“There. You talked to him. Now, it’s just me. I’ll get back to you on what I decide about the whole reporter thing.” Ryan terminated the call again.
Sandra took her headset off.
“He has that move down,” Donny said.
“That he does.” Not that she was surprised. It was the move of a shot caller trying to cling to their power and control over a situation.
Gibson wrote the time of the conversation on the markerboard, with his phone to his ear, and added,HT considering moving press release outside to the main gate.
It was insane to think it was already past three fifty in the afternoon from one perspective. From another, time stretched when lives were on the line. Her mind drifted for a second to her dinner plans for that night at Davenport Manor. It was hard to say if she’d even be able to make it.
“Thanks.” Gibson pocketed his phone and addressed the team. “I’ve got a name. Timothy’s security guy is Dale Kramer.”
Monica started typing on her computer.
Gibson added, “I guess he’s been with Hanson Property Development for over forty years.”
Monica held up her hand to signal to everyone she had something to share. “Guy is sixty-three, has a grown daughter in her thirties, no criminal record.”
“Thank you for that, Monica.” Gibson’s voice was dry, like he wasn’t thrilled by the interjection. “Kramer still works for the company.”
“At sixty-three?” Neal said. “I hope I’m long retired from the force by then.”
“Big surprise.” Kreiger gave an eye roll.
“As if you’ll be hanging on that long,” Neal kicked back.
Gibson cleared his throat. “If you two are finished… His current position with the company is head of security.”
Sandra had a strong feeling Dale Kramer held Timothy Hanson’s secrets. But would he be willing to part with them?
THIRTY
3:45 PM
It turned out to be a good thing that Coleman had Cindy stick around Hanson Property Development. The lieutenant called her back and filled her in on the tight relationship between the late Timothy Hanson and Dale Kramer. She was certain she wasn’t alone in thinking that such a yes-man would have done anything his boss asked of him. Even murder. But maybe her imagination was running off on her. She walked up to the clerk at the reception desk in the lobby. “If you could please have Dale Kramer notified that I need to speak with him.”
“Dale Kramer is the head of security here, ma’am. He’s a busy man.” Her tone delivered a cold front. Whatever had this woman’s back up, it was clear she wasn’t a fan of cops.
“It’sOfficer, not ma’am.” Cindy had worked hard to earn the title and would correct people a thousand times a day if need be. “I doubt he’s too busy for this. It involves the Hanson family.”
She blanched. “Let me try to reach him.”
“Thank you.”
“Uh-huh.”
Cindy listened as the woman made the call.
Soon after, she hung up. “He will be out to speak with you.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,Officer.” The woman adjusted a pile of folders in front of her and opened the top one.
Cindy stepped away to give her privacy and looked around the lobby. Several metal sculptures hung suspended overhead from cables. So many people were fans of abstract artwork, but she never understood what people saw in the style. She preferred order and symmetry, something logical to nonsensical.
“Officer?” a man said, causing Cindy to turn around.
