“You’re talking about a demo at the Marine Corps Base Quantico,” Kaci clarified.
“Yes. We planned a route that avoided the major thoroughfares. The technology left our facility in Fort Meade at 0400. The transport vehicle should have arrived in Quantico by 0700 but was stopped by a large-caliber bullet through the engine block at 0636.”
“Do you know the caliber?” Rick asked.
“A .50 but not one of our bullets.” He continued to massage his head. “This occurred near Dale City. The guard and our employee said that two armed men wearing ski masks approached the vehicle and tied them up.”
So they’d been right. More than one man was in on the theft. “And you discovered the theft when your employee didn’t arrive on time.”
“Right. We called him, but when he didn’t answer we tracked the route backward until we located them.”
“Who knew about the transport?” Rick asked.
“The driver and guard, of course. And, let’s see…” His hand dropped. “The head of the security firm and our head of security were in the know. And of course, so was I.”
“That’s it. Just the five of you.”
Erickson tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. “The military bigwigs attending the demo were aware that the technology was en route, but weren’t read in on the transport method or time.”
“Who investigated the theft?” Kaci asked.
“My security staff.”
Rick’s mouth almost fell open at his response. “So an outside investigation wasn’t conducted?”
Erickson crossed his arms. “DARPA reviewed my findings.”
That didn’t constitute a thorough investigation. Far from it. “Please tell me you at least had an outside company administer lie detector tests to your employees and the outside security staff.”
Erickson nodded. “They were all cleared.”
At least the guy had done one thing right. “I need copies of those reports along with all of your investigative files.”
Erickson sighed. “I’ll check with legal to see if we can provide them.”
Rick wanted to snarl at the man, but he stifled his frustration by curling his hands into fists where Erickson couldn’t see them. “I can provide a warrant if needed.”
“I expect you’ll need one.” Erickson drew in a long breath and let it out slowly, like a leaky tire.
“Were there any written communications about the transport?” Kaci asked.
“Like e-mails or memos, you mean?”
“Yes.”
“Sure, yeah.”
“Has your IT department evaluated your network for any intrusions?”
“That goes without saying.”
“What doesn’t go without saying is if any intrusions were located.” Kaci sounded as aggravated as Rick felt.
Erickson jutted out his chin. “We have a clean bill of health.”
Kaci leaned forward, looking as if she wanted to climb into the screen and get in his face. “Are you saying you have a clean bill now because you rectified any intrusions, or you’re saying there wasn’t an intrusion?”
He didn’t respond.
“Look, Mr. Erickson.” Her firm tone made the man cringe. “Just give me a yes, the network was compromised or no, it wasn’t compromised.”
“I would need my IT people to answer that for you, but I can tell you our network is impenetrable.”
“Then you’re naïve.” Kaci slapped her hands on the table and leaned even closer. “Every network can be penetrated, and I’ll need to audit yours.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
Kaci shot a pointed look at Rick, asking for help.
“You don’t want to make us go over your head, do you, Mr. Erickson?” Rick asked.
“There’s really no one above me in the company.”
“I’m sure if you don’t comply with our requests we could work with DARPA to pull your contract,” Rick said, though he had no idea if Max had that kind of influence.
Erickson crossed his arms. “I can’t give you access to the network.”
“Then expect a warrant soon.” Rick met Erickson’s gaze. “I’m getting the feeling that you don’t want this technology found.”
“Of course I do.”
“But not by having anyone review your files and network,” Kaci said.
He sat up higher. “You can hardly blame me for following protocol and checking with legal.”
“I can, Mr. Erickson.” Rick stifled a sigh and moved on. “How do you think word got out about the transport?”
“Our investigation turned nothing up, so I honestly don’t know. That’s why you all were called in.” His tone said he wasn’t too happy about it.
“Do you have any thoughts on who might have done this?” Kaci asked. “Like maybe an ex-employee with a grudge?”
“I’m not aware of any former employee who would want to steal anything.”
“Just what are you aware of?” Rick snapped.
Erickson crossed his arms. “I don’t need to sit here and be insulted when I have important things to do.” He reached for his computer as if he planned to disconnect the call.
Fine with Rick. They wouldn’t get anywhere with this man, and their best bet was to get the warrant for his records and the network, then come back at him with facts.
“You’ll be hearing from us soon.” Rick held the man’s gaze a moment longer, then severed the connection.
“Sheesh.” Kaci crossed her arms. “Aren’t we on the same side?”
“He’s hiding something,” Rick said. “We could be dealing with an inside job.”
“Or it’s simply that his security isn’t up to par, and he’s afraid he’ll lose his contracts.”
“If he’s been lax, he deserves to lose them. I’m sure Max will make these warrants a priority.”
“Go ahead and get them so we can review the files, and I’ll hack their network to show Erickson how easily it can be done.”
Rick eyed her. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to attempt the hack?”
