Chapter Seventeen #2
Elle nodded. “It’s an older model. Came with the house.
The camera isn’t motion activated. It just records continuously onto a hard drive.
It also doesn’t notify me of activity. I have to purposely go and search.
I have upgraded the security system on the entrances and exits.
I’ll know if anyone tries to get in, but unless I hear a weird noise outside, I don’t check the cameras.
The video gets recorded over every thirty days, so you might not find him.
If he’s replaced the bug ten times in the last two years, that’s what… an average of every two months?”
“Something like that.” Ronan didn’t think he could do math right now if his life depended on it. “Have you cleaned your jacket in the past thirty days?”
“Yes, once. A few weeks ago, right before we came up here.”
“We can check your footage. If we’re lucky, we’ll catch him paying a visit.”
“I know where you keep the system, Ellie,” Alexis said.
“I’ll get the hard drive when I go to the city.
Which reminds me. I have to drive into San Francisco tomorrow, just for the day.
I have a court appearance I can’t reschedule.
Can you provide protection for Ellie while I’m gone?
I’m concerned that this psycho might come after her directly since his attempts to frame her haven’t succeeded. ”
“Of course.” Ronan didn’t know how he’d manage it. Howard wouldn’t want to put 24/7 protection on Elle Randolph, but the killer’s escalation did make it necessary. “But as for collecting the hard drive from her security camera, it would be better if one of our guys picked it up.”
“Chain of evidence,” Alexis said. “Of course. But Elle will need to consent to them going into her home or they’ll need a warrant.”
“I should require a warrant. I am a lawyer, after all. But I’ll consent if Alexis is present and if they take only the hard drive.”
That was more than fair, he thought. “I’ll have my boss contact you today, Ms. Hellier. You can coordinate our coverage with him.”
Elle held up a hand. “I’d say I was paranoid, but…ten people are dead. Can whoever goes to my place take Alexis to court, too? Be her security detail for the day?”
“I’ll ask my boss. I think he’ll agree.” Because…ten people are dead. He rose, trying to fight back a yawn and failing. “I’m heading out. I’ll stop by the front desk to see if there are any exits not covered by the cameras. Try to get some rest.”
He saw himself out and went down the inn’s stairs to the front desk, where the staff were moving stiffly, their eyes red and swollen. They were in shock after hearing of Judith’s murder.
“Hi, Carrie,” he said, nodding to the woman behind the desk who he knew well. They’d gone to high school together.
“Ronan.” She seemed a little frosty, but that could be the shock and grief talking. “How can I help you?”
“I need to know if there are any exits not covered by cameras.”
“No. There aren’t.” The words were said with a defiance he hadn’t anticipated. She wasn’t being truthful. Something was up.
He leaned on the counter, settling his weight on his forearms. “Carrie, talk to me.”
“You’re…social with that woman.”
“She’s not a suspect, Carrie. She’s a victim in this, too.”
“I viewed the footage the moment I heard the news about Judith, Ronan. I saw the Randolph woman leave the inn and return five hours later.”
“I saw the footage, too, and that wasn’t Ms. Randolph. The person in the recording walked with a limp.”
“You took her cinnamon rolls. I saw the box from the bakery. You like her.” It was an accusation, delivered with derision.
“Look, Carrie, I want to know who killed Judith as much as you do. I want to know who killed Dianne. I want to know who killed a twenty-one-year-old nursing student in Willits and I want to know who killed the pharmacy tech even though he was dealing stolen drugs from his backyard.”
Carrie hadn’t thawed one iota. “And?”
“And I need your help. Is there an exit not covered by the cameras?”
Carrie looked away, her jaw going taut. “Yes.”
Ronan was losing his patience. “Which one, Carrie?”
“The employee entrance in the back. It had a camera that was working two days ago. It must have been deactivated or something. There was nothing on the feed.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this when I got the footage this morning?”
Her chin lifted. “You didn’t ask.”
“For fuck’s sake, Carrie,” Ronan exploded, suddenly angry. “We have ten victims of a serial killer. These deaths started long before Ms. Randolph ever came to Fort Bragg. He’s stalking her. So help me do my job. Help me find out who’s doing this. Help me stop him. Tell me the truth.”
Carrie shrank back. “She’s killed ten people?”
Ronan tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling. He shouldn’t have divulged that information. He really needed to sleep. But he was knee-deep in this shit show, so he kept going. He lowered his gaze, skewering Carrie with a glare. “No. We believe she’s being framed.”
“Why?” Carrie asked suspiciously.
“Because she finds criminals and brings them back to jail when they jump bail and flee?” he asked, sarcasm dripping from each word. “I think that’s a decent motivation for someone to want revenge. Don’t you?”
Carrie was quiet for a long moment. “You’re sure she’s not guilty?”
“I’m as sure as I can be.” He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “Someone has been listening to everything she says—at work, at home, everywhere—for two years. She knows she has a connection to a bunch of victims. She’s…devastated. If you don’t believe me, ask Gary Simpson.”
She looked away. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you all the details. I hope you find whoever did this quickly.”
Ronan drew a breath and let it out slowly. “I’m sorry I was rude and cross with you. I need to go home and sleep. The last day has been a nightmare, but I shouldn’t have lost my temper. I apologize.”
“It’s okay, Ronan.”
“Have you told anyone about what you saw on the footage? Someone who looked like Ms. Randolph leaving and returning?”
“No, not yet.”
“Can you keep this to yourself, please?”
“Of course I will.”
“One more question and I’ll leave you be.
Someone broke into Ms. Randolph’s room yesterday.
They posed as housekeeping and had a key card.
Judith was…” He trailed off, realization dawning.
Oh. “Judith was trying to find out how they could have gotten a key card to Ms. Randolph’s room.
She was making a list of staff who had access to the master key, especially anyone who couldn’t produce their key.
” And that may have been what had gotten her killed.
“She thought someone might have had their master key card stolen.”
Ronan had wondered if one of her staff might have been bribed to “loan” their key, but Judith had vehemently denied that was a possibility. He hoped she was right and that it was a simple theft of a key card. If one of her staff was involved, they might have killed Judith to keep her quiet.
Carrie frowned. “She didn’t tell me about that, but I was off yesterday. She may have been planning to tell me today. I can print you a list of staff.”
“That would be great. Can you email it to me? I’ll be back later today to do some interviews.” They’d gotten distracted by discovering that Elle’s jacket had been bugged. Neither he nor Gary had been back to get that list from Judith.
“I will,” Carrie promised. “And I won’t mention this to anyone, either. I don’t want to give anyone a warning. I’ve already called someone to repair the camera at the employee entrance.”
He stepped back from the front desk. “Thank you. I never heard a single bad word about Judith. I know you’re going to miss her.”
“We already do.”
Ronan turned for the door, so very weary.
He’d go home. Feed the dog. Eat some eggs and bacon and then sleep until Gary called about the Walmart security footage.
They had to catch this guy before he killed in order to frame Elle once again.
Fort Bragg, California
Tuesday, February 3, 6:00 p.m.