Mettner said, “Gerry? You work in the lobby?”
Gerry nodded. From a breast pocket he produced a tissue which he pressed against one eye and then the other.
Mettner said, “All students enter through the lobby?”
“Yes,” Gerry said. “That’s the only way they can get in. There’s two doors at the back of the building but only campus staff can get into those, with their key cards.” His gaze drifted back toward Nysa. “Jesus. I had no idea. She was in here alone. She comes almost every day to swim. I had no reason to think—I should have checked, I…”
Hillary said, “Gerry, it’s okay. You did your job.”
“Did I? That girl is dead, and I don’t even know what happened.”
Josie wondered how close he had been to Nysa for her death to affect him so much. Or was he simply more sensitive to tragedy than some? Josie had seen countless reactions to sudden, tragic death from people with and without personal connections to the deceased. The reactions ranged from complete stoicism to hysteria. She looked at Mettner, silently communicating her question. He tapped away on his phone, likely making a note to investigate the connection between the guard and Nysa Somers. To Gerry, she said, “Did you see Nysa this morning when she came in?”
“Of course. That’s my job. She was here earlier than usual but yes, she came in the front door. She said good morning to me, smiled, and went into the pool area.”
Josie said, “What time was that?”
“Around six. I usually get here around five forty-five and then open the doors at six, even though on Mondays no one comes in that early. Nysa came in right after I unlocked the doors. Usually she comes in at eight.”
Josie asked, “There wasn’t anyone with her?”
“No.”
Josie looked at Nysa’s body again, her eyes moving from the white tennis shoes heavy on her feet to the white tank top and lacy pink bra underneath that Owen and Sawyer had carefully pulled back over her torso to cover her nakedness. “Was she carrying anything?”
Gerry’s hand froze, tissue inches from his face. “What?”
“Did she have a bag with her? Swim bag? Purse? Backpack, maybe?”
“I don’t—I don’t remember. I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
Mettner said, “Did you see anyone outside with her before she came in?”
“No. I can check the footage to make sure.”
“Footage?” Josie asked hopefully.
Gerry looked around the perimeter of the room. “We’ve got CCTV cameras in the lobby and on the exterior of the building.”
Disappointment stabbed at Josie. “But not in here? In the pool area?”
“I’m sorry, no,” Gerry answered. “They tried a couple of times but with the humidity, they had problems. Cameras kept breaking. New ones are supposed to be installed next month.”
Which didn’t help them now, Josie thought.
Hillary said, “They’ll want to see any footage we’ve got, Gerry. Probably need copies, too.”
Josie nodded. To Gerry, she said, “Did Nysa seem like her normal self? Or did she seem different?”
“No, not different,” Gerry answered. “She seemed the same as always. Maybe a little distracted. Sometimes she chats with me, and sometimes she just goes right in to swim. Today she just went inside. I figured she was focused on getting her swim in before her classes.”
Josie asked, “Did anyone come in after her?”
“No. It was just her till you two showed up. Like I said, Monday mornings are really slow.”
“So she was alone in this area?” Mettner clarified.
“Yes.”
“No one else was here working or doing anything else in the building?” Josie asked. “The locker rooms, the back of the building?”
“No. Just me.” He pointed to Patrick, still standing next to Josie. “Until he got here, but he went right to the vending machines. Then you showed up.”
Mettner said, “You didn’t hear anything after Nysa came in here? From the pool area?”
“No. Nothing.” He pressed a palm down on the top of his head. “I keep going over it in my mind, wondering if I missed something. The doors were closed but even with the doors closed, sometimes I can hear the kids hollering to one another. I keep wondering if she screamed. Did she scream? Did I not hear her? But why would she scream? She’s the best swimmer on the university team. She wouldn’t need saving from the water. But maybe something happened, and she did. My wife always says that drowning is silent. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what to think. I—”
Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes. Hillary tutted. “Gerry, I know you’re upset but try to pull yourself together.”
“It’s fine,” Josie said quickly. She put a hand on his shoulder.
“Thank you,” he muttered.
“I know this is very upsetting, Gerry,” Josie said. “You’re doing great. Do you think you could pull up that footage for us now?”
“Oh yes,” he said. “All the footage is in a room at the back of the building. I’ll get it for you.”
Hillary nodded at one of her uniformed officers who shepherded Gerry toward the back of the room and through a set of unmarked doors. Gerry used his key card to open the door. Josie could see a cinder block hallway beyond it.
Sawyer cleared his throat. “What’s the plan?”
Josie looked at Mettner. “Call the ERT and Dr. Feist,” she said, referring to Denton Police Department’s Evidence Response Team and the medical examiner. “Get a patrol unit up here to have this place sealed off. One officer at the front door and one at the pool doors. No one comes in or out until further notice.”
Mettner nodded and turned away from her, swiping at his phone and pressing it to his ear. Patrick sat down on a nearby bench. Everyone else stared at Josie, as though waiting for instructions. She was about to ask Chief Hahlbeck to station one of her officers at the door to the pool when a door between the pool and the lobby whooshed open. A female voice drifted ahead of its owner. “…nobody here. What the hell is going on?”
Josie pegged her for a student, given her shorts and oversized hooded sweatshirt. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail. It swung from side to side as she strode toward them. As she drew closer, Josie saw a smattering of freckles across her face. Big brown eyes widened in shock as they landed on Nysa’s form.
“Miss,” said Chief Hahlbeck, blocking her way.
But the woman pushed the Chief aside and ran toward the body. “Nysa!” she cried.
Josie thrust her arms out and caught her before she could reach the body. Momentum sent the two of them into a half-twirl. Josie kept one hand clamped over the woman’s upper arm as she tried to steer her back toward the exit. “I’m sorry, miss. You can’t be here right now.”
She contorted her body, trying to look back at her friend as Josie pushed her toward the door. “Nysa! That’s Nysa, isn’t it? Oh my God. What happened? What the hell happened?”
Six
Josie guided the young woman into the lobby. The cool air was a balm to her soaked and sweaty body. Steering the woman toward the benches lining one of the lobby walls, Josie told her, “I’m very sorry, miss. You’ll have to wait out here.”