Chapter 4
It didn't take long to figure out Gabby Templeton was the girl in Lily's Econ class.
I pulled up pictures of her on social media.
The resemblance to the bloated corpse was clear.
Gabby had once been a gorgeous blonde with a wholesome face, blue eyes, and an adorable smile. Definitely a heartbreaker.
I looked for relationship information, but didn't see any indication of a boyfriend. There weren’t any pictures on her social media feed that would suggest as much. The occasional guy at a party here and there. But nothing that looked long-term.
The administration office had given me the name of her roommate and told me which dorm she was in.
Jack drove toward campus, and I ran background through the online portal. From what I could tell, Gabby had no next of kin. Her mother had passed away not long ago.
At the university, Jack parked in the Founders’ Court. We hopped out and hustled across campus to the Wharton tower.
The sun had dipped below the horizon. At this hour, the foot traffic on campus had died down.
A few students scurried about the Georgian architecture.
Red brick buildings with limestone quoins.
The glow from the lamplight illuminated pretty faces.
There were plenty of girls with hair pulled back in ponytails, short-shorts, and tank tops. Greek letters embroidered on clothing.
We made our way to the Wharton and stepped inside.
Students lounged around, sipping on coffee, listening to earpods, studying.
The luxury high-rise had all the amenities.
There was a coffee shop, a sandwich shop, and a convenience store in the lobby.
You never had to leave campus if you didn't want to.
We took the elevator up to the 19th floor. At this time of day, there wasn’t much activity, but waiting for an elevator at 8 o'clock in the morning could definitely make you late for class.
We ambled down the hallway and banged on the door to #1912.
Indie rock music seeped through. Footsteps padded down the foyer.
A girl with pink hair pulled open the door a moment later and looked at us with uncertain eyes.
I flashed my badge and made introductions. "Are you Sierra?”
Her face tightened. "Why do you want to know?”
Sierra had a bit of an attitude. I got the impression she didn't like authority. Her wrist was adorned with bands and bracelets. She had multiple piercings in her ears and one in her nose.
"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Gabby is deceased."
Sierra's eyes rounded with surprise. "What happened?”
"That's what we’re trying to find out. Maybe you can tell us.”
"I don't know. I haven't seen her in a few days.”
"When was the last time you saw her?"
Sierra thought about it. "I don't know. Friday. I'm not sure."
"Can we talk inside?”
A few other students had taken notice.
Sierra hesitated. "Yeah, I guess.”
She stepped aside, and we walked into the dorm room. She closed the door behind us as we walked into the living area.
It was a typical dorm with two twin beds, a dresser, two desks, shelving, and a mix of artwork on the walls that clashed. It was easy to tell which side of the room was Gabby’s. It was softer and had a cozy vibe. Sierra had pictures of punk bands and skaters on the wall.
"The last time you talked to her, did she say where she was going?" I asked.
"I didn't really pay attention, to tell you the truth."
"Were you two close?”
Sierra shrugged. "Not really. Just roommates. Luck of the draw kind of thing. I didn't know her before this semester.”
"Did you get along?”
"I guess,” she said with a shrug. “I mean, you live with someone long enough, you’re gonna start to hate them."
"Did you hate Gabby?"
She gave me an annoyed look. "How did she die?"
"We're still working out those details. If you hadn't seen her in a few days, why didn't you report it?"
"Report what?”
"If my roommate went missing, I might get a little worried,” I said.
"I didn't think about it. I was enjoying the time alone. I didn’t have to listen to her crappy music or hear her talk on the phone incessantly. The girl never shut up. And I mean never."
"So you didn't get along.”
Sierra's eyes narrowed at me. "Typical roommate stuff.”
“Can you think of anybody who may have wanted to harm her?”
“So, you’re saying she was murdered?”
"She didn't die of natural causes, I can tell you that."
"You should talk to Tiffany,” Sierra said. “She lives just down the hall. They were pretty tight."
"Which unit?”
"1917. You should probably talk to the girls in her sorority, too.”
“Which sorority?"
"Alpha Epsilon Beta Theta.” Sierra's lip curled with involuntary disgust.
"I take it you didn't pledge this year?"
"Hell no! You couldn't pay me to do something like that. It's humiliating. I don't need to buy my friends."
I dug into my pocket and handed her a card. "If you remember any details or hear anything around campus, get in touch." I paused. "Was Gabby dating anybody?”
Sierra shrugged. "She never brought anybody back here. I don't know what she did on her own time.”
I thanked her and said we’d be in touch. JD and I left the dorm room and ambled down the hall to Room #1917.