They started the set at twelve fifty-six a.m., Jamil said, showing her a timeline hed created on a second monitor. They didnt wrap up for good until four oh-two a.m., though they did take several breaks in between. For most of the break time, they just hung around the area, doing a lot of…getting to know their fans. They did take two longer breaks, both about ten minutes. One was from one forty-seven a.m. to one fifty-eight a.m. The other was from two fifty-two a.m. to three oh-four a.m. In both cases, Avalon is off camera. That second break is technically within the window of death for Ms. Estrada.

But… Jessie said, leadingly, already sensing where he was going with this.

But, he said, the chances that Avalon could have stopped singing, gone all the way to Otiss private residence in West House, had some encounter with Ms. Estrada in which he removed her top and killed her, all before getting back to resume the set at three oh-four, are, to say the least, remote.

Theres more, Karen said. Show her the footage when they picked back up at three oh-four a.m.

Jamil hit a button, and a time-stamped image of Percy sitting down on a stone bench began to play. The guy immediately made a crack about his aging bladder. He looked relaxed and untroubled. There was none of the anxiety or nervousness one might expect of a man who had just rushed back from breaking a womans neck only minutes earlier halfway across the property.

Jessie had met people who were cold enough to react that way after committing murder, but not many. Plus he didnt look winded. She had to admit that while not a technical impossibility, the likelihood that Percy was Millys killer seemed remote.

What about Davey? she asked.

Ah, now thats another story, Jamil said, pulling up a new series of clips and walking her through them. I used facial recognition from every social media video I could find to track his whereabouts. Hes hanging out with the rest of the band and the entourage regularly until around one forty-five a.m.

Jessie pointed to a few of the images.

It looks as if hes drinking in almost every clip you have of him, she noted.

Whats the significance of that? Jamil asked.

He claims he passed out at some point and woke up near the petting zoo.

Thats certainly possible, Jamil conceded. Heres the last definitive image I have of him, in the corner of the screen while the band is playing at one forty-four a.m. You can see him get up and head off toward the west. Hes stumbling and looking generally unsteady. After that, he completely disappears until we see him getting in the limo with the band as they leave the estate.

Jessie looked over at Karen, who was doing an impressive job of hiding her I told you so face.