Gun Games - Faye Kellerman [110]
She said, “Thank you for your wishes.”
After Marge left, Decker said, “I’ll take you to see Yasmine—”
“I really am sorry about the boy.” Her eyes watered up. “It is terrible.”
“As one parent to another, I appreciate your sympathy.”
“What about the boy? After he gets out of the hospital, he stay here?”
“You mean with me?” Decker raised his eyebrows. “I’m concerned for him as well. Once Gabe is well enough, I’ll probably send him to his father’s.”
“Where does his father live?”
“In Nevada.”
“That is very good.” She regarded Decker. “I have nothing bad against Gabe, but it can’t go on.” She sighed. “How much already go on? That is the question.”
“I didn’t even know Gabe was seeing your daughter until I picked them up this morning.”
“You pick them up this morning?”
“Gabe called me and said they were in trouble. I came down and got them.”
“So I say thank you.” She welled up with tears again but tried to hide it. “I want to see her . . . my daughter.”
Decker said, “Good idea, Mrs. Nourmand. She knows a lot more about what happened than I do.”
Yasmine’s trembling finger pointed to position number four. Her eyes moistened. “This one.”
Wanda said, “Are you sure?”
Yasmine nodded as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her voice was very small. “I’m positive.”
“Could you circle your choice with this pen?” Marge asked her.
Yasmine complied, the circle wobbly because her hands were shaking so forcefully. Marge brought out the second set. “What about this group of girls? Does anyone look familiar?”
Yasmine gasped and pointed to Cameron Cole. “This one! She was horrible!”
“I’m so sorry, honey. Can you circle your choice for me again?”
Her voice rose in pitch. “She kept saying I was going to . . . to die.”
Marge placed the pen in her hand, and the girl managed another circle around Cameron Cole’s face. At that moment, Decker and Sohala Nourmand came through the door. Instantly Yasmine leaped into her mother’s waiting arms, clutching her with such force that her hands turned red. Her sobs were deep and frightening. Sohala started crying as well. She said, “You are okay?”
Yasmine nodded, her face buried in her mother’s bosom. “Mommy, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
Marge said to Decker, “Positive ID for both. I’ll get Lee to pull warrants for the home and school. Right now, I’m off to the hospital. Do me a favor and let Oliver know what’s going on.”
“You bet. Remember to tell the surgeon to save the bullet for forensics.” Decker looked at Wanda. “Do you need anything?”
“Do you want me to conduct the interview here?”
“Everything else is occupied.”
“There’s no video camera.”
Decker said, “I’ll get you a tape recorder.” He hurried out of the room.
Yasmine sobbed. “I wanna go home!”
Wanda said, “Sweetheart, we have to ask you some questions—”
“Please, Mommy! I don’t want to talk anymore.” She was wailing. “I’m soooo sorry. I just wanna go home.”
To Wanda’s surprise, Sohala broke off the hug. “Yasmine, you have to tell the police what happened.”
“It was horrible—”
“So tell them.”
Decker returned with the tape recorder. He was glad to leave the hysteria to Wanda, who busied herself in setting up the equipment. Sohala tried to soothe the panicked teen. She took her daughter by the shoulders. “Yasmine, the boy got shot—”
“Oh God!” she cried out. “My poor Gabriel got hurt, and it’s all my fault!”
“Yasmine, I worry about you. Detective Decker thinks you are in danger.”
Yasmine looked at her with wide, wet eyes.
Sohala said, “I am going to send you to live with Auntie Sofi. You finish school at YULA.”
“Why?”
“Because Detective Decker thinks you are in danger. Don’t you hear me?”
“But what . . . about Gabe?” Yasmine’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“That is not my business or your business, Yasmine. But . . . I will tell you anyway because I have a soft heart. Detective Decker sends him to his father in Nevada.”
Wanda watched the teen’s face crumple. It was absolutely pathetic.
Sohala wagged a finger in front of her daughter’s eyes. “You stop crying now and tell police what happened! Afterward,