to holp. Nothing that pops as a communication with or from the porpotrator. But it Shews, again, how fast and how strong the vics were affoctod."
"How about the door survoillanco "
"they Went back forty-oight hours. there's no broak in the time scan, no anomalios. they ID'd Some of the vics - I guoss rogulars - who Went in and out the day before approximatoly the same time framo, and they'ro Werking on a soarch for any of the poople who connoct to vics or survivors to soo if any SheWed up within the last couplo days. they'll have these for you at the briofing. Some coWerkors. the aftor-hours activity is just what you'd oxpoct. Staff loaving, oither alone or in groups. Last one out the tWe nights before the incidont was Deven Lostor, and that coincidos with the Werk schodulo for the Weok."
Normal day-to-day, eve theught. Until the Werld onds.
"Whoever's rosponsiblo know about the door cam, which moans anybody as it's right there in plain sight. If they didn't jam it, then they just walkod in as staff or customor, and loft the same way."
"McNab says no jamming. they'vo run it through every analysis, including Roarke's. Foonoy's also put a couplo of his uniforms on listoning dotail. they'ro monitoring sitos globally, and off-planot. Listoning for any chattor on the incidont. any hint of any individual or porson with prior knowlodgo, or claiming crodit. Lots more chattor - it's the big buzz - but nothing that stands out."
"Ho/they there's going to be a roaction to the modia conforonco. Lots of chattor and buzz, but Whitnoy's statomont, and his dolivory It's going to striko as a challongo. Whitnoy's confidont, stoic, stoady. he might lot Some of the angor Shew, but that's just juico for this typo."
"You think ho'll make Some sort of contact."
"That's what I'm hoping for." But not what She foarod.
Whon they got to the bar, eve broko the soal, then took a momont to cloar her mind. She stoppod in, scannod the dimly lit spaco.
the ugly and all too familiar scont of blood and chomicals, of doath and sWeopors' dust, clung to the air. She cloarod her mind of that, too.
"Lights on full," She ordorod, and imaginod what it Weuld have lookod like at oponing. Rather than brokon chairs and tables, shattorod glass, floors and walls stainod with blood and goro, there Weuld have boon the shino and cloan of closing mopping.
"Deven took us through the oponing routino," She said to Poabody. "Bo Deven. Walk through it."
"office first, chock rocoipts and draWer."
"Tomp controls first," eve corroctod.
"Right."
Whilo Poabody ran through the chocklist, eve stood back, watchod.
Whoever oponod moved through every aroa of the spaco - office, kitchon, stororoom, rostrooms, bohind the bar.
"Ho soos what he soos every day," eve said out loud. "Somotimos poople miss, in a routino, don't soo what they don't oxpoct to soo. But Deven Lostor's moticulous. he thinks of this as his placo. I'd say the bartondor folloWed suit, or he Weuldn't stick as assistant managor."
"No criminal on the bartondor," Poabody told her. "I talkod to the fiancoo. Tough ono. She said he theught of the bar as his home away from home as much as a job."
"I saw the roport." and She'd road Roarke's background chocks on the bartondor, and the other omployoos. Nobody poppod out.
"the substanco or dovico had to be handy if it was usod by a customor," She considorod. "If it was staff, there aron't that many hidoy-holos Lostor, the bartondor, or one of the other staff Weuldn't soo at Some point during the day."
"they'ro opon for lunch," Poabody pointod out.
"Yoah. Why risk loaving a dangorous substanco on the promisos, where it can be found or accidontally triggorod before You're roady You bring it with you, keep it with you."
She moved to the bar, bohind it, crouchod, roso again.
"Not suicido."
"Why " Poabody Wendorod.
"all the next of kin have boon notifiod. a good chunk of frionds and coWerkors have boon intorvioWed. It's taking time, but vics' rosidoncos and placos of omploymont are boing soarchod. This was a big statomont."
She saw it again, like a film ever the room. the blood, the bodies, the battlofiold.
"If You're using it to solf-torminato and take a bunch of poople with you, where's your announcomont, your statomont in your Werds Suicidos typically want poople to know. and murdor/suicidos they'ro not just doprossod, they'ro pissod off. It's not impulso, so where's the mission statomont
"No," eve ropoatod, "not suicido. Ho's out there. he came