AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Michael peered closely. “Well, what do you know,” he said.
He rewound the footage fifteen seconds, and they both watched as Chester entered the bathroom. Three minutes later, he exited.
“Okay,” Michael said. “Timestamp is 5:33. We know that he was staged on the bench by the time Kylie Bonaparte arrived for work at 5:45. That gives us a twelve-minute window after he leaves the bathroom until he’s killed and staged. That means the poisoning either happened in the bathroom or right after he left the bathroom.”
“Let’s check the day Richardson was killed,” Faith said. “We can see if he uses the same restroom.”
Twenty minutes later, they confirmed that not only did Richardson use the same restroom, but he used it approximately ten minutes before his own body was found.
“It would have to be almost immediately after using the restroom,” Faith said. “The killer changed both of them into different outfits.”
“Where, though?” Michael asked. “He didn’t take them back into the bathroom.”
“Best guess is a maintenance room or supply closet,” Faith said. “Although that leaves the question again of how he managed to do it without being noticed.”
“Let me go back a little bit,” Michael said. “Maybe we missed something.”
They reviewed the footage again, slowing it down and checking each frame from the time each victim entered the restroom to the time they left. Chester’s video revealed nothing, but when they viewed Richardson’s footage again, Faith caught a glimpse of something in the frame just as Richardson left the restroom.
“Stop!” she cried. “There.”
She pointed just inside the bathroom door where a hand could be seen extended, a towel hanging from the arm to which the hand attached. “What’s that?” Michael asked. “A restroom attendant?”
“Looks like it,” Faith said.
“Here? Why?”
Faith shrugged. “It gives people the impression of luxury.”
Michael shook his head, “I guess. I don’t know, I feel like I’d rather handle drying my own hands after using the toilet.”
“I’m with you there,” Faith said. She stopped and thought a moment. “In fact,” she said, “I imagine most people using this terminal would feel the same way. I further imagine that most people would ignore our poor restroom attendant, maybe even brush past them rudely in their haste to avoid an interaction they would find uncomfortable.”
Realization dawned on Michael, “And our two victims were rather known for rudeness. Perhaps our neglected restroom attendant couldn’t handle this latest insult to the injury of a job that involves helping people after they void their bowels and decided to take his frustration out on them in a violent way.”
“Call Miss Bhandari,” Faith said. “I want to know who this restroom attendant is. I want to talk to him.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“I have a very hard time believing that anyone in my employ could be responsible for these violent acts.”
Michael took a breath to calm himself before he said, “Miss Bhandari, I appreciate the difficult position you’re in, but we can’t refrain from investigating a lead because you have a hard time accepting it. I need the restroom attendant’s contact information.”
“Please, Special Agent, I would feel more comfortable if we went through the police. There are procedures to follow, policies—”
“That procedure, Miss Bhandari, is getting a warrant and subpoenaing your employment records. Now we can do that if you insist, but if we do, two things will happen: one, your name will be on a lot of documents stating that you refused to cooperate with a federal investigation. Two, we will find and question your employee anyway, with or without your permission. You’re not helping anyone by playing difficult, least of all yourself.”
The first statement was bending the truth a little, but Michael had no more patience for Sita Bhandari. He understood her desire to avoid bad publicity, and he understood that her superiors would likely take out any frustration on her, but people were dying, and he really couldn’t care less about propriety or politics right now.
Sita sighed heavily and said, “All right. The attendant’s name is Leon Presley. He’s on duty at the moment in the same restroom. I’ll send him to you.”
“That’s all right,” Michael said. “We’ll go to him. Thank you, Miss Bhandari.”
“Of course.”
Michael hung up, and the three of them left the security office and headed for the restroom. The terminal was still busy with the last of the evening rush, and there was a line to enter. Michael flashed his badge, but that only succeeded in irritating the people in line.
Turk growled softly, and the line finally gave way. Michael passed the muttering people in line and headed into the restroom. He found Presley standing next to the towel dispenser, an empty tip jar to his left, and a resigned expression on his face.
