Bloody Valentine - James Patterson [17]
‘Look up, damn it,’ Ben ordered.
‘Unfortunately, whoever it is doesn’t show their face,’ Liam answered.
‘Can you make that image clearer?’ Ben asked.
‘That’s as clear as it can get, sir.’
Amy studied the blurred figure. ‘Given the position of the light switch, I’d say five feet nine inches.’
‘Agreed. Medium build, not a shred of hair to be seen beneath that hat. And, as we only have a back view of someone in baggy clothing, holding what looks like a black sack, they could be male or female,’ Ben added.
‘More sightings?’ Amy looked at Liam.
‘Not of our mystery figure in chefs’ whites, but this was recorded between ten past two and ten past three this morning.’
‘The corridors are empty,’ Ben said irritably.
‘Look closer. Here and here.’ Liam moved the mouse arrow over the edges of the screen. ‘The light dims. Something or someone has blocked the lamps in the corridor.’
Amy peered closer. ‘Shadows?’
‘Someone is moving out of camera range,’ Liam declared.
‘We checked security,’ Sergeant Reece said. ‘The outside doors are locked day and night. The only way in is with a resident who has a key code or through the porter.’
‘A resident would know the location of the cameras,’ Amy said.
‘See, movement again here.’ Liam indicated an area where a shadow flickered.
‘Could be someone familiar with the location of the cameras,’ Ben mused. ‘Possibly the someone in chefs’ whites who was too rattled after killing Bruno to be careful?’
‘It’s a theory,’ Amy acknowledged. ‘Is there only one key code for all the apartments?’
‘No. I checked with the porter,’ Sergeant Reece informed her. ‘Each resident has their own code to the front door and a different code for their apartment.’
‘And if they tried to enter another apartment?’ Ben asked.
‘An alarm would trigger and freeze the lock.’
‘Is there a master code that overrides the individual codes?’ Ben stared at the screen.
‘Yes, but only the porters and Jack Barnes have it.’
‘Is there a record of when it’s used as opposed to the individual codes?’
‘Yes, ma’am, and the locks are being checked by a technician. But she warned us not to expect results for a couple of hours.’
‘So, we’ve someone creeping around the building between ten past two and five past three in the morning. But all we can see are shadows.’
‘It happened again this morning, ma’am,’ Liam added.
‘What time and where in the building?’
‘The first shadow appears at seven minutes past eleven on the fourth floor.’
Amy referred to her notebook. ‘The artists’ studio floor?’
Liam called up the screen. ‘Yes. The shadow crosses the light above the fire exit, then disappears.’
‘Can you see it in any other corridors?’ Amy asked.
‘There’s a flicker four minutes later on the camera above the door to the underground garage.’
Amy looked at Sergeant Reece. ‘Wouldn’t you need a key code to get out of the building as well as into it?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Get the codes used on that lock checked as a priority.’
The sergeant signalled to a constable.
‘Do you want to see the last images we have of Mrs Barnes, ma’am?’ Liam looked enquiringly at Amy.
‘Please.’ Amy found it harrowing to view CCTV images of any victim going about their daily life before a crime, but murders were the worst. She was dreading seeing a live Zee Barnes walking, smiling; no longer a victim but a living breathing person.
‘We’re missing something,’ Ben said.
‘What?’ Amy looked at him.
‘Anyone coming in here has to get past the porter, right?’
‘Right,’ Sergeant Reece confirmed.
‘The porter has given us a timeline accounting for every resident’s movements this morning, but he admits to being away from his desk from roughly eleven thirty to twelve fifteen.’
‘Agreed,’ Amy answered.
‘Everyone is accounted for except – this mystery figure in chefs’ whites, who is seen leaving Bruno’s apartment, carrying a black sack, approximately half an hour before Bruno Gambrini was found murdered.’
‘Your point is?’ Amy pressed.
‘Bruno’s murder was messy. If this someone is Bruno’s murderer, they could have knifed Bruno,