He drew closer and stared down at her. “My point, Ms. Lynde, is that I know you’re tired, but that’s no excuse for getting sloppy.”
Cameron’s eyes filled with anger. But then she paused for a moment, and nodded. “Fair enough.”
She looked over at the wall she shared with room 1308. “When I woke up the second time, I heard the bed banging against the wall, louder than before. But only a couple of times. Then like I said, I heard squealing.”
“A man or a woman’s voice?” Jack asked.
“A woman. The sound was muffled, as if her face was covered by a blanket or pillow.” Cameron turned back to him with a look of sudden realization. “She was suffocated, wasn’t she?” she asked softly.
Jack debated whether to answer this but knew he eventually would have to fill her in anyway. “Yes.”
Cameron bit her lip. “I just thought they were trying to be quieter about it. I didn’t realize . . .” She took a deep, steadying breath.
“You couldn’t have known,” Wilkins assured her.
Jack threw him a look—enough with the good-cop already. She was a big girl, she could handle it. “You told Detective Slonsky that you called security and the room went quiet again?”
“And then I heard the door open, so I ran and looked out the peephole,” Cameron said.
“Just being nosy?”
The sarcasm seemed to reinvigorate her. “And thank goodness for that,” she said. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have whatever information I know that I don’t yet realize I know.” She smiled ever so sweetly. “Besides, if I hadn’t been so nosy, Agent Pallas, you and I never would’ve had this lovely chance to reconnect.”
Wilkins coughed while taking a sip of his coffee. It sounded suspiciously like a chuckle.
Jack found her sarcasm laughable. Back when he was in Special Forces, before he’d joined the FBI, he’d interrogated foreign operatives, suspected terrorists, and members of various guerilla militias. He could certainly handle one cheeky assistant U.S. attorney. “I’m glad to see the coffee’s put a little fire back in you,” he said dryly. “Now why don’t you tell me what you saw when you were doing your civic duty and spying though the peephole?”
Wilkins held up his hand. “Um, I’m thinking maybe I should pick back up with this.”
Cameron and Jack answered simultaneously. “We’re fine.”
“I saw a man leave the room, which I’m sure you know,” she told Jack.
“Describe him.”
“I already described him to Slonsky.”
“Do it again.”
Jack saw her eyes flash. She didn’t like being told what to do. Too bad.
“Five foot eleven, maybe six feet tall,” she said. “Medium build. He wore jeans, a black blazer, and a gray hooded T-shirt pulled over his head. He had his back to me the entire time, so I never saw his face.”
“Didn’t you think the hooded T-shirt was a little odd?” Jack asked.
“I heard butt cheeks being slapped and walls that were banged so hard my teeth nearly rattled. Frankly, I’ve found this whole evening to be a little odd, Agent Pallas.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Jack could see Wilkins glance up at the ceiling while fighting off another smile.
“Are you certain about the man’s height?” Jack continued.
Cameron paused, thinking. “Yes.”
“How about his weight?”
She sighed. “I’m really bad at guessing that kind of thing.”
“Make an effort. Pretend this is something important.”
Another glare.
Cameron glanced over at Wilkins. “How much do you weigh?”
“Wait—how come Jack doesn’t have to answer that?”
“The man I saw seems closer to your build.”
“Oh, so he’s a smaller guy, then?” Jack suggested helpfully.
Wilkins turned around. “A smaller guy? I’m an inch above the national average. Besides, I’m spry.”
“Let’s try to narrow this down,” Jack regrouped. “I weigh one-eighty-five, Agent Wilkins is about one-sixty. Given that, where would you say this guy falls?”
She looked between the two men, considering this. “About one-seventy.”
Jack and Wilkins exchanged looks.
“What?” Cameron asked. “What does that tell you?”
“So just to make sure we’re clear on this, the man you saw leave the room right before security arrived was about five-eleven or six feet tall, and around one hundred and seventy pounds. Is that what you’re saying?”
“That’s what I’m saying,” she agreed. “And I see that you’ve gotten whatever information it is you wanted out of me. So I would like some information in return.” She looked to Wilkins first, who looked to Jack.
After debating a moment, he leaned against the wall. “Okay. Here’s what I can tell you.”
“AND JUST SO we’re clear: everything I’m about to tell you needs to