Where Secrets Lie

by R E Gauthier

  “Detective Watters has a few officers on it; they’re hopeful they’re close to an arrest. I think Washburg hired someone to do the stealing for him much like he used Angela Backman in D. C.”

  Kelsey thought about how Washburg used people to fulfill his needs. “Have we any more information from the local Rape Crisis Center?”

  Nikki nodded. “They sent me an email with the list of names of new employees. One jumped out at me. A new phone therapist by the name of Bradley Stoker started working the week before Kyle Nolan went missing. Do you remember the name of Paul Washburg’s stepsister’s ex-boyfriend?”

  Recalling that Amy Washburg dated Bradley Stoker for three months before she accused her stepbrother of raping her, when in fact it had been her ex-boyfriend that her father hadn’t approved of her dating who sexually assaulted her during a party. “Not too creative, is he? I guess he didn’t have the time to get involved with a therapist already working at the center.”

  “No, but we’ll need to get a search warrant to take a look at their call records to see if Ashley Foster is on it.” Nikki offered an explanation that they had to protect the women who trusted them with their personal information. “I can by-pass this if you want. The firewall on their server is laughable.”

  Shaking her head, Kelsey said, “no, I need us to do this as much on the books as possible; we cannot have Washburg getting away with anything this time. Torres have you heard back from the PI’s picking up Nancy Washburg?”

  Torres checked her phone. “No, I’ll call them; they should have her in custody by now.” She stood up and turned away to make the call.

  “Did Lambert and Gillis have anything interesting to report on their watch last night?” Nikki asked around a bite of her panini sandwich.

  “Not really but I was thinking can we have a look at the video footage and look for any abnormalities on our end?”

  “Yes, I can patch into their servers and look at any footage. Is there something specific you’re looking for?”

  “No, but I’m thinking we could use fresh eyes on the footage to make sure we’re not missing something. Washburg is ingenious. I wouldn’t want to let him get the upper hand on us again.”

  “Let me get it set-up, and we can look at the footage from their watch last night.”

  Torres ended her muffled conversation and put her phone down on the table. “It’s done. Timmins and Collins are on their way to a hotel safe house in Upstate New York. There will be a Senior Care Nurse to make sure they met all Nancy Washburg’s needs. I even have a photo; they took, to verify they had the right woman.” Torres took out her phone and showed a picture of a smiling Nancy Washburg to Kelsey and Nikki.

  Grinning, Kelsey remembered the head-strong woman they met at the Wilker’s Retirement Home. “Did they say if she gave them any trouble?”

  “No, they said all went well. Collins told Nancy they were taking her to a nice hotel with room service and she seemed very excited to get away from the retirement home. It looks like she didn’t like the food.”

  Nikki spoke up. “I have the link set-up for the video footage. Do you want to start right from when you and Torres switched places with them yesterday afternoon?”

  “Yes, Torres and I can see if we notice anyone who may stand out to us. Yesterday people were coming and going explanations for those were all plausible, but I want to look for any overlaps in case Washburg is trying to use regular visitors to gain access to the building.”

  Nikki set up a larger monitor for her laptop in front of the flat screen tv in the room. Torres and Kelsey sat on the bed edge to get a better look at the screen. After several minutes, Kelsey saw a familiar face on the video feed from the front entrance. “Isn’t that the guy who moved out the other day? Torres, he was there earlier returning his key.”

  “Yeah and then he came back to pick up his damage deposit. Why would he be returning only a few hours later?”

  On another video screen, the same man was seen knocking on the door to the Super for the building. There seemed to be an altercation between the Super and the man. “Do we have any audio for that area of the building?” Kelsey asked Nikki.

  “No, we couldn’t get audio anywhere but in Ashley Foster’s apartment due to privacy regulations. But it looks like their talking about a key.”

  “Nikki, can you call and ask the Super about the vacant apartment? Get him talking and see if he’ll tell you what is going on with the availability of that unit.”

  “What are you thinking?” Torres asked Kelsey.