“Good idea? No.” A mischievous grin lit her face. “Necessary? Yes, if we want him to see reality and cooperate.”
“Do you want me to tell Max about your plans, or do you want to?”
Her grin fell. “The less Max knows the better.”
Rick would go along with her for now, as Max often gave the team flexibility and freedom, allowing them to bend and break rules in a crisis to get the job done. Something Rick appreciated. But on the other hand, Max didn’t accept screwups and was a tough disciplinarian. If her hack backfired on them, Max would hold Kaci accountable. Still, Rick agreed that Erickson needed to be taken down a peg if they were to gain his compliance, not to mention prevent similar thefts in the future.
Rick closed the video window, revealing the photo of Griffin’s tattoo that he’d left open the night before during his research.
“What’s that?” Kaci asked.
“Griffin’s tattoo. It’s a symbol called ‘chaos.’”
She pulled the computer closer. “Which means what exactly?”
“My research says there are a bunch of meanings, but the most common one is that a small cause can have large effects.”
“Interesting,” she said, staring at it. “Any idea why Griffin chose this particular tat?”
“He was a sniper, so I’m thinking one shot from a sniper can significantly change the course of events, and perhaps that’s what it meant to him.”
“Too bad Tatt-E isn’t up and running or I could upload it there.”
The Tattoo Recognition Technology–Evaluation software was being developed by the FBI and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The database, similar to the facial recognition database, held one hundred thousand images of tattoos from prison inmates and felons.
“What about ViCAP?” Rick asked. The FBI managed the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program database that held details of violent crimes such as murder a
nd sexual assault. “A detective could have mentioned it in another crime.”
“I’ll do a quick search.” Kaci opened her computer and started typing, her focus riveted to the screen.
While she worked, Rick went to his e-mail and read a message from Max date stamped late last night. The local police had located six twenty-four-hour McDonald’s within ten miles of the park and collected the videos of people who had bought Sausage McMuffins near the time of Griffin’s murder. Max had attached still shots of four buyers. None matched the description of the knife-wielding man, but Max had asked locals to interview these men just in case the doc hadn’t been accurate in her description. He also asked the locals to widen the McDonald’s search area.
“No references in ViCAP.” Kaci shoved her computer away.
She was frustrated. Rick got that. Man, he got that, but he tried not to show his own frustration with all the dead ends. The sun hadn’t even come up, and they’d already struck out multiple times. Rick wished he still believed in the power of prayer, as it seemed they were going to need all the help they could get to find this killer.
Chapter 10
Three hours later, Rick found the doc’s inner office door closed. Not a surprise. He’d gotten a look at her calendar the day before and noticed she had back-to-back counseling appointments scheduled, but he wanted to be in the waiting room the moment she was free.
Too antsy to sit, he paced the tiny space. His phone rang, and when he saw Yolanda’s name on the screen, he quickly answered.
“I told your parents that you’re in town,” she said straightaway.
Rick’s gut clenched. “And?”
“And if you heard the tone of your mother’s voice when she asked if you were going to visit, you would already have stopped by. Now I want you to think long and hard about coming to the house for a proper visit.”
He didn’t like hurting Yolanda and his mother, but seeing his father was out of the question. “I’ll think about it. Okay?”
“Guess that’s better than a flat-out no, but Ricky, you’ve got to do your best to reconcile with your mother.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“I’m not, but I’ll do my best to think about it.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
The doc’s office door opened, and he was thankful for the interruption. “I gotta go.”
“Call me back as soon as you make a decision, you hear?” Her tone was reminiscent of the times she’d scolded him when he’d gotten in trouble as a kid.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and disconnected.
A tough-looking guy wearing an army T-shirt and jeans marched out of the office and to the exit as if a drill sergeant had dismissed him. It looked like the session hadn’t gone so well, and Rick hoped the doc wasn’t in a bad mood. He poked his head in the doorway and spotted her sitting behind her desk, her fingers poised over her computer keyboard.
He knocked on the doorjamb. “Got a minute, Doc?”
Her head popped up. “Agent Cannon. This’s a surprise.”
Her narrowed gaze said it wasn’t a pleasant one, and he had to admit that her lack of enthusiasm at seeing him stung. He held out his laptop as he crossed the room. “I have videos from the park, and I hoped you would take a look at them.”
She drew in a sharp breath and watched him carefully. Her genuine angst touched something inside, and before thinking about it, he took a seat next to the desk and placed a hand on her arm. “You’re strong, Doc. I saw that yesterday. You can do this.”
Her mouth fell open. Had he left her yesterday thinking he had no compassion?
“Look, I’m sorry if I was a little intense yesterday. I sometimes get that way when I’m working a case.”
“Sometimes?”
“Okay, you’re right. I’m usually pretty intense, but I’ll try to do better at curtailing it today.”
