“It’s not all fun and games, Robbie. I’ve got to do some things I don’t like. And you never know, if you can help us out, maybe I can show you the ropes in my private investigation firm.” I decided to give him some encouragement. I needed Robbie’s help, and if he wanted to spend a few weeks around the office, I couldn’t see any harm in that. “Maybe that’ll give you a head-start on your career. Get some real experience on your resume.”
“Really?” He beamed. “I’d love that. I’d love to get a start in investigations. And anyway, it’d be good inspiration for my next comic book. Maybe I could even find new inspiration for my next character.”
“There’s plenty of characters out there, Robbie. You only have to look out the front door to find some. But before we talk about that, you’ve got to help me first.” I stepped closer to the monitors. They were grimy, and covered in splatters of dirt. It looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in years. “Why the change in tune from your boss? You said last time that he’d be happy to help us.”
“He doesn’t want to be held accountable for a lawsuit. He said that there’s a few lawyers in the building and they’re always looking for a reason to sue people. You know what these lawyers are like—they’re vultures and they’ll bleed you dry if given the chance.”
“Not all lawyers are like that,” I quipped. “Some of them even have a soul.”
“Sure,” Robbie scoffed. “Do you really think someone killed Anthony Waltz?”
“We’re not sure yet, Robbie, but it’s looking that way. We’re getting close to some evidence. That’s why we need to see the footage from the back door.”
“You want to start with the evening before?”
“First, roll the footage for the front entrance from around 5pm the night before. You said there’s no footage from his floor, or the stairs, so I want to look at the rear entrance. I’m looking for anyone that was hanging around the previous night that didn’t look like they belonged there. If you can find a woman in her twenties with blonde hair, then I’ll get you in the office next week for some work experience as a thank you.”
My phone buzzed again. It was Detective Williams. I didn’t answer, but I didn’t have a good feeling about it. In the whole time I’d known him, he never called me for a chat. He had something else to say, and by the number of missed calls, it looked like something that couldn’t wait.
Robbie clicked five more commands on the keyboard and one of the screens opened to footage of the front entrance, starting at 5:05 pm. It started to play but flickered for a moment, before the screen went black.
“No. Not now.” Robbie stared at the screen and began punching more buttons. He slapped the side of one of the monitors. “Don’t fail on me. Not now.”
“What’s wrong?”
“The file for the rear entrance isn’t working. It’s just playing a blank screen.”
“Why? What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s the boss.” He sighed and dropped his head. He could see his chance for work experience with me slipping. “This has happened before. The boss sometimes wipes files to make more space. Cheap prick won’t even pay for more computer storage. He knew I’d be looking at it and that’s probably why he wiped it. I transferred the files back from the head office via the USB drive, but it looks like the boss got his hands on the drive during the day shift. He must’ve wiped it.”
I nodded. “Anything from another entrance? Perhaps the back door.”
“I don’t think so.” Robbie typed a few more commands. “Nothing. Everything has been wiped up until yesterday. I’m so sorry. I really thought that I’d transferred it back here without my boss noticing.”
My phone buzzed another time. I looked at the number. Williams, again.
“Is there a backup file at head office?”
“Yeah, that’d still be there. Head office is a warehouse in Aurora, and I could try to get back there and transfer the files again. I’d just have to keep the trip a secret from my boss. I’m due back out there for more training in five days’ time. I could do it then.”
“Why would he wipe the drive?”
“I don’t know.” Robbie slumped forward. “But my boss has mentioned before that he’s well-connected. He likes to talk himself up and tell everyone about all the people that he knows. Maybe someone asked him to wipe it?”
I nodded. That made sense. DiMarco’s reach was far and wide.
My phone buzzed again. This time it was a message. I opened it.
Urgent. It was Williams.
“Thanks for trying, Robbie.” I patted him on the shoulder. “I’ve got to make a call. We’ll stay in touch.”
I stepped out of the office, took a deep breath, and made my way back through the parking lot and the foyer before I called Williams.
Williams and I only talked for a couple of moments, but it was the news I didn’t want to hear.
Chapter 19
“Casey, give me everything we’ve got on DiMarco.” I stormed into our office, slamming the door behind me. “We’ve got to move fast.”
Casey knew that tone; she’d heard it so many times before. That tone, that driven determination, that tension, meant something, or someone, had pushed my buttons.
Within twenty-five minutes, our meeting room was filled with files, photos, and papers laid out across the large wooden table. Although all our files were on computers, stored on hard-drives and in the clouds, I still worked so
