“That’s not how this works,” I called after him.
“Go to hell.”
“Jesus.” I let out a shaky breath, adrenaline coursing through me. “He’s a piece of work.”
Deputy Sam appeared beside me, and he let out a low whistle. “Boy do you know how to wind that guy up.”
“I didn’t even have to try very hard,” I said weakly.
“He really doesn’t like you.”
“Well aware.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I think I need to let my blood pressure go back down to normal.” I laughed gruffly. “I’m going to watch some really boring video of the Rotary Club parking lot.”
“Sounds titillating.”
“It’s not.”
“Do you think the body in that car is Liam James?” Deputy Sam asked.
Sighing, I said, “Yeah. I do.”
“God, this town is going to the dogs. Three murders is off-the-chart insane, boss.”
“Yes.” I moved toward my office. “But if it’s the same person who did all three, then you really only have one murderer.”
“True.”
“I’m not saying that’s good. But it beatsthreecold-blooded killers roaming Rainy Dale.” I entered my office, trying to shake off the agitation Michael had caused in me. He always got under my skin, no matter how hard I tried to stay calm.
I sat down behind the desk with a groan. What I really wanted to do was go home to be with Max. But odds were I’d have another late night. I grabbed my bottle of water and drank half of it. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I pulled up the video of the Rotary Club parking lot for the night Lincoln was murdered.
As I watched the footage, I thought about how furious Michael had been that Angela had come to see me. She’d implied both sheandMichael had been hugely worried about Liam going missing. But Michael had seemed worried. He’d pretended he thought Liam was alive. Did he really believe that? Or was he playing a part?
I squinted at the footage of the parking lot, eyes burning. It was like watching paint dry. When someone came out of the building and headed toward their car, I glanced at the time. 8:11 p.m. I couldn’t see who the person was because they were bundled up in a big coat. From the bulky figure, I guessed it was a man. Maybe they’d been bored by the slideshow because they started their car and left the parking lot.
As I continued to watch, I saw Lincoln also come out to the parking lot. It was weird watching him go to his car, knowing he was dead. He leaned against hiscar and pulled something from his pocket. Then he lit it and started puffing away. Surprised to see him smoking, I gave a gruff laugh. He’d told everyone he’d quit smoking years ago. I guess even he’d had one bad habit. Once he’d finished his cigarette, he went back inside.
Approximately one hour later, I was truly ready to fall asleep watching the footage in real time. I got some coffee and went back to watching. I was tempted to fast-forward through the video but hesitated because the quality wasn’t great. I worried I’d miss something if I didn’t watch it at normal speed. There was no point in watching if I was just going to half-ass the job.
As I continued to watch, a few more people walked out to their cars. One of them was Penelope. I remembered she’d admitted to sneaking out early, saying others had as well. Lincoln went out to the parking lot several more times to smoke.
I was about to stop for the night and move on toanythingelse when I saw the first car from earlier return. I watched as the person parked in the same exact spot. It was a big black car. Expensive-looking. The person got out, still wearing the bulky coat. Only this time, the hood was down. My eyes widened as I recognized Michael Raiden’s silver crew cut.
My heart began to pound, and my hand trembled on the mouse. Michael had said he’d never left the hall. But here he was, on camera, returning to the parking lot after about an hour and fifteen minutes. Why had he lied? It was clearly him. As he neared the door to the building, he stopped suddenly. Lincoln was coming out of the building, no doubt about to have another cigarette. They had a very brief conversation,and then Michael slipped into the building. A few minutes later, after his cigarette, Lincoln did as well.
Questions were swirling inside my head. Why had Michael left the hall and been gone off-site for over an hour? Why hadn’t he mentioned that? He hadn’t just neglected to mention it; he’d lied to my face. He’d insisted he hadn’t left the hall the entire night. Why hadn’t Michael mentioned his conversation with Lincoln outside? They’d clearly had a brief chat. Michael must have hidden that because he’d have had to explain why he’d been outside.
Surely Michael must have known we’d check the videotape at the Rotary hall? Had he assumed I’d be too lazy to look at all of it? It had been tempting not to watch it all, that was for damn sure. Apparently, Michael really did think I was a lousy cop. He’d underestimated my willingness to bore myself to tears for the job.
In light of what I’d just discovered, I had to talk to Michael again. But there was no way he’d come back here, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to warn him I was coming to him. But I wouldn’t go alone. No damn way. The guy was too unpredictable and volatile. I’d bring Deputy Sam and Deputy Juan with me just in case Michael got aggressive.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Maxwell
I was surprised when Angela Raiden called me after my lunch with Girdy. I was driving back to Royce’s place when I got the call. Gritting my teeth, I considered not answering. But I worried perhaps it had something to do with Janelle, so I ended up answering the phone.
“Hello?” I asked.
