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On the screen, the Mercedes was parked next to the water. Their theories had been the car was run into the river or the GPS was disabled.
The driver remained in the car and was leaning toward the dash, doing something.
“I think she’s disabling the GPS,” Trent said. “In plain view of the camera, no less.”
A few minutes later, the woman put new license plates on the vehicle and left the lot in the Mercedes.
“Does she think this will help her escape the BOLO?” Malone said. “I’ll just have it updated. Can you get a close-up of the new plates she puts on?”
Edward reversed and zoomed in. “Yep.”
“Print it,” Malone told him.
Edward complied.
“Thank you,” Amanda said, not worried about stepping on Malone’s toes. It wasn’t this man’s fault that Katherine’s life was in danger, and he’d been nothing but helpful and cooperative.
Edward smiled and handed the printout to Malone, who passed it off to Trent.
“So, she disables the GPS and changes the plates,” Amanda said. “Is she meeting up with her partner or just making off with Katherine’s Mercedes?” She turned to Edward. “Can you replay all of this from the moment the car entered the lot?”
“Sure can.”
Amanda watched the driver extra closely this time. “Pause it there,” she rushed out.
The footage froze on the driver about to get back into the car. She stood still, facing the camera.
“She must have known she was being recorded,” Trent said and looked at Amanda.
“She’s staring right at the camera.” Malone gestured toward the monitor. “Too bad she’s still wearing the balaclava.”
“Still, it goes back to our earlier conversation,” Trent began. “Why would she even stop here if there was the risk of being caught on video?”
There must have been a purpose. She even took the time to change the license plates. Was it defiance or a cry for help? Her body language didn’t support the former, rather the latter. Her shoulders were sagging. “Play it in slow motion, please.”
The feed moved forward at a crawl.
“There. Just before she gets in the car, her chest heaves and her shoulders rise with a deep breath,” Amanda said. It was clear to see despite the bulky coat she wore.
“So?” Malone looked at her, one eyebrow cocked up.
“What if she’s been forced into this?” Amanda pivoted toward Trent, but the brief eye contact was awkward and he looked away. She was delusional to think he could just let their kiss go. “Given what we just saw, I suspect that’s a real possibility,” she added, trying to stifle her discomfort.
“Whatever the case, she’s in this now up to her neck,” Malone inserted.
“There are just the two exterior cameras?” Amanda was thinking if there was one that covered the exit, they might see which direction the Mercedes had gone from here.
“That’s right.”
She nodded. There wasn’t much in the immediate area, but there were some rural properties that could afford isolation if that was the shooter’s intent. But they couldn’t knock on every door. It would be a waste of time. Besides, they didn’t know how far they’d taken Katherine. The fact the woman changed the plates might suggest a road trip, and she didn’t want the BOLO on Katherine’s license causing her trouble. But as Malone pointed out, she changed them within view of a camera, putting the new ones on right where they could see them.
They left Edward with a request to send a copy of the video to CSI Blair and headed to the car.
Trent tapped the plate number into the onboard computer while she and Malone waited outside the driver’s door.
Trent sat back a few seconds later. “The plates expired six months ago. They were registered to a Greg Elliott of Woodbridge and last associated with a Hyundai Elantra.”
“Go talk to him,” Malone said.
