand what this is about.”
    “Privacy’s important,” Eve agreed. “So’s friendship. I guess a lot of friends don’t mind sharing what’s in their diary. Did you read Rayleen’s?”
    “No, she wouldn’t…Um. Maybe she doesn’t have one.”
    Eve took the logical leap. “She gave it to you Thursday, when she came over. What did she tell you to do with it?”
    “She just came over to play, that’s all. And to hang. We can’t go to school because Mr.
    Williams drowned in the pool.” Tears began to swim in Melodie’s eyes. “And everything’s totally base, and now Ray and I won’t even go to the same school anymore.
    She’s my best friend. Best friends stick together.”
    “Melodie, do you know what a warrant is? I can get one,” Eve continued as Melodie just hunched up. “It’ll give me permission to search your room. I don’t want to do that.”
    “Lieutenant,” Angela said, shocked. “My God, whatis this?”
    “I need to see the diary, Melodie. I’ll search your room if I have to.”
    “You won’t find it. You won’t! Because Ray-” She broke off, gripped her mother’s hand.
    “I promised. I promised. Mom. You’re not supposed to break a promise.”
    “No, you’re not. It’s all right, baby.” She gathered Melodie up. “Is Rayleen in trouble?”
    she asked Eve.
    “I’ll know more when I have the diary. This is in Melodie’s best interest.”
    “Wait. Just wait.” Angela closed her eyes a moment, the struggle on her face obvious.
    Then she tipped Melodie’s face up to hers and spoke quietly. “Sweetie, you have to tell the police the truth. That’s important.”
    “I promised!”
    “The truth is as important as a promise. Tell me, sweetie, do you have Rayleen’s diary?”
    “I don’t! I don’t! I took it back to her last night. I only had it for a little while, and I didn’t read it. It’s locked up, but I wouldn’t have read it even if it wasn’t. I swore anoath. ”
     
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    “Okay, baby, that’s okay. She doesn’t have it,” Angela said to Eve. “I won’t insist you get a warrant if you feel compelled to look for it. But I’m telling you, if she says she doesn’t have it, she doesn’t have it.”
    “That won’t be necessary. Melodie, what did Rayleen tell you when she gave you the diary?”
    “She said the police were going to come and go through all her things.”
    “Oh, my God,” Angela murmured. “You searched the Straffos’ apartment? I didn’t know.
    I let Melodie go over there. I-”
    “Nothing happened to Melodie, and nothing will,” Eve interrupted. “Go on, Melodie.”
    “She just asked me to keep it, not to tell about what was going on, not to tellanyone that she gave it to me. It’s private, it’s a diary. It wouldn’t be right for strangers to read her private thoughts. She could trust me because we’re best