[RebelYell]

After Friday’s win over Detroit, I met with the players about the off-the-field issues. I told them part of what I knew without telling any of them that I had discovered the crime scene and made the 911 call. The detectives were aware of my part in the case and, following my initial interview with them, I felt there was an unspoken understanding that their best path to the players was through me.

So, as the conduit for the Seattle detectives, I told my players that I would take in any information they might have had about the case and relay it to the detectives in complete confidentiality. I knew it was a long shot. I wouldn’t have told anybody about my part in the case and I didn’t expect these guys, many of whom had only known me for a couple of months, to put much trust in me.

But my little fishing expedition did have one bite.

Following Sunday’s doubleheader, one of the guys who was in the room with the girl two days before her murder came into my office and shut the door.

“B.D., I was with that girl who got killed,” he said. “I saw her picture in the paper Friday morning and that girl was in my room Monday afternoon.”

This wasn’t news to me. I had seen him there with two other players.

This guy was scared. He was married less than two years and his fear wasn’t that he had done anything inconceivable, like killing girl. No, he was concerned about his reputation. He thought word could get around about him being in the presence of the girl.

It was understandable for him to be a little scared.

I asked him what happened in the room.

“We were down in the lobby messing around and this girl came over to talk to us. We didn’t shy away and Grady or Jody -- one of 'em -- asked her if she wanted to come up and have a soda. She said sure and came up to our floor.
We just talked for 30 minutes and then she had to go.”

Did she say where she was going?

“No, she just thanked us for the soda and headed back to the elevator. I guess she went back down to the lobby.”

I had a lot of questions. Did she say anything about herself? Why she was there? Was she meeting somebody? What did she do for a living?

But I didn’t say anything for a minute. And then I asked:
Did you see her again or make plans to see her again?

He bit his lip a little. Not a good poker face.

“She gave Grady her phone number. I suppose it was her cell phone.”

I frowned a little bit and then nodded.
But you didn’t see her again the whole trip?

“No sir. I wasn’t looking for her, but I think I would have noticed her. Even if she had been at the game in the crowd.”

All right, I said. You better go home and get some rest. We’ve got to head out for Baltimore in the morning.