As I climbed behind the wheel, I still had to pinch myself. Somehow, even though River was cunning and focused, I’d won over him. Dr. Johnson had glimpsed something in me that had outweighed his desire for money. For whatever reason, luck had been on my side today.
Mrs. Numi was right; this was indeed a good day, and it deserved celebrating.
Chapter Sixteen
Royce
Peering at the CCTV of the person who’d tried to use Archie’s ATM card, it was hard to make out their face. It appeared to be a woman or a very effeminate man. The person managed to keep most of their face hidden during the attempted transaction. Their hair was dark but mostly tucked inside a hoodie, so I couldn’t tell the length.
“Damn, this isn’t much to go by,” Deputy Sam groused, looking over my shoulder.
“Yeah, they were aware of the camera.” I clicked my mouse, trying to get closer on the image, but it just tended to pixelate.
“Who would have been able to get close enough to Archie to grab his ATM card?
“For all we know, someone stole it out of his wallet. Just because this person has the card doesn’t mean they actually knew Archie.”
“But whoever it was thought they knew his ATM code. They punched it in several times. According to the bank, it was an old password.”
“When did he change it?”
“About a week ago.”
“Hmmm. Wonder why he changed it.” I rewound the video again, trying for the millionth time to see the person’s face. I just couldn’t get it. They’d been just stealthy enough to never show enough of their face. “They’re good at avoiding the camera.”
Deputy Sam scowled. “Sneaky.”
I glanced at my watch because Janelle was coming in a minute. I had the unhappy task of informing her Archie wasn’t actually Archie. I knew it wasn’t gonna go over well, obviously, and she was already in a very emotional state. Maxwell was coming too, and that part I was actually looking forward to.
I stood. “Why don’t you keep watching it—maybe something will jump out at you. Maybe the way the person moves will ring a bell. Could be someone local.”
“Will do, boss.”
I left the tech room and headed toward the interview room. I was happy to see Maxwell coming down the hallway, and I was also pleased to see he looked more cheerful than earlier. Maybe Mrs. Numi had successfully found him a new location that pleased him. I knew he’d been really gutted that River had manipulated the situation with that other place.
River was really getting under my skin lately. I was getting very sick of him needling Maxwell every chance he got. He was getting worse lately too. More aggressive. Bringing up Lucinda Pratt’s death had been unforgivable, in my opinion. I was tempted to look into his background, but using police channels for personal reasons was frowned upon. I knew it wasn’t ethical for me to dig into River’s background simply because he was upsetting my boyfriend. Unless I suspected River of something illegal, I didn’t feel right about taking a deep dive into his personal life.
“Hey.” Maxwell stopped in front of me. His smile was warm and relaxed. Something had definitely changed his mood.
“Thanks for coming in. Janelle should be here any second.”
“I saw her in the parking lot. She was with her mother, and they were bickering. I decided to come inside and give them some space.”
“Good idea.” As he finished speaking, Janelle entered the station through the double doors at the end of the hall. She looked harassed, but thankfully, she was alone. Angela was nowhere in sight.
She hurried toward us, running a hand over her disheveled hair. “Sorry I’m late,” she said breathlessly.
“I just got here myself.” Maxwell smiled at her.
“Oh, thank goodness.” She switched her gaze to me. “Hello, Sheriff.”
“Howdy, Janelle.” I gestured toward the interview room. “Shall we?” I pushed open the door, stepping aside to allow them to go in first.
They sat on the other side of the table, side by side. I sat down across from them, feeling agitated but trying to hide it. The information I was about to share would crush Janelle’s spirit even more, and she was already struggling. I didn’t enjoy the thought of making things more painful for her.
I shuffled some papers and made sure my pen was working, and then I crossed my hands on top of the table. “How are you doing, Janelle?” I asked.
She grimaced. “Horrible, if I’m honest.”
