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As much as he wanted to go over and offer comfort, he forced himself to stay put, not moving an inch. Comforting Elly was what had gotten him into trouble earlier.
He knew better than to make the same mistake twice in a matter of hours.
Yet he was hyperaware of how she paced the room, tugging on the uncomfortable borrowed bullet-resistant vest. There was a lot of video footage to get through, so he did his best to stay focused.
But after another hour, his vision blurred, fatigue catching up with him. He stood and stretched, blinking to clear his vision. He belatedly realized darkness had fallen outside. No wonder his eyes were burning.
He switched on a light, surprised to find Elly curled in the corner of the sofa, staring out at nothing. When the light came on, she pushed the blanket aside and stood.
“Hey, you’re not wearing your vest.” He crossed over to pick it up from the other end of the couch.
“Do you expect me to sleep in it?” She sounded cranky. Then she came toward him to take it from him. “Fine, I’ll put it back on. But I’m not wearing it to bed.”
“That’s fine.” He had already checked out her room, there was nothing across the street from her bedroom window that could be used as a nest for the shooter. And that was if he even knew about this place, which Joe was pretty sure he didn’t. When he saw her struggling to get the vest on, he stepped forward. “Let me help.”
“I don’t know how you guys wear this every day,” she groused. “It’s hot, heavy, and extremely uncomfortable.”
“You get used to it.” For him, it was part of his uniform. For Elly, it wasn’t. When he’d secured her vest, he took a step back. “Are you hungry? We can order dinner.”
“I guess.” She sighed, then added, “Yes, we should eat. I think we need to be ready if there’s a break in the case.”
After what happened down at the precinct, he wasn’t taking her along with him anytime soon. But there was no point in starting an argument. He wasn’t all that hungry either, but it would give them something to do. “Why don’t you check the menu? I’m sure you can find something good.”
She crossed to the desk and examined the limited room service menu. “I’ll have the grilled chicken sandwich.”
“Okay, I’ll have the same.”
The room seemed smaller somehow. The glow of the lamp made it more intimate. He kept his distance, walking off the stiffness from sitting so long.
When Elly had finished placing the order, she turned to face him. “Food will arrive in thirty to forty minutes.”
He nodded. “I should keep working, then.”
“I really thought we’d hear from Brady by now,” she murmured. “I had high hopes for the facial recognition idea.”
“He’ll get to it.” Joe shared her impatience, but the fact that the shooter was on the loose but hadn’t taken out any other innocent targets—other than attempting to shoot Elly—had caused the news anchors to move on to the next crisis.
The last time he’d checked the news feed on his computer, the media was still interviewing victims of the parade shooting and putting out notices about the missing kid that Brady was searching for.
He couldn’t help but wonder if their perp was watching the crying victims being interviewed on camera.
What was this guy’s motive? The way this had unfolded still nagged at him.
Returning to the computer, he picked up where he left off with the camera video. There were only three more videos to review. Which was good and bad.
They desperately needed a lead.
“I’m not sure what you think you’re going to find,” Elly said, coming over to sit beside him. “Look at those cars. With the glare from the Christmas lights, it’s impossible to make out people’s faces.”
He shrugged. “Won’t know that for sure until I check them all.”
She fell silent but continued to watch the videos with him.
A knock at the door startled them both. He rose and checked the peephole before opening the door. He took the tray, dug some cash from his pocket, and handed it over. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” The server pocketed the tip and quickly left.
Their meals arrived in a timely manner, making him wonder if the hotel wasn’t very busy. Which was odd since it was a week before Christmas.
