Chapter 37
THIRTY-SEVEN
Katie and McGaven were back at their office trying to make some connections between all the different pieces of evidence and the information they’d gleaned to see if a suspect emerged.
Katie added to the murder boards the new information about the other metal fastener Anderson found and the deliberate digging of a water trap.
She also added the kidnapping from that morning and would continue to add information as it became available from patrol and Detective Alvarez.
McGaven expertly worked his way through social media profiles with the name Shelby Roberts and its variations.
From John, Katie had obtained a photo of the metal staple or fastener that had been used on Shelby’s body.
She put up an image of the body from both before and after extraction.
She studied them on the board. When the hardware device was securing Shelby’s body to the tree, it looked like something that might be used to hold the bones together in hip or knee replacement.
But after it was carefully cut and the body removed, the two pieces making one looked oddly out of place with any other medical fasteners or hardware devices.
It was specialized and Katie wondered where and how you would acquire something like this.
McGaven stared at the photos too. “That looks almost ancient, you know. Some kind of medieval device for holding bodies upright,” he said.
“Interesting perspective and choice of words.”
He shrugged. “Okay, I found Shelby’s page. It was actually really easy.”
Katie joined him and pulled up a chair.
McGaven turned the laptop slightly toward her. “Here’s her page. That’s definitely her, right?”
“Yes,” said Katie. She watched the images McGaven scrolled through. They were typical photos people seemed to feel the need to take when they went places or ate food.
“The usual in the city, vacation, with Tyler, holding a kitten…” said McGaven.
“When was the last posting?”
“Looks like around a week or so before she disappeared. Tricky, since we don’t have an exact date, but it’d be close to that.”
Katie looked at each one. “Let’s take a closer look at those from the coffee house and with Tyler.”
There were two images on the patio of the coffee shop. McGaven put one into a software program where it showed the entire image and not just what was seen on the social media page. He carefully enlarged the photo and moved it around.
“Look at that,” said Katie, amazed at everything in the background. “You can see people enjoying their coffee at tables.”
McGaven stopped on a section where there was a man in a baseball cap, heavy sweatshirt, and sunglasses. He was half in the frame, but had his face turned slightly toward the camera. He was expressionless, lips tight, jaw clenched.
The detectives stared at him.
“He definitely doesn’t look like he belongs there. Everyone else seems to be enjoying the moment,” she said. “There’s not enough for an ID. But he certainly seems to be watching and surveying.”
“It’s creepy,” he said. “But I don’t think there’s enough for the barista to identify him.”
“He’s definitely watching Shelby. What’s the timestamp or posting date?” she said.
“Looks like morning around 9 a.m. eleven days ago.”
“Patricia disappeared this morning around that time.”
“True.” Katie tried to imagine the man in this grainy image was their perpetrator, but there were too many variables. “Let’s see if there’s a guy lurking in the background in any other photos.”
The detectives spent more than a half hour looking at posted photos with Shelby. Nothing proved to be worthy of more investigation.
“There’s not even enough of the photo to use for a database search,” said Katie. “It’s frustrating. Can you send it to John? Maybe he can work some magic?”
McGaven’s cell phone buzzed. He looked at his text message. “It’s Chris. He’s asking if there’s anything we need him to do.”
Katie’s thoughts immediately went back to yesterday and how the deputy saved her and Cisco from harm—or worse.
She realized the near-drowning incident bothered her more than she originally realized.
“What do you think about having Chris tail Tyler? It might be useful. I don’t completely trust he’s been honest with us and there’s too much at stake.
And then we can pose as a couple at the hotel? ”
“We haven’t done that in a while. Do I need to clear it with Denise?” He smirked.
“You’re funny.”
“Well, that’s easy for you to say… I don’t want John mad at me. He has Navy Seal moves.”
“While we’re waiting for forensics and anything new from today, we need to make every second count.”
“Agreed,” he said.
“Let’s do a background on the hotel and its layout before visiting.”
“I haven’t been there. Too rich for my blood,” he said grimly.
Katie laughed. “Not my kind of place either. I like simple. Can you handle pretending you’re some type of financial tycoon and I’m your newest conquest?” She kept smiling.
“It’s going to be a serious stretch.”
She elbowed him.
One of the photographs fell off the wall.
Katie picked up the image, which was of the Bates’s manufactured home.
She stuck it back up on the board. She kept trying to work what had happened—and been found there—into her investigation.
Too many things had happened around that home for it to be a coincidence.
She decided to make a list next to the photos.
It would help her to think about it all, and to literally see any anomalies or connections.
167 Acorn Road, Rockview (place of interest).
Brandon Bates committed an armed robbery/attempted murder then came home to barricade himself. SWAT intervened and was able to take Bates into custody.
Found a secret compartment in the floor where human body parts were found.
Bates claimed he didn’t know they were there or the person who put it there???
Detectives visited and were shot at, taken under fire. Was a person trying to kill them or scare them? (Photos of the exterior showed that bullets were high on the building.)
Katie stared at the photographs and the list. “What are we not seeing?”
McGaven looked up to the board.
“I have this gut feeling that everything is connected,” she said. “But why or how?”
“This is interesting,” he said.
Katie moved her attention away from the home to McGaven.
“It seems the hotel has been in trouble before.”
“For what?”
“It looks like the top two floors were rented out to high-power individuals who, shall we say, are breaking the law. People have hidden out or conducted their organized crime biz there, along with drug trafficking.”
“Really?”
“This was a number of years ago, but it shows the hotel has had some interesting occupants,” he said.
“It might be a good place for someone to stay unnoticed. It’s interesting that Tyler told us he and Shelby would go there to sit by the pool or gardens. He didn’t say if the employees were allowed to be there. It had sounded comfortable, a private place to spend time together.”
“Let’s find out what’s going on… maybe subtly ask questions about a man watching couples without giving up our cover?” he said.
“I want to find out more about Tyler. Even though his record is clean… there’s something else there.” Katie glanced at the board again, looking at Shelby’s photo. “I think Chris can blend in during his surveillance. He’s young enough.”
McGaven nodded. “I’m going to prep him a bit. By the way, I think you have a new fan there.”
“Really, Gav?” she said with sarcasm.
“Just saying it how I see it.”
“He’s a good guy and great cop. And I’m indebted to him.”
McGaven squeezed his partner’s arm. The jokes stopped.
“Does Tyler have social media?” she asked.
“I couldn’t find anything. I guess he isn’t into selfies… and there was only that one photo of him with Shelby.”
The detectives worked longer in the office before they left to get ready for their evening at the hotel.
Katie couldn’t help but think there was something big they were missing—hovering over their heads.
And still she hadn’t worked out what the killer wanted with her. Maybe they’d get closer tonight.