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Her husband squeezed her tighter to him.
“Detective Stenson and I just wanted to inform you as soon as possible, knowing that you would be expecting Leah shortly.”
“Though it turns out we’d have had reason to worry,” Margo whispered. Her bottom lip quivered as did her chin, and a fresh stream of tears fell.
“At least we’re not left wondering, Margo.” The man reached across himself to take his wife’s hand and squeezed. “It’s better than not knowing.” Walter looked at Amanda and Trent. “Thank you for that consideration.”
Amanda simply nodded. Now she considered that leaving them to stew might have been the friendlier option. After all, hope existed in uncertainty, but it was too late to extend that mercy. “We do have a few questions you might be able to help us with.”
Walter’s body stiffened, and Margo retracted her hand from his and leaned against him, still secured under her husband’s arm.
“Did Leah usually work the Sunday night shift at the Fill N Go?” If it was routine, it was possible the killer targeted her, counting on her to be alone. Though that net would capture everyone from those in Leah’s world to regular customers.
Margo shook her head. “Just last week and last night.”
Walter spoke. “Since she got off for Christmas break from school, she asked for extra shifts.”
“I told her over and over again how dangerous it was for a young woman to work alone at that time of night. She wouldn’t listen.” Margo’s facial expression pinched in on itself, making Amanda think that grief and anger were facing off in an internal battle. “Was she…?” She met Amanda’s gaze in a moment of woman-to-woman telepathy, and Amanda was quite sure what Margo wanted to know.
“There’s nothing leading us to believe that Leah was sexually assaulted,” Amanda said with some confidence.
“But you don’t know for sure?” Margo’s blue eyes were electric.
“I’m sorry, but we don’t,” Amanda said softly. The shooter could have raped her, dressed her, then killed her, though the likelihood was slim.
Margo nodded, a few more tears falling in silence.
“How long had Leah worked at the gas station?” Trent had a tablet with him, and it was on, the screen of the notepad app open and awaiting his entries.
“She’s been there for about six months now,” Walter said.
“Did she regularly work nights?” She’d asked specifically about Sundays a moment ago and wanted to clarify. The owner of Fill N Go could tell them, but the more answers they had sooner than later, the better.
Walter shook his head. “She covered a few Saturdays because she could sleep in the next day.”
“If she’d only listened to me. And why now of all times? It’s Christmas, Walter. We’re supposed to be together as a family.” Margo’s cheeks flushed red as she looked at her husband, her lips pursed together in a tight line.
It felt like husband and wife had retreated into their own world and she and Trent were trespassing. Amanda sensed the impact of the loss was sinking in. They would never celebrate another Christmas with their daughter. The first one without Kevin and Lindsey had been brutal, and they had died six months prior to the holiday.
After giving the couple a few moments, Amanda said, “We won’t be much longer, but was Leah seeing anyone or did she have any ex-boyfriends who weren’t thrilled about breaking up?” It was just one scenario to explore.
“You think that someone targeted our sweet girl?” Margo winced from the brash nature of her own question.
“I’m just trying to cover all possibilities, Mrs.Bernard,” Amanda said levelly.
Margo looked at Walter to field this one. “Our daughter is one of the most gentle, loving spirits I’ve ever known, and I’m not just saying that because she’s our girl. She was making the world a better place. ‘Leave it better than you found it’ she’d often say.” Walter paused, a rogue tear spilling out, which he palmed away. “She was saving for veterinary college. She absolutely loved animals. Dogs especially.”
Amanda picked up on the slips from present tense to past and understood the full transition to the latter would take time.
Trent looked up from his tablet. “She was wearing a pin that said ‘Dogs are for life.’”
“Leah wore that one a lot, more so around Christmas,” Walter said. “It broke her heart when people gifted puppies and they wound up being dropped off at a shelter. She talked a lot about opening a slew of no-kill shelters across the US. She was a big dreamer.”
When the victim had been someone as kind and impactful as Leah Bernard, the loss belonged to everyone. “Your daughter sounds like she was an incredible human being.” If the murder was personal, it was hard to imagine motive at this stage.
“She is— Was.” Margo hiccupped a sob and folded into herself.
Amanda allowed Margo a few more seconds to calm down, then circled back to her initial question. “It’s not easy to think of someone wanting to harm your daughter, but if anyone comes to mind, please tell us. Maybe a current boyfriend, or an ex?”