  “What if the man we saw earlier in the day wasn’t the actual tenant, but Washburg disguised as him?”

  “That’s a far stretch from an altercation about a key. What makes you think it’s about Washburg?”

  “While I was napping today, I saw a key in a vision. I didn’t know the significance of it, but it could be something to look into further. I didn’t mention the vision I had before because I didn’t have a reason to suspect it had anything to do with this case but seeing this; I think the vision was significant.”

  Nikki spoke in a very animated way as she asked about renting an apartment. “My cousin lives in your building, and she tells me someone just moved out; I hope you haven’t rented it out to anyone yet.”

  Kelsey watched the video footage of the man getting angry and then stomping off as the Super called out something to him. It had been the Super’s wife who had dealt with the man earlier in the day when Kelsey and Torres had watched the guy return his key and then come by to get the check. Noting the time, she wrote it down.

  Nikki cleared her throat. “So, it looks like the man who came by last night was upset that the Super wouldn’t give him his damage deposit. The guy didn’t have his keys; he said he lost them the day of the move. The Super said he has to speak to his wife who is on a twelve-hour shift at the Emergency Room at the hospital and ask her about the keys before he can settle this issue and let me see the unit.”

  “That’s it. Nikki, can you bring up the video footage from earlier yesterday when Torres and I were there? I need to see after lunch time and then again just before five o'clock. That’s when the man came to return the keys.”

  Nikki made a few keystrokes and then hit the enter key. “This is the footage from just after noon.”

  Kelsey asked Nikki to advance the footage. Then Kelsey saw the man wearing sunglasses and a ball cap entering the front entrance. “That’s him.”

  Nikki stopped the advance so they could watch at regular speed.

  The man’s image came up on another screen in front of the Super’s apartment unit. The woman who answered the door seemed to recognize the man right away and let him in. “I’d love to know what went on inside that apartment. The wife looked like she was quite happy to see the man.” Noting the time on the screen, Kelsey watched as the time ticked away. “I hadn’t paid much attention yesterday, but he was in there for longer than it would take to drop off keys.”

  “Thirty minutes to be exact,” Nikki noted the time he left. “Then you said he returned before five; let’s see what we have for that timeframe.” A few keystrokes and the video screen outside the Super’s apartment showed four forty-five. “Is this a good place to start?”

  Nodding, Kelsey watched the screen as the same man wearing sunglasses and ballcap knocked on the Super’s door and the wife opened and ushered him inside. Another thirty minutes went by before the man exited the apartment unit. “That’s it; freeze that frame. Do you see that key he has in his hands? I think it’s the same key I saw in my vision. Can you zoom in on the key and print a picture of it?”

  Nikki nodded. “Not a problem. What’s the significance of that key?”

  “Do apartment building Supers have all the keys of every apartment on a keychain or do they have one Master key that will open every unit?”

  Nikki shrugged. “It would depend on the size of the building. I’m suspecting in a building of this size, the Super wouldn’t be carrying several dozen keys, bu
t a Master one.”

  Kelsey wished she had seen this before. One of the drawbacks of having more than one surveillance team was the overlap of information. “I know how Washburg is going to gain access to Ashley Foster’s apartment. He’s going to walk right through the front doors and let himself into the unit with a Master key; one he copied from the one the Super’s wife had in their apartment.”

  “Ingenious., Nikki said. “No forced entry; Washburg can walk right in through the front door looking like a tenant. We should call Lambert and Gillis.”

  “I have one better; we should go and park as close as we can without drawing too much attention to ourselves and then call them. We’re going to want to be closer tonight; I feel it in my gut Washburg will make his move tonight.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Down-the-street from Ashley Foster’s Apartment, Late Evening, March 15, 2012

  Torres, Nikki, and Kelsey sat in the van with the heater on and monitored what Lambert and Gillis saw on their screens. Three hours had passed without any movement. Yawning, Kelsey pulled out her phone and texted Miranda a goodnight. Smiling when her phone pinged that she received a response, Kelsey closed her eyes and concentrated on the sweet lips awaiting her at home. Her phone buzzed and pinged as Miranda’s kissing lips emoji popped up on the phone screen with the words; I felt that. Kelsey smiled and texted back: I love you and miss you so much, it hurts. Miranda replied, Ditto.

