to be alone.
‘This is the part where you graciously thank me,’ Coop said.
‘I don’t have an extra bed.’
‘But you do have a queen-size bed.’
‘Forget it.’
‘I was going to suggest you take the couch. Why are you always thinking about sex? It’s very disturbing.’
15
Jimmy Marsh was seated behind the front desk, giving his statement to Tim Bryson’s partner, Detective Cliff Watts.
Darby looked to the monitors set up behind the desk. ‘Tell me about the security cameras,’ she said.
‘The two above the front door cover the door and the street,’ Marsh said. ‘There’s another camera for the delivery area, and the other two watch the garage – one for the garage door, the other for the parking lot. We see everyone who comes and goes inside this building.’
‘But you don’t have a security camera on the alley.’
‘No. I know where you’re heading. This person you met, whoever he is, he might have left by the fire escape but he couldn’t have gained access that way. You can’t stand on top of the dumpster and reach the ladder. It’s too high.’
‘Let me ask you this. If you wanted to get inside the building without being seen, how would you go about doing it?’
‘You can’t.’
‘How do you gain access to the parking garage?’
‘You need a garage door opener.’
‘So if I had one and drove up to the door, I could open it.’
‘Well, yeah, in theory,’ Marsh said.
‘And if I have a garage door opener and entered the garage, you wouldn’t see me.’
‘No, but I’d see your car on the monitor.’
‘Do you know the make and model of every car?’
‘You have to register your car at the front desk.’
‘Do you know the make and model of every car?’
‘I’ve got a pretty good idea. Twenty-two people live inside the building. About half of them have cars.’
Darby looked at the security monitor aimed at the garage door. ‘That camera is pointed at a passenger’s side window,’ she said. ‘If a car pulled up to the garage, you wouldn’t be able to see who is behind the wheel.’
Marsh didn’t answer.
Darby turned to him. The man was staring at the monitor, rubbing his tongue over his teeth.
‘Mr Marsh?’
‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t see who was behind the wheel.’
‘Can you hear the garage door open?’
‘I watch those monitors very carefully, Miss McCormick.’
‘I’m not questioning your dedication to your job or your abilities. Every security system has a flaw, and the person who entered Emma’s penthouse tonight found it. Now, can you hear the garage door open?’
‘No.’
‘Do you have someone posted inside the garage checking people as they come in?’
‘No.’
‘And if you were occupied with something else, like a delivery or a phone call, you wouldn’t necessarily see someone who entered through the parking garage.’
‘I guess it’s possible.’
‘And if I didn’t have a garage door opener and was, say, hanging out around the corner of the building, I could sneak inside once the garage door went up, correct?’
‘I suppose,’ he said.
‘Does the security camera inside the garage record what goes on in there?’
‘Yes, it does.’
‘Okay. Now if I was a resident, after I parked my car, how would I get to my unit? Do I have to come back out and come through the front door?’
‘There’s a private elevator inside the garage which takes you up to your floor.’
‘That would be the delivery elevator I saw at the end of Emma’s hallway.’
‘Yes.’
‘Is there a camera installed inside the elevator?’
‘No.’
‘What about on the individual floors?’
‘We just monitor the outside of the building.’ ‘That’s what I thought,’ Darby said. ‘Thank you for your help, Mr Marsh.’
16
Walter Smith woke during the early hours of Saturday morning trembling with anticipation. So much to do, so much to do; he threw off the covers and raced out of his room.
The spare bedroom,
‘This is the part where you graciously thank me,’ Coop said.
‘I don’t have an extra bed.’
‘But you do have a queen-size bed.’
‘Forget it.’
‘I was going to suggest you take the couch. Why are you always thinking about sex? It’s very disturbing.’
15
Jimmy Marsh was seated behind the front desk, giving his statement to Tim Bryson’s partner, Detective Cliff Watts.
Darby looked to the monitors set up behind the desk. ‘Tell me about the security cameras,’ she said.
‘The two above the front door cover the door and the street,’ Marsh said. ‘There’s another camera for the delivery area, and the other two watch the garage – one for the garage door, the other for the parking lot. We see everyone who comes and goes inside this building.’
‘But you don’t have a security camera on the alley.’
‘No. I know where you’re heading. This person you met, whoever he is, he might have left by the fire escape but he couldn’t have gained access that way. You can’t stand on top of the dumpster and reach the ladder. It’s too high.’
‘Let me ask you this. If you wanted to get inside the building without being seen, how would you go about doing it?’
‘You can’t.’
‘How do you gain access to the parking garage?’
‘You need a garage door opener.’
‘So if I had one and drove up to the door, I could open it.’
‘Well, yeah, in theory,’ Marsh said.
‘And if I have a garage door opener and entered the garage, you wouldn’t see me.’
‘No, but I’d see your car on the monitor.’
‘Do you know the make and model of every car?’
‘You have to register your car at the front desk.’
‘Do you know the make and model of every car?’
‘I’ve got a pretty good idea. Twenty-two people live inside the building. About half of them have cars.’
Darby looked at the security monitor aimed at the garage door. ‘That camera is pointed at a passenger’s side window,’ she said. ‘If a car pulled up to the garage, you wouldn’t be able to see who is behind the wheel.’
Marsh didn’t answer.
Darby turned to him. The man was staring at the monitor, rubbing his tongue over his teeth.
‘Mr Marsh?’
‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t see who was behind the wheel.’
‘Can you hear the garage door open?’
‘I watch those monitors very carefully, Miss McCormick.’
‘I’m not questioning your dedication to your job or your abilities. Every security system has a flaw, and the person who entered Emma’s penthouse tonight found it. Now, can you hear the garage door open?’
‘No.’
‘Do you have someone posted inside the garage checking people as they come in?’
‘No.’
‘And if you were occupied with something else, like a delivery or a phone call, you wouldn’t necessarily see someone who entered through the parking garage.’
‘I guess it’s possible.’
‘And if I didn’t have a garage door opener and was, say, hanging out around the corner of the building, I could sneak inside once the garage door went up, correct?’
‘I suppose,’ he said.
‘Does the security camera inside the garage record what goes on in there?’
‘Yes, it does.’
‘Okay. Now if I was a resident, after I parked my car, how would I get to my unit? Do I have to come back out and come through the front door?’
‘There’s a private elevator inside the garage which takes you up to your floor.’
‘That would be the delivery elevator I saw at the end of Emma’s hallway.’
‘Yes.’
‘Is there a camera installed inside the elevator?’
‘No.’
‘What about on the individual floors?’
‘We just monitor the outside of the building.’ ‘That’s what I thought,’ Darby said. ‘Thank you for your help, Mr Marsh.’
16
Walter Smith woke during the early hours of Saturday morning trembling with anticipation. So much to do, so much to do; he threw off the covers and raced out of his room.
The spare bedroom,
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