Page 10 of Daddy Detectives: Episode 1
“You’re wasting your time, ma’am. I’m married.”
She smiles. “If I don’t mind, why should you?”
I’m not even going to dignify that comment. “Miss Moreland, you can either show me the footage now, or I can go file a police report and get them out here with a warrant.”
“Fine!” She turns back to the door. “Follow me.”
The security office is little more than a glorified closet. Along the back wall is a long table holding a number of monitors.
“May I?” I ask, gesturing to the keyboard.
She leans against the door jamb. “Help yourself.”
It doesn’t take me long to scroll back through the footage from early this morning. Teresa said Dina left at two-thirty, so I scroll back to minutes before that time stamp. When I see a trio—two girls and a guy—stepping out onto the front sidewalk, I recognize Teresa. I assume the male is her boyfriend, Neil. The other female must be Dina. The three of them are huddled in a group, waiting.
When a white sedan pulls up to the curb, the front passenger window goes down. Dina looks at the car, then walks over to the window and leans in for a rather lengthy conversation with the driver.
Dina nods, straightens, and then waves at her friends as she opens the rear passenger door and climbs into the vehicle. A moment later, the car pulls away from the curb. I pause the video and make note of the make, model, and license plate number. The video is black-and-white, but the resolution is good.
“Is that the girl you’re looking for?” the owner asks me.
“I believe so.” I back the footage up to get a good view of Dina and use my phone to snap a picture. Then I text the photo to Kimi to get confirmation of Dina’s identity.
Kimi texts me back promptly:
OMG, yes, that’s Dina!!
Then I send her a photo of the license plate and ask her to run a search for me. I need the owner’s name and address.
“Thanks for your cooperation,” I tell the woman as I rise from my seat. “How long do you keep video footage?”
“Two weeks,” she says.
“Good. I might need to see it again.”
By the time I’m back in my car, Kimi texts me with the vehicle owner’s name and address.
Terry Kramer 120 College Center Dr. apt 2C Roger’s Park
That’s not far. I head straight there, climb the steps to the second floor, and knock on the door of unit 2C.
When no one answers, I knock again, this time louder. I hear footsteps coming from within the apartment, and eventually, the door opens, but only slightly. The chain lock is still engaged.
A young man with greasy, long brown hair peers at me through the gap in the door. “Yes?”
“Are you Terry Kramer?”
He frowns. “Who’s asking?”
I flash my ID. “Tyler Jamison, private investigator. I’m looking for Dina Johnson. Is she here?”
His eyes widen at the mention of Dina’s name, and he ducks out of sight and slams the door in my face.
Fuck.
Nothing like broadcasting your guilt.
I pound on the door. “Open up, Mr. Kramer, or I’ll have the cops out here before you can draw your next breath.”
