Chương 8
“Who had access?” Ruth asked.
“Administrator accounts assigned to Grant Mercer, his deputy, and Barrow Systems.”
“Specific device?”
“A service laptop connected from the security operations room.”
Damian looked at Marcus. “Who was there?”
“Grant, his deputy, and at least four officers.”
Naomi continued. “There’s more. An external storage device was connected to that laptop at ten eleven.”
“The drive?” Celeste’s drive had been dark gray, smaller than a thumb. Damian had only her description.
“We can’t know,” Naomi said. “The system recorded a generic device class. It was removed at ten fourteen.”
Ruth leaned toward the camera. “Preserve the records with cryptographic hashes. Document every person who has access. Do not analyze content beyond the authorized scope until we have a written protocol.”
Naomi raised an eyebrow. “You are definitely a lawyer.”
“That is why I was invited.”
Damian said, “Where is Grant?”
Marcus checked his phone. “At the estate.”
“Police let him remain?”
“They haven’t arrested him.”
Ruth looked at Damian. “You are not going there to confront him.”
“I’m going home.”
“You have seven homes. Choose another.”
“My daughter was attacked in that house.”
“Which makes it a crime scene.”
“It is also where the evidence may be.”
“Then the police will search it.”
“Police move slowly.”
“Slowly is not the same as badly.”
Damian’s eyes narrowed.
Ruth did not blink. “You hired me because Adele found someone who dislikes you. Let’s avoid wasting the morning proving her judgment sound.”
Adele looked down to hide a smile.
At the estate, Detective Ortiz questioned Grant Mercer in the security operations room. He sat with his jacket buttoned, hands folded, answering each question precisely.
“Yes, he had administrator privileges.”
“No, he had not deleted the records.”
“Yes, he had been in the operations room at ten seven.”
“No, he had not noticed anyone connecting external storage.”
“Why was the camera maintenance scheduled during a board dinner?” Ortiz asked.
“The meeting was expected to end by nine.”
“Did you know Celeste Royce would arrive?”
“I saw the access entry around eight thirty.”
“Who else could see it?”
“Executive protection personnel. Scheduling staff. Mr. Sloane’s office.”
“Did you tell anyone?”
“No.”
“Did you speak to Peter Sloane tonight?”
“At dinner.”
“Privately?”
“No.”
“Did you use the service passage near the chapel?”
“No.”
“Do you own gloves?”
Grant’s expression almost changed. “Yes.”
“Dark gloves?”
“Yes.”
“Anything scented with cedar?”
“My coat closet has cedar blocks.”
Ortiz leaned back.
Grant said, “You’re constructing significance from ordinary details.”
“I’m asking questions.”
“You asked about cedar because Celeste reported a smell.”
“She did.”
“The entire west wing smells of cedar. The paneling is walnut, but several closets are lined with cedar.”
Ortiz watched him.
Grant continued, “Peter’s overcoat is stored in the west cloakroom. So are Damian’s, Marcus’s, mine, and those of every male dinner guest.”
“Celeste said the attacker wore gloves.”
“It was cold. Half the guests arrived wearing gloves.”
“Inside the house?”
“She did not say the attacker put them on inside.”
“Were you near the corridor when the cameras failed?”
“I was in this room supervising the maintenance window.”
“Can anyone confirm that?”
“Six officers.”
“Any of them report to someone else?”
“No.”
Grant’s calm made him look both innocent and well practiced.
Ortiz changed direction. “Why did you search the estate before police arrived?”
“Damian ordered me to find the attacker.”
“He ordered you to find who touched his daughter.”
“That means the same thing.”
“Does it?”
Grant’s gaze held steady. “In his vocabulary, yes.”
“Did you take that as permission to enter private rooms?”
“Yes.”
“Confiscate phones?”
“Yes.”
“Search employees?”
“We conducted safety checks.”
“Did anyone refuse?”
“One kitchen worker objected.”
“What happened?”
“He was held in the breakfast room.”
“Held by whom?”
“Security personnel.”
Ortiz wrote for several seconds.
“You realize,” Grant said, “that if an attacker had remained on the property, delay could have placed everyone at risk.”
“You realize that if the attacker was part of your team, your search gave that person access to every room and every witness.”
Grant did not answer.
At nine twenty, police found the green bag.
It was inside Damian’s study.
The bag had been pushed behind a row of maritime registries in a low cabinet. The leather strap was torn. Celeste’s wallet remained inside, along with cosmetics, a notebook, and a folder containing printed maintenance records.
The encrypted drive was missing.
Damian’s study had been searched at ten thirty the previous night by two security officers under Grant’s direction. Both claimed the cabinet was closed and they had not opened it because they were looking for a person, not an object.
The study door sensor showed entries at nine fifty-two, ten twenty-nine, and two seventeen.
At nine fifty-two, Damian was in the ambulance.
At ten twenty-nine, security conducted the search.
At two seventeen, Detective Cho entered.
The first entry had been made using Damian’s master credential.
Only three physical tokens could generate that credential. Damian carried one. Marcus kept one in a secure office drawer for emergencies. Grant’s operations room held the third in a sealed cabinet.
Damian’s token had remained in his trouser pocket.
Marcus checked his drawer remotely through his assistant. His token was missing.
When Marcus heard, he sat down on the hospital corridor floor.
Not on a chair. On the floor, his back against the wall, knees raised, one hand covering his mouth. Nurses moved around him with practiced indifference.
Damian stood over him.
“Who accessed your office?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who knew the token was there?”
“My staff. Security. Peter.”
“Was the drawer forced?”
“No.”
“Then someone had the code.”
Marcus lowered his hand. “The code is stored in the emergency access file.”
“Who controls it?”
“Grant’s team.”
Damian took out his phone.
Marcus looked up. “Who are you calling?”
“Grant.”
“No.”
Damian stopped.
May you like
It was the first time Marcus had used that tone with him.
“Ruth said not to confront anyone,” Marcus continued. “The police are at the estate. You call Grant now, you tell him exactly what they found and exactly what we suspect.”
