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“Yes,” she says, knowing it will probably show up on JJ’s toxicology testing.
The detective scratches more notes. “Is there any known association between ketamine and suicide, Dr. Danvers?”
“Yes, but in the reverse sense,” she says. “Ketamine is one of the only medications proven to lower someone’s risk of suicide. Even after a single dose.”
“OK. Aside from the two victims being in the same group, what else makes you think their deaths might be related?”
Holly tells him how JJ admitted to speaking to Elaine on the night of her overdose and how she felt responsible for not sharing some kind of warning with her.
“Warning? Ms. Jang used that specific word?”
“No. I inferred it. JJ said she should have told Elaine something. But to me, it sounded as if she felt guilty for not warning Elaine about something.”
“What?”
“I have no idea.”
“All right.” But his expression is doubtful.
Holly sighs. “Look. JJ had no history of previous suicide attempts. Or even depression. In my judgment, her jumping off the balcony… it just doesn’t fit.”
Detective Rivers lowers his pen. “We’ll have to wait for the medical examiner’s report and the toxicology results. Meantime, I’ll liaise with the detectives in Laguna Beach who investigated Ms. Golding’s death. But I can tell you this much: there was no evidence of a struggle found at the scene.”
Holly feels deflated, but she’s not ready to concede. “Let’s say, hypothetically, that JJ didn’t choose to jump and someone pushed her…”
“Go on.”
“Would you always expect to see signs of a struggle if, say, she trusted the other person?”
“Not necessarily. No.” His smile is almost apologetic. “I’ll look into everything you’ve told me today, Dr. Danvers. If anything turns up, we’ll absolutely pursue it. But it’s more likely than not these deaths are just a tragic coincidence.” His smile fades. “Or, at least, not murder.”
CHAPTER 33
Aaron pours himself a generous two fingers of Glenmorangie, his favorite single malt. He rarely drinks alone, but this evening it feels appropriate to do so. Maybe even necessary. A day that started out with so much promise has rapidly turned to crap. Holly left his bed while he was still sleeping. And then she called to cancel her plans to stay over again tonight, but not before telling him that she had spoken to a detective in Newport Beach.
Just as he lowers himself onto the couch, he hears the deadbolt turn and hopes that Holly might have changed her mind. He’s disappointed to see his son saunter through the doorway.
“Hey, Dad,” Graham grunts. “Got anything to eat?”
“Did I know you were coming over tonight?”
“I had a date downtown. It’s on the way home.”
By the fact that it’s barely nine o’clock and his son is looking for food, Aaron surmises the date didn’t go well, but he asks anyway, “How was it?”
Graham shrugs. “She was a bit of a cunt.”
“You know how I feel about that word,” Aaron snaps, thinking that it’s no wonder his son is perpetually single.
“If the shoe fits, Dad…” Graham says as he heads to the fridge and helps himself to the last bottle of Aaron’s favorite imported Belgian beer.
“What exactly did she do?”
Graham returns to the living room and plunks down on the chair across from him. “For starters, she talked nonstop the whole hour while downing two glasses of very expensive pinot noir.”
“Didn’t you tell me you always split the bill on first dates?”
“But my half of her fifty-dollar wine tab was a lot more than her half of my ten-dollar beer.”
