Brutal

3

"Cooper, sit here, give me moral support."

"For?"

"I'm calling Beckett's family. She has a sister. I guess, elder."

"Ah! I'll be here. Talk to her."

She waited as the ring went.

"Hello," the female from the other end said.

"Hi. Is this Flaire Beckett?"

"Speaking."

"I'm Lieutenant Ford from NYCB. I have some bad news for you. Your sister, Laura—" she looked at Cooper, and sighed— "she was murdered this morning."

"Is this some prank call? Because I don't believe this could be possible. It hasn't even been two whole days since she last video-called me. I saw her face, all cheerful, just the ereyesterday. This is wrong."

"No, Ms. Beckett, she's your sister. We've verified everything before we called you. NYCB is very sorry for your loss."

"No, Lieutenant. It's just not possible. You have for sure made some mistake."

"No, Ms. Beckett. There is no mistake, absolutely."

"No. I would like to see for myself. I'm reaching NYCB in two hours."

"Great. Then we'll speak when you reach."

Exactly in two hours, she was there. Punctual, Ford thought, and terribly in refutation.

"I want to see Lieutenant Ford."

"That's me," Ford said, from behind her.

She spun around to see Ford. Sorrow and rebuttal was all there was, in her eyes.

"Please follow me, Ms. Beckett." Ford was used to rebuttal, as she was to sorrow, anger and purposely feigned indifference.

"Sure."

Ford gestured for her to enter first when she reached her office.

"Please take a seat."

"No. I'm okay right here."

"As you wish. Now, would you like to answer a few questions first or go to the morgue?"

Flaire suddenly sobered. "I wouldn't be able to think straight once I see her. Ask me the questions." She peered up at Ford. "She isn't really dead, is she?"

Denial, Ford recognized it. "I'm not pranking you, Ms. Beckett. She is really dead. Okay, so could I ask you a few questions?"

"Yeah," she said, dejected, "go ahead."

"What did Laura tell you when you last spoke to her?"

"That she was doing really well. Really enjoying grad school. She had her longtime friend with her, Emily. I heard about her, too. It's really horrible you know."

"Yeah. Is that all she told you?"

"Oh, yes, Laura, we were talking about her. She told me about this guy she was tutoring for Economics. Someone she met at a club; talks ended up in him admitting that he sucked at Econ, so she offered to tutor him."

"You know his name? Other related stuff?"

"Name, I know, something Duncan. Matthew Duncan. He was that guy. And, what else? She told me nothing other than the fact that they were getting along pretty well."

"Okay. Anything specific you remember?"

"No. She was just her usual cheerful self, so I never thought anything was off."