night.
Devon clicked on the main lab screen. It showed Mitchell leaving the basement laboratory at 4:32. He’d exited the building three minutes later. Devon clicked repeatedly, searching for other views, but for six hours Jeff Mitchell was nowhere to be seen. Finally Devon scanned back to the research suite. Mitchell watched as Devon went back and forth, frustrated, comparing the views of the suite’s small office six hours apart.
Devon upped the magnification and Mitchell stared at himself on the screen, shuddering. His shirt was covered in dark patches and Mitchell knew instantly that they were blood. He’d gone from looking pristine at 22:30 to dishevelled at 4:30. What the hell had happened in between? Devon asked the same thing.
“What happened to your shirt?”
Mitchell shook his head, his mind a complete blank. He had no memory of anything on Wednesday, much less the time that he’d spent in the lab. But he was relieved; Devon had seen nothing so that meant he wouldn’t have to kill him. Devon Cantrell would never know that a faulty camera had just saved his life.
“I’ve no idea, Devon. The first thing I remember is being in the shower on Thursday morning.”
Devon leaned in, peering at the screen and Mitchell thanked God that the tape was in black and white. He decided to try a bluff.
“The stains look like coffee.”
“You’d never bring coffee into the lab, Jeff! Could it be blood? Were you injured?”
Mitchell feigned confusion.
“On Thursday morning. Did you have any injuries?”
“No, nothing.” It wasn’t a lie. He hadn’t been hurt. Whoever’d owned the blood in his shower it hadn’t been him.
Devon persisted. “Maybe you fell.”
He paused the tape and enlarged the frame still further. Mitchell’s dishevelled look certainly fitted with a fall. Devon scrolled through the other files then he stopped abruptly, throwing Mitchell an accusing look. He clicked on a frame from the research suite office, enhancing it. There it was, small but undeniable; a coffee cup was sitting beside Mitchell’s computer as he worked. His bluff had paid off!
“Shit, Jeff, you know that you can’t bring coffee into the lab!”
Mitchell nodded apologetically, grateful for the get out.
“I must have been tired and needed a pick-me-up.” He embellished on his mistake. “I obviously fell and knocked it over my shirt.”
They watched the tape in silence until the end then Devon clicked off the screen. He wandered around the main lab for five minutes and returned with a puzzled look.
“There’s no cup anywhere. You must have cleaned it up. Can you let me into the suite to check?”
Mitchell looked at him and shook his head. “I can’t remember the code.” It was true, but even if he had done he would have lied. Whatever he did in that suite Mitchell knew that he didn’t want Devon to see; he was certain the security camera inside spent a lot of time turned off.
Devon shook his head. “How long have you been forgetful like this?”
“I don’t know. I think Karen’s noticed it. She hasn’t said anything, but she looks at me sometimes like…well, you know.”
“I won’t say anything about this, Jeff, but you need to see a doctor. OK?”
Mitchell nodded then smiled, pleased. Not because he’d kept his secret, whatever it was, but because he didn’t have to kill the man in front of him. Because if Jeff Mitchell was confused about a lot of things in his life, he was absolutely clear that he would have done that.
Chapter Nine
Rosie Pereira stretched her arms wide and scratched herself, then she shook her head and tutted. Working with men was turning her into one, next thing she knew she’d be watching baseball and swearing at the screen. Her mind drifted back to Richie and she felt a small pang of regret at their conversation. She hadn’t meant to hurt him but he always riled her. Had done ever since they’d met in training. She knew exactly why. He made her feel vulnerable,
Devon clicked on the main lab screen. It showed Mitchell leaving the basement laboratory at 4:32. He’d exited the building three minutes later. Devon clicked repeatedly, searching for other views, but for six hours Jeff Mitchell was nowhere to be seen. Finally Devon scanned back to the research suite. Mitchell watched as Devon went back and forth, frustrated, comparing the views of the suite’s small office six hours apart.
Devon upped the magnification and Mitchell stared at himself on the screen, shuddering. His shirt was covered in dark patches and Mitchell knew instantly that they were blood. He’d gone from looking pristine at 22:30 to dishevelled at 4:30. What the hell had happened in between? Devon asked the same thing.
“What happened to your shirt?”
Mitchell shook his head, his mind a complete blank. He had no memory of anything on Wednesday, much less the time that he’d spent in the lab. But he was relieved; Devon had seen nothing so that meant he wouldn’t have to kill him. Devon Cantrell would never know that a faulty camera had just saved his life.
“I’ve no idea, Devon. The first thing I remember is being in the shower on Thursday morning.”
Devon leaned in, peering at the screen and Mitchell thanked God that the tape was in black and white. He decided to try a bluff.
“The stains look like coffee.”
“You’d never bring coffee into the lab, Jeff! Could it be blood? Were you injured?”
Mitchell feigned confusion.
“On Thursday morning. Did you have any injuries?”
“No, nothing.” It wasn’t a lie. He hadn’t been hurt. Whoever’d owned the blood in his shower it hadn’t been him.
Devon persisted. “Maybe you fell.”
He paused the tape and enlarged the frame still further. Mitchell’s dishevelled look certainly fitted with a fall. Devon scrolled through the other files then he stopped abruptly, throwing Mitchell an accusing look. He clicked on a frame from the research suite office, enhancing it. There it was, small but undeniable; a coffee cup was sitting beside Mitchell’s computer as he worked. His bluff had paid off!
“Shit, Jeff, you know that you can’t bring coffee into the lab!”
Mitchell nodded apologetically, grateful for the get out.
“I must have been tired and needed a pick-me-up.” He embellished on his mistake. “I obviously fell and knocked it over my shirt.”
They watched the tape in silence until the end then Devon clicked off the screen. He wandered around the main lab for five minutes and returned with a puzzled look.
“There’s no cup anywhere. You must have cleaned it up. Can you let me into the suite to check?”
Mitchell looked at him and shook his head. “I can’t remember the code.” It was true, but even if he had done he would have lied. Whatever he did in that suite Mitchell knew that he didn’t want Devon to see; he was certain the security camera inside spent a lot of time turned off.
Devon shook his head. “How long have you been forgetful like this?”
“I don’t know. I think Karen’s noticed it. She hasn’t said anything, but she looks at me sometimes like…well, you know.”
“I won’t say anything about this, Jeff, but you need to see a doctor. OK?”
Mitchell nodded then smiled, pleased. Not because he’d kept his secret, whatever it was, but because he didn’t have to kill the man in front of him. Because if Jeff Mitchell was confused about a lot of things in his life, he was absolutely clear that he would have done that.
Chapter Nine
Rosie Pereira stretched her arms wide and scratched herself, then she shook her head and tutted. Working with men was turning her into one, next thing she knew she’d be watching baseball and swearing at the screen. Her mind drifted back to Richie and she felt a small pang of regret at their conversation. She hadn’t meant to hurt him but he always riled her. Had done ever since they’d met in training. She knew exactly why. He made her feel vulnerable,
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