Page 7 of Just Now

Now, with a few cases behind her, Cami was realizing what it took in terms of bravery, know-how, and sheer determination to catch people who were truly evil and had their own terrible agendas. Ethan had been the first person to change her mind about the FBI, when she’d realized how focused he was on his job, how supportive he was of his team, how determined he was to catch the bad guys.

And she’d grown to admire Connor. He was one of the toughest, most ethical people she knew. Tech wasn’t his strong point, but people were, and she’d picked up a lot of wisdom on that front when watching him interact.

Now, she felt eager to help where she could, hoping that her input could help Connor and his team defeat this latest threat.

“We’ve had two women who have been found, strangled, and dumped in different parts of Boston,” Connor said, and she could hear the regret in his voice. “The first body was found two days ago, the second, late last night. Police suspect it’s a serial because the MO is so similar, but there’s no obvious connection between the women. So we’re looking to technology to give us a lead on that, and see if there’s anything to be found,” he explained.

Cami listened intently, her mind already whirring with ideas on how she could help.

“What’s the first step?” she asked, eager to get started. “Do you have any of their devices?”

“We’ve got both the victims’ phones. Their phones and personal items were on them, although the phones were turned off, and they’ve been taken into evidence. Both are at the local police stations where the crimes were called in, but we’re organizing for the first phone to be transferred to the second police station in central Boston. So, if you’re ready, I can pick you up in fifteen minutes.”

“I’ll be ready,” Cami said.

*

Fifteen minutes later to the minute, Cami saw the plain gray Ford that Connor was using as his unmarked speed around the corner in the direction of the university entrance. She rushed to the car as it pulled up and jumped inside.

“Thanks for coming on board with this, Cami,” Connor said as he hit the gas, pulling away from the curb. “With a potential serial case, you know how important it is to get onto it fast. It’s a very troubling set of circumstances, and the two victims are very different. No clear links between them.”

Cami nodded. “I hope I can find something,” she said.

At the start of a case, she couldn’t help feeling intimidated by the sheer amount of information they needed to find. It was like staring at a blank computer screen that needed to be filled with specialized coding before the program could run. That was what she compared it to in her mind. At the same time, she was proud of being so valued by Connor. Her hacking ability could sometimes provide the key to solving cases that might otherwise remain unsolved. And she could usually get information far quicker, and also more of it, than the FBI could otherwise get. The fact she sometimes did so through “alternative” channels was her strength.

As they neared the first police station, weaving through the heavy morning traffic, Connor briefed her on the details they had so far.

“The most recent victim is an estate lawyer named Kate Minnett, age thirty-three. She lived alone in a quiet residential suburb west of downtown. Low crime area, wealthy residents, and as you can imagine, this is causing a major outcry.”

“What’s the timeline on that?” Cami asked.

“She left the office on Wednesday evening at about five p.m. Her home’s half an hour away from the office. Then she didn’t respond to a call from her boss at six p.m., her phone was off, and she wasn’t in the office yesterday. So that narrows the timeline down as to when she was taken. She had said she’d keep her phone on.”

“Okay,” Cami said, taking this in as Connor continued.

“Two of the law firm’s partners went around yesterday evening to check she was okay. Her house was unlocked, her laptop bag was inside the front door, and she was gone. Her body was found in a dumpster late last night.” Connor paused, then added in a heavy voice, “The police interviewed her work colleagues yesterday evening, and everyone’s horrified. She was well liked, there was no motive for the crime, she hadn’t complained of anything unusual. And of course, they then linked it to the other crime, which took place a couple of days earlier and on the other side of the city.”

“And details on the other?” Cami asked, feeling a chill of horror at the circumstances. Nobody should be able to get away with doing that. Not even once, never mind twice. And if she could stop the tragedy from occurring again, then she’d do whatever it took.

“The other victim was a younger woman, age twenty-three, who lived in a small apartment in a new housing estate a few miles from the city center. She worked at a local beauty salon doing nails. Her name’s Gracie Foster. She disappeared sometime over the weekend, although the timeline’s not clear. She worked Saturday morning at the salon, and was then supposed to be in again on Monday. She wasn’t, and her body was found early Tuesday morning. Also in a dumpster, and probably placed there during the night.”

“Any problems in her life, any boyfriend issues?” Cami knew from experience that those were important and could be an initial lead.

“No. Both these women lived alone, with no romantic ties, no close family nearby,” Connor said.

“Any sign of forced entry?” she asked, wondering if the victims had lived in smart homes, and if that was how the killer had gotten access.

“There are possible signs. Gracie’s kitchen door latch was loose, and it could have been forced and then roughly repaired. There was a window in Kate’s living room with some marks on the frame that also looked as if it might have been pried open and then closed again. So, yes. Someone could have gotten in through the weak points of both homes and waited inside.”

Not smart homes. The opposite. But a smart killer, for sure, who’d taken advantage of gaps in the defenses, Cami knew.

Connor peeled off the stop-start traffic on the main road, powering down a side street that quickly led to the police station. He climbed out, and Cami grabbed her laptop bag and followed him.

He headed inside.

“Agent Connor, FBI, and Cami Lark, tech expert,” he introduced them. “It’s regarding the double murder. I believe both the victims’ phones are available here?”

The officer glanced at a checklist. “Yes, Agent. The second phone arrived half an hour ago. The laptop for Kate Minnett is also in evidence if you want it. We’re short on space, but there’s a mini office just outside the evidence room that you can use. I’ll get the phones signed out and available for you.”

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