Time of Death

17

Ren was late into work the next morning. She’d managed three hours of sleep, broken twice by nightmares.

‘Gary wants you,’ said Colin, as soon as she walked in.

‘Now?’ Screw that.

‘He said when you came in,’ said Robbie.

‘Not before my coffee.’

‘He’s not that dumb.’

Ren went into Gary’s office with her mug and regretted not having asked if anyone else wanted one. It might have helped their moods. Gary was at his desk. Glenn Buddy turned around from the visitor’s chair.

‘Take a seat,’ said Gary. ‘Glenn stopped by to let us know that your details have come up in connection with the Helen Wheeler investigation.’

Glenn looked surprised that Gary went so quickly to the point. Ren was not.

‘Well, obviously your number came up when we did the phone dumps,’ said Glenn. ‘We know you called her once a week or so and tried her again during the time she was missing. So that’s all fine.’

Of course that’s all fine. Ren glanced at Gary.

‘But that’s not why I’m here,’ said Glenn.

‘OK,’ said Ren. What’s with the strange atmosphere?

‘We called in the head of security at the warehouse,’ said Glenn. ‘He accessed the swipe-card system to see who had gotten in the gate the night the body was dumped and…your details came up — your name, and the address here.’

‘What? Mine? That’s impossible. How would that happen?’

‘I’m asking you,’ said Glenn.

‘You were at the building during the DNC, Ren, right?’ said Gary.

‘Yes.’ She turned to Glenn. ‘I had to go talk to a few protestors that had been taken in for bad behavior. Anyone coming in and out of that location got swipe cards. That’s standard procedure, but that was a year ago,’ said Ren. ‘The card would have been stripped of all access privileges right after the DNC. You said so yourself — the warehouse isn’t even operational.’

Glenn nodded.

‘So maybe if they knew they were closing up right after the convention,’ said Ren, ‘they wouldn’t have bothered purging the database.’

‘That’s correct — they didn’t,’ said Glenn. ‘Your access privileges were still there.’

‘Well, weren’t everyone’s?’ She looked at them.

‘Yes,’ said Glenn, ‘but yours was the only swipe card to be used to access the property in the past nine months.’

‘But that’s bizarre,’ said Ren. ‘I wouldn’t need to access it. There’s nothing there.’

‘Apart from your friend’s dead body’ said Glenn.

‘Are you actually serious?’

‘Ren, where were you on March eleventh?’ said Gary.

Please tell me you are doing this for show. ‘I was…’ Ren paused. ‘The night before the body was found? Let me think.’ She raised her eyes to the ceiling. ‘I was home.’

‘Can you prove that?’ said Glenn.

‘Should I have to?’ Ren looked between both of them. ‘Are you really serious?’

‘I’m not trying to…’ said Glenn. ‘I’m just doing a job, OK? You just need to prove where you were and I can check that box.’

‘But I can’t prove it,’ said Ren. ‘Come on. I was home…alone. That was the night of the break-in. I mean, obviously I was out when that happened, but you’re asking about the night-time, which-’

Glenn gave her a patient look.

‘What I’m saying is, I was out for a while in the evening after work. I had dinner at the Hickory Prime Steakhouse. So I can prove that part. And then…I swung by Helen’s office. Just to see if I could think of anything. Or see if something would hit me.’ Or if the light would be on and she would be at her desk.

‘And then I was back in Annie’s surveying the damage…Tell me, what was the security guy at this warehouse like, anyway?’ said Ren. ‘Did he seem like the type who had a clue? Couldn’t it just be that he forgot to hit delete or whatever he needed to do? Could my code have been assigned to someone else somewhere along the way?’

‘If the system is run well, no one is ever deleted from the database,’ said Glenn. ‘Anyone who has ever had access to a building remains on the database.’

Ren nodded. ‘I know…’ She let out a breath. ‘I’m sorry, gentlemen, but for now, no, I cannot prove where I was.’ She stood up. ‘But I can sure as hell tell you where I wasn’t.’

Glenn stood up. ‘I’m sorry about this, guys. I have to do what I have to do.’ He nodded and left.

‘What the fuck was that all about?’ said Ren.

‘All I know,’ said Gary, ‘is that I feel like my office is your time-out space.’

‘Hey, you can’t blame me for this,’ said Ren, sitting down. ‘But when I came in, I thought he was talking about my details in the psych files. Phew.’

