“So we have nothing from it at all?”

“Well, not nothing. Can’t really make out anything from this scene. The camera is working but it’s not focused correctly, so the footage is all blurry. The camera pointing to the car park is so high, I can’t even read the registration plates unless they are facing one particular direction and I can barely make out the make or models. It took me a long time to figure out what camera file came from the foyer of which building.”

“So how did you figure it out?”

“I just started watching the first, and fortunately I came across the victim entering her building. The date and time are stamped on the bottom or I would really be lost. So, round three o’clock I counted a hundred and fifty-two coming and going but can’t make out some of their faces. I’m having a look now at the other angles, but really I’m not hopeful they will turn up anything either. So far the cameras face every direction but the right one. One of the cameras was facing a tree. Unless our killer is an out-of-control robin, nothing of use is on it.”

“What about CCTV footage from the street? Perhaps we can see more.”

“We’ve sent for it. There is a camera leading to the block of flats.”

“I’ve read through the house-to-house statements and they’re useless. Most say all they can remember were children coming and going. Noise in the halls. One person remembers a man delivering take-away and another receiving a package but neither could confirm the time or remember what the people looked like.”

“Looks like we could have another Tipring on our hands.”

Theo went over to the board and looked at the photo of Sharon Yoder lying prone in her entranceway. “Dorland, come look at this.”

With an eager hop, Dorland moved to the board.

“What do you notice about this photo?” asked Theo.

Dorland stepped closer and peered at it.

“It reminds me of the last case we worked on, the Tipring case,” Theo said.

“Well,” said Dorland, “I started running information through Holmes and I found something interesting about one of the tenants—a Mr. Frank Mitchell.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, apparently he’s got some suspected ties with organized crime. He’s been arrested three times for running illegal gambling establishments in London. Each time, he’s been let go without charge.”

Theo grabbed the papers and started looking through them. “He’s even been suspected of murder . . . and a stabbing death at that. Shit, I’m never going to hear the end of it. The man didn’t have an alibi and he didn’t even seem to care. Cocky bastard. Have one of the officers bring him in. If he’s still there. Give me a few minutes and we’ll go back to the building. Ugh, and I gave him her bloody fish.” Theo went to his office and slammed the door.

A few minutes later, Dorland knocked on his door.

“What?” Theo asked.

“The officers there say he’s not answering their knocks. You may be right, he stayed until he knew the officers weren’t going to stop him and he snuck away.”

“Shit.” Theo stood up, grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair, and walked from his office. “We need to search his flat.” Theo picked up the phone and started dialing.

“Gov,” said Dorland. “Gov—”

“What!”

“Look who just arrived.”

Theo turned around and standing with one of the officers was Frank Mitchell.

Chapter Forty-One

Frank sat across from the two officers at a table in one of the interview rooms.

“I thought I would save you the trip over. In reality, I should have told you about my background when you came to my flat the first time. It’s just I’m trying to put that all behind me, that life. That was another time.” He leaned back in his chair. “Can I smoke in here?”

“No.”

“Hmm,” he replied. He pushed his hand into his trouser pocket and pulled out chewing tobacco. He stuffed a few fingers-full in his mouth and then he said between chews, “I know it looks bad on me but I’m not lying. I had absolutely nothing to do with this. That part of my life is over. And Sharon is as far from that life as could be. She didn’t deserve what happened to her.”

“So you have no idea who could do this to her?”

“No.”

“We have heard that there have been a string of petty thefts in the buildings. And—”

“They also had nothing to do with me.”

“I’m not accusing you, but perhaps you heard something. Maybe you—”

“No.” He leaned forward. “Listen, Detective Inspector—”

“Detective Chief Inspector Blackwell.”

“All right, DCI Blackwell, I know what I’ve done. Also, I know what I’ve been accused of doing. And I’ve never been charged nor convicted of anything. You have nothing on me, so I really wouldn’t waste your time. Now, you may not be interested in my opinion but I don’t think you’re looking for those little punks who are stealing from the flats.”

“What do you know about the break-ins?”

“I think they’re a few stupid kids with too much time on their hands and no parental supervision.”

“Do you know who they are?”

“I don’t know their names. But you’ll find them. Just watch all the footage you received. You did receive the shitty footage, didn’t you?”

Theo put his hand over his mouth and closed his eyes for a moment before replying, “What did you come in for? You didn’t trek through the cold to come and convince me not to take you in.”

Frank laughed and then nodded. “A bloke can’t do a nice thing once and a while? I babysit her damn fish. Perhaps I’m just a super nice guy. And perhaps she was like a bloody daughter to me, did you ever think of that?” He slammed his fist on the table. “She didn’t have family you know.” He waved his arm to silence them. “No, I mean, she didn’t have family to talk to because they shunned her. So she came to talk with me, not so much these days but she did. I want you to find out who did this to her because she didn’t deserve it.”

“Was she seeing anyone? We found a photo in her flat.”

“Yeah. Oh, what was his name?” He scratched his head. “An older bloke. Married, I think. Though he took off the ring when he was around her, you could still see the impression. I don’t know what she saw in him but she was happy.” He shrugged. “And she deserved to be happy.”

“Why didn’t you tell us this when we came to you before?”

“Well, honestly, I didn’t think of him. He wouldn’t have done this.”

“How do you know?”

“Not the sort.”

“What sort was he?”

“Look, I’ve known killers and he wasn’t one of them.”

“Maybe she threatened to tell his wife.”

He waved it off. “Wasn’t him. You’ll find the killer on the tapes, but it wasn’t him.”

“Still can’t think of the name?”

“I want to say Brandon, but that wasn’t it. Only heard the first name once. She never spoke of him to me. I was coming home one afternoon and he stood in the foyer, he spoke into the intercom to her and said whatever his name was.”

“What about Walter?”

“Oh, that does ring a bell. I can’t be sure that’s him, but I do remember a Walter.”

“So you don’t know where we can find him?”

“I don’t know, but if she had any enemies he would be the one to know about it. Perhaps his wife found out about the affair.”

Chapter Forty-Two

The yacht was at least seventy feet long. Theo stared at the address in his hand and back at the boat in front of him. Brian had asked him to meet him here. Theo walked up the plank slowly, looking into the boat for any sign of Brian. The boat just rocked quietly in the waves.

“Brian?”

Still no sound.

Suddenly a man peeked his head out from below. He was wearing a dress shirt and tie, which was loose around his neck.

“Are you the detective?” the man asked. “I’m Brian.” He came forward with his hand out. “Come down, I still have some work to do.”