A nice promise, just like the one he’d given Yolanda, but could he follow through on either one? Did he even want to? It would mean trusting the doc. Letting go of his issues with his mother. Running the risk of seeing his father. He’d only said he’d try. That he could do with the doc. The others he still wasn’t sure about.
He gestured with his laptop again. “Are you up to it?”
She nodded and crossed her legs. His gaze was drawn to her black-and-white-checked pants hugging her body. He didn’t need to imagine her long legs that seemed to go on forever above strappy and very feminine sandals. She’d added a lime-green sleeveless sweater, her tanned and toned arms taking his mind in a very different direction.
“Did you want me to watch that video?” she asked.
Shocked at how easily he’d let his interest carry him away, he set up the computer and stood behind her to watch. He caught a whiff of her scent, a mixture of cinnamon and some flower he couldn’t place, but he forced his mind to remain on the video. Griffin appeared on-screen, and she reached up to trace his movements with her finger.
“I’m sorry, Ace,” she whispered. “So sorry. I wish…” A sob took her words.
It was as if she’d forgotten Rick was in the room and let her feelings pour out. Or she was playacting to turn suspicions away from her. Great. Less than a minute had passed and he’d let his distrust color his thoughts. When the man dressed in camo appeared, Rick reached over the doc’s shoulder to pause the video. She recoiled.
He moved to her side and squatted to minimize the intimidation his size often caused. “Do you know this guy?”
She continued to stare at the screen and shook her head.
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“Could he be the man who chased you?”
She leaned closer to the computer. “Could be, but like I keep saying, I didn’t get a good-enough look at him to be sure. Do you know who he is?”
“No.”
She turned her focus to him. “But you think he might be the killer?”
Rick shrugged. “The camo trousers suggest military, and we know Ace was a marine, so that might suggest a connection. So do this guy’s boots, but he isn’t wearing or carrying the jacket you mentioned. And I didn’t see a wrist tattoo. He could also be a soldier wannabe, bought his gear online, and has nothing to do with the investigation.” Rick stood. “I want you to look at the other videos, too. Just in case you see something I missed.”
“You’ve studied these, then.”
“Most of the night.”
“No wonder you look so tired.”
He hadn’t thought he looked that bad in the bathroom mirror, but he’d obviously been wrong. He started the video playing and watched again, this time trying to see it through her eyes.
“There,” she said. “Stop the video.”
He clicked pause.
She stabbed her finger at the camo man in the background. “That’s the same guy. Can you zoom in?”
Rick was glad she’d taken the viewing seriously and watched carefully enough to catch sight of this guy again.
“See his tattoo? The bottom, peeking out of his T-shirt? It’s like Ace’s tattoo.”
“All I see is a shadow.”
“But look.” She traced her finger on the screen. “See the arrow? It’s darker.”
“Maybe.” In actuality, he still didn’t see any detail. “Kaci’s team is working on improving the video.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Either he has a tattoo on the inside of the wrist that we can’t see plus one on his arm, or he’s not the shooter.”
“It’s not unusual for a guy to have more than one tat.”
“I suppose.” She still didn’t sound convinced.
Discussing it any longer wouldn’t be fruitful, as this was pure speculation. He moved back to her side to make eye contact. “Tell me about Ace’s tattoo. Did he ever talk about the reason behind it?”
“He said in the marines he follow
ed one path—the path his superiors put him on—but the tattoo meant there were many possibilities in life. That if people would take an open-minded approach to life, they would see that people doing the same job could take many different paths to success.”
“Did Ace often philosophize this way?”
She shook her head. “He was a no-nonsense guy, and I always found the tattoo to be at odds with that. He was like you—like a lot of soldiers I work with. Single focus. Get the job done and move on. So his tattoo came out of nowhere, and I often went back to the subject to get him to open up more.”
“And did he?”
“He only ever mumbled a few things about it, and they made no sense. I reread his file last night and highlighted passages on this very topic for you. I left the file in my car, so when you leave, I’ll walk out with you to get it.”
Rick was thankful she’d gone out of her way to help. The question was, was she really helping, or was this a way to shift his focus away from his suspicions of her?
He might be warming up even more to her, but he’d have to continue to keep his eyes open for potential deceit. “If this guy’s tattoo matches Ace’s, the odds are very long of him being in the park at the same time as Ace and not being affiliated with him.”
“So what do you do now?”
“Wait for the enhanced video and, if it’s clearer, hope you recognize him.”
She shot a panicked look his way. “You think if he’s connected to Ace, that means I might know him, right? Know the killer?” She circled her arms around her waist. “Oh, man. I could know the killer. Really know him.”
“We never want to think anyone in our circle is capable of such violence, but as a shr—counselor, you ought to know people do unpredictable things all the time.”
“True, but I prefer to think of people as basically good.”
Rick hadn’t had that rosy outlook since before his mother started agreeing with his father’s unreasonable demands.
Dr. Dobbs peered up at him. “It’s clear you don’t share my opinion.”
Kill Shot Page 10