‘No, Ren…nothing as serious as that — just the details of you accessing a murder scene around the time a body was dumped…’

‘But I know I didn’t do that.’

‘With that rationale, you shouldn’t be worried about anyone knowing the contents of your psych file.’

‘My mind, you mean,’ said Ren. ‘“Denver PD — come on into my mind, you’re very welcome. Keep your hands inside the…” whatever that announcement is at the start of a rollercoaster ride.’

‘Beware of flying puke,’ said Gary.

‘That’s the one,’ said Ren. ‘OK, I’ll get back to work.’ She stood up. ‘That was all a little creepy…’

‘I would imagine it’s just one of those strange computer glitches. I’m sure Glenn Buddy feels the same way.’

Not from where I was sitting.

Colin was the only person in the office when Ren walked back in.

‘Here’s a weird one,’ said Ren. ‘Glenn Buddy just stopped by. My security pass was used to access the warehouse where Helen’s body was found.’

Colin looked up. ‘When?’

‘The night she disappeared.’

‘Since when do you have a security pass for there?’ said Colin.

‘Since the DNC,’ said Ren. ‘I had to go question some banjo players about “not wantin’ no black man in the White House”.’ Ugh.

Colin paused. ‘So…a year ago? And what’s been going on with the place since then?’

‘Nothing,’ said Ren. ‘It was closed up. In nine months, only one card has been used to access the property: mine.’

‘What?’

‘Gary thinks it’s probably just some computer glitch.’

‘You reckon?’ said Colin. ‘Do you not think it’s strange that it was your card used to access a crime scene. And that the victim was your friend?’ He went back to his computer.

Thanks for that. Ren felt a flash of fear. ‘But how would that work?’

‘Any number of ways,’ said Colin. ‘Someone literally has your card. Someone went in and accessed the computer at the warehouse…which, in fact, they couldn’t have done if your entry was the only one in nine months. So, the alternative is that someone hacked the system…’

But why?

Ren’s cell phone rang and her mother’s number flashed on the screen. She picked up.

Her mother was sobbing. ‘Oh, Ren…’

‘What? What is it?’ Ren stood up and ran to the conference room.

‘They came back and searched again,’ her mother said between sobs. ‘The police. And they found something. They found a T-shirt belonging to Louis Parry.’

‘Whoa,’ said Ren ‘What?’ She sat down at the table.

‘Yes!’

‘Where?’

‘In Beau’s room!’

‘What?’ said Ren. ‘When?’

‘They came back this morning. After I had just tidied everything back up from the last time.’

‘But I don’t get it,’ said Ren. ‘Where did they find it?’

‘In some hole he had cut into the headboard of his bed. It was under the covering of the headboard.’ Her mother cried harder. She was gasping for breath and when she finally caught it, she said. ‘What if…what if…?’

‘Mom, listen to me. I don’t know what the hell is going on there, but I am going to find out. You stay put, don’t do anything. Leave this with me. Where’s Dad?’

‘At tennis.’

‘Are you serious?’

‘There’s no need for him to be here, Ren. I’m fine. I can handle these things. Your father is not as strong. Tennis helps him unwind.’

‘For God’s sake, Mom, there is nothing wrong with needing emotional support. Why don’t you get Matt or Lauren to drive up there?’

‘I can’t ask Lauren to…with the pregnancy…and…’

‘Mom, she’s not ill,’ said Ren. ‘You know she’ll be wonderful. Just call her. She’ll be happy to drive up if Matt can’t.’

‘OK, OK.’

‘But don’t do anything else.’

‘I feel like marching right over there to the Parrys. If Rita Parry wasn’t so sick-’

‘Mom, stay where you are,’ said Ren. ‘When will Dad be back?’

‘In about an hour. I’m glad he wasn’t here to see all this…’

‘It’s not like it would hit him any harder than you.’

‘Can’t you come to Catskill or…or…something?’ ‘I can’t right now,’ said Ren. ‘But I will try and get to you as soon as I can. I promise.’

‘Thank you, Ren. This is…I thought losing Beau was the worst thing that could happen to us.’

‘No, having me was the worst thing that happened to us.’

Her mom laughed. ‘Thank you. Oh, Ren. My heart…’

‘Mine too. Look after yourself. Sit tight.’