  “How is Nanna and Miranda?” Nikki asked.

  Lifting her gaze from the quiet phone, Kelsey felt her face heat up. “I was just saying goodnight.”

  “I can always tell when it’s Miranda, only with her do you get that soft look on your face.”

  “Okay, this could be something.” Torres pointed to a small dark form on the corner of one of the video screens. “Do you see that?”

  Nikki and Kelsey both nodded.

  “Well, look here it is again. I’ve seen just the slightest movement of a dark form on the periphery of the cameras’ coverage for several minutes. If this isn’t Washburg, it’s someone who is casing the place.”

  Kelsey asked Nikki to do a freeze and navigate back to see what Torres saw. In the corner of three screens at different times there was a dark form moving as if the person knew where to avoid the camera. “These cameras are in the back of the building, are they not?”

  “Yes, and the lighting is not as good back there. I wanted to install a light, but we couldn’t get an electrician to do it.”

  “I’m not surprised that Washburg knows where all the cameras are, but why avoid going to the front door, if he has a key.” Torres pointed out that the figure was now approaching the backdoor.

  Kelsey texted Agent Lambert. Do you see this? She received an affirmation from Lambert. We’re ready. Kelsey watched, the man dressed in black, enter through the backdoor and disappear. “Where did he go?”

  Nikki’s fingers flew across the keyboard. “He somehow avoided the camera in the hallway. I don’t see him.”

  Suddenly a blaring fire alarm is heard through the audio feeds. Chaos ensued as the tenants began to look outside their doors sleepily.

  Kelsey felt in her gut that this was Washburg’s doing to make his move. "Nikki text Deb to put in her earbud, we need to make sure we won’t lose contact with her. Tell her to stay inside her apartment unless she’s told otherwise.”

  Nikki nodded and grabbed her phone. “Done. I also text Lambert to turn on the earbud receiver. What are you thinking?”

  Kelsey couldn’t shake the feeling that if they weren’t ready, Washburg could do something unexpected. “I’m not sure, but I feel uneasy about this; I want us to prepare for anything.”

  Nikki gave the thumbs up. “We can now hear everything Deb hears and she can talk to us. Deb, the alarm should be turned off soon; the fire truck is pulling up now.”

  Deb gave them a thumbs up. “Do you have eyes on him?”

  “That’s a negative. We haven’t seen the man since he entered through the backdoor.”

  Kelsey thought about something she hadn’t before. What if Washburg was using this chaos inside the building to make his move? “Nikki do you have the schematics for the building?”

  Nikki nodded and took her tablet out after a few swipes on the screen; she handed it to Kelsey. “What are you looking for?”

  “Where on the schematics is the backdoor? Is it near the basement?”

  Taking the tablet, Nikki made a few adjustments and then returned it to Kelsey. “The building’s utility room is just down the stairs from the backdoor entrance.”

  “Then that’s where he is, lying in wait until the firemen leave.” Kelsey asserted what she had feared earlier. He set the alarm as a diversion to his next step in his plan.”

  “Which is?” Torres asked. “I mean we know he has a master key, so why create a diversion? Why have more people inside the building that could see him and be witnesses?”

  “To create confusion, distract everyone or to put another plan into action. If we have learned anything about this time around, Washburg is improvising where and when he can. He’s had to step up his timeline when the police found Kyle Nolan’s body; he can’t use the same methods he used in the other murders.”

  “Mack, you’re right. I never thought about it before, but we’ve been expecting him to slip into Ashley’s apartment as he did with all the other woman, but this isn’t like in the other cases. He had all the time in the world to fulfill his needs in those murders. He fears we may come after him now, so he’s going to have to deviate from his usual MO.”

