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The guard replayed it in slow motion. It was only then that they could see the killer pull a small object from his right coat pocket and, without hesitating, stab Craig in his side. One deep thrust—the bump Kara had felt—and he pulled the knife out, put it back in his pocket and walked on.
“Four minutes later, all the security cameras in the building went out,” McPherson said as they watched Kara pursue Craig’s killer into the staircase. “IT is trying to figure out exactly what happened, but they think he damaged a router on the roof. It disrupts the system, forces it to reboot. It was down for twelve minutes.”
“So we have no idea where he went after he rappelled off the roof,” Kara said.
“There are plenty of security cameras in the area, and we’re looking at all of them for a male of his height and weight, but it’s going to take time.”
McPherson asked the guard if he’d backtraced the path of the killer. A moment later, he brought up an image of the killer sitting on a bench at the far end of the hall from the elevator. “He sat here for six minutes before he killed the DDA,” the guard said.
“He was waiting for Dyson to leave,” Kara said. “Where did he come from?”
“From the opposite hall,” the guard said. “We’re still putting together the feeds.”
“We’ll check with door security and find out when he came in,” McPherson said, “but I’d like to know how he got the knife past the metal detectors.”
“Maybe he didn’t,” Kara said. “I couldn’t tell if it was a knife or shiv, or if it was metal—which would show up in security—or plastic or ceramic, which wouldn’t. A mechanic could have a toolbox filled with screwdrivers and other tools that could kill a person, and virtually every office has a letter opener. He could have easily palmed one after he was in the building.”
McPherson asked the guard to enhance and print out several images of the suspect, and send him the digital file. “Our people might be able to do more with it—this image of him on the bench is good. We can have computer techs take off his beard, glasses, maybe get lucky. When Forensics is done on the roof, I’ll have them fingerprint the bench, bathroom, stairwell doors. The whole floor is sealed off, and I have guards posted at every entrance.”
She itched to investigate. Talk to Will Lattimer. Find out more about Violet and what information she had intended to give Craig. Figure out what was going on with this grand jury. Maybe Craig’s investigator knew more details.
She had to do something or she wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about the pain and shock in Craig’s eyes.
He knew he was dying.
A deputy walked down the hall and said to McPherson, “Detective, here’s the list of pending cases for DDA Dyson, and his office is working on pulling everyone he put away who’s been recently released—that’s going to take more time. But the DA’s office said they didn’t call him for a meeting.”
McPherson looked at Kara.
“I told you what he said when he got the call. I didn’t know who it was from, but he said he would go down. Did you talk to his investigator, Peter Sharp? Maybe he knows who called.”
“I’ll track him down,” the deputy said.
“Could have been a lure, to get him out of the office,” McPherson suggested. “We’re running his phone records—you said he took the call on his office phone, correct?”
“Yes.”
“That helps. Thank you, Quinn. I know how to reach you. Are you heading back to DC tomorrow?”
“No,” she said. She glanced at Michael. She hadn’t talked to him or Matt about her status or plans. She didn’t even know what was going on, and these murders were completely unexpected. “That’s up in the air,” she clarified.
“Where are you staying?”
She didn’t know.
“The Sheraton, downtown,” Michael said.
“Great. I’ll call if I need you. It’s always good having a cop as a witness.”
But, Kara thought as she and Michael left, Craig Dyson was still dead.
12
Kara and Michael finally checked in to the hotel at five and she called Ryder Kim, the Mobile Response Team’s analyst. She knew it was after hours in DC, but Ryder answered on the first ring. She asked him to find contact information for William Lattimer and Violet Halliday. She gave him everything she knew about Will, but it wasn’t much.
Without a warrant, they could only access public source information, but an hour later Ryder sent what he’d found. She’d already left a message with First Contact on an answering machine but Will hadn’t returned her call. Ryder gave her a personal number—a cell phone, based on the prefix—but again, no answer. She left another message and planned to track him down on foot tomorrow.
The police would probably be reaching out to him, too, but she wanted to know why Craig’s last words were Will Lattimer. How did Will know Violet? Had he picked her up after she witnessed the shooting? If so, why hadn’t he brought her to the police station to make a statement? That was the first thing Kara had checked on—she still had friends in LAPD—and Violet Halliday hadn’t come forward.