  Kelsey nodded. “I’m not expecting anything too far afield, but Washburg never disappoints in his ingenuity. I…what the hell?” The apartment building went completely dark as all of the power went out. Looking onto the surrounding street, Kelsey saw that other buildings’ and street lights were still on. “Nikki?”

  “I know, but there isn’t much I can do; our cameras have only a battery-life of one hour. We’re still relatively blind without more lights. The emergency lights in the hallways give off so little illumination; everything is in shadows.”

  Kelsey spoke into the microphone to talk to Deb. “We can still see you in the dim light, stay where you are. If Washburg moves soon; we’ll be there and catch him.”

  ***

  Three hours later and everyone still sat on high-alert. Kelsey rubbed her face and stretched to her fullest height to get some blood flowing. Deb had dozed off, and everyone kept vigilance listening to anything that seemed out of place. The Super of the building had checked the electricity, and it remained off, so Kelsey knew whatever happened, it wasn’t an easy fix. The camera batteries had long since died, leaving them blind but able to hear inside the apartment with the installed microphones and Deb’s earbud.

  Other than the Super and a few people coming and going from their apartments, the hallways remained empty while they could still see inside. When the screens finally went black, everyone strained to hear anything. Deb reported hearing faint noises out in the hallway or the upstairs apartment before she started to doze off. Kelsey thought it was best to allow the woman to rest while she could. Nikki said she had installed a motion detector on the apartment door that would trigger an alarm on her phone if someone tried to breech Ashley Foster’s apartment.

  “Mack, it looks like we may have another shift ahead of us. It’s almost four o’clock and still no movement. Maybe it was just a coincidence.” Torres shrugged.

  “Then where did that guy we saw go?” Kelsey asked no one in particular.

  “He disappeared from our view, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t go into an apartment or leave in the chaos of the fire alarm,” Nikki said.

  “What about the fire alarm and the power going out; you think these are coincidences. Remember what Rachel used to say about coincidence? They mean you’re on the right path.”

  Nikki nodded and chuckled. “And coincidence is the word we use when we cannot find the person behind the actions.”
/>
  “Exactly. Washburg will strike when we least expect him to, or when we think we’re in control. He either saw the men installing the new security cameras or when he visited the building disguised as any number of people. He’s not about to make his move when there are witnesses.”

  “That’s where I’m not sure I understand his motives,” Torres said around a yawn. “If he wants to blame the rapes on the boyfriends, then why would he want to remain anonymous now?”

  “Because he wants it to look like a suicide and not a murder. He convinces the women that their lives are not worth living. He gives them the out they’re looking for.”

  Nikki shushed the two of them. “The alarm has been set off inside the apartment.” Speaking into the microphone for Deb’s earbud, she said softly, “Deb someone opened the door.”

  Deb whispered back, “I heard the door open. Someone is inside the apartment.”

  Kelsey text Lambert; Showtime. Be ready to make a move on Deb’s signal. Deb had prearranged to use the phrase: ‘I am not an idiot,’ to signal that she needed help. Straining to hear anything in the darkness, Kelsey heard Deb’s breathing.

  “Slow your breathing and pretend you’re asleep,” Nikki whispered into the microphone.

  Silence fell over the inside of the van as everyone tried to listen to what was happening inside the apartment.

  Deb uttered a soft cry of surprise and Nikki stiffened. Kelsey put a calming hand on her best friend’s shoulder. They couldn’t make a move before Deb gave them the signal. Lambert and Gillis would reach the young agent before they could. The two agents notified them they had moved from the van and were in a position to use the security keys Ashley Foster gave them to gain entrance to the apartment building. Kelsey let out a breath she had been holding. “Hold still everyone,” she whispered to no in particular.

  “What are you doing here Kyle?” Deb’s voice asked through the earbud microphone.

  A rough man’s voice replied, “you must have known I’d come; I’ve been thinking about you.”

  The hairs on Kelsey’s neck stood up, and her skin felt like it crawled with each word. Something isn’t right; she knew it before she could determine why.