A Darkness More Than Night

Bosch ask you to do?”
    “Well, first he showed me a search warrant. It allowed him to collect information from the system’s chip.”
    “And did you help him with that?”
    “Yeah. I downloaded the innkeeper data file and printed it out for him.”
    Langwiser first introduced the search warrant – the third executed during the investigation – as an exhibit, then she introduced the printout Hendricks had just testified about.
    “Now Detective Bosch was interested in the innkeeper records for the evening of October twelfth going into the morning of October thirteenth, is that correct, Mr. Hendricks?”
    “Right.”
    “Can you look at the printout and read the entries for that time period?”
    Hendricks studied the printout for several seconds before speaking.
    “Well, it says the interior door leading to the garage was opened and the alarm system was engaged by Mr. Storey’s voiceprint at seven-oh-nine the night of the twelfth. Then nothing happened until the next day, the thirteenth. At twelve-twelve A.M. the alarm system was disengaged by Mr. Storey’s voiceprint and the interior garage door was opened again. He then put the alarm back on – once he was in the house.”
    Hendricks studied the printout before continuing.
    “The system remained at status until three-nineteen, when the alarm was shut off. The interior garage door was then opened and the alarm system was engaged once more by Mr. Storey’s voiceprint. Then, forty-two minutes later, at four-oh-one A.M., the alarm was disengaged by Mr. Storey’s voiceprint, the garage door was opened and the alarm system was engaged again. There was no other activity until eleven A.M., when the alarm was disengaged by the voice print of Betilda Lockett.”
    “Do you know who Betilda Lockett is?”
    “Yes, when I installed the system I set up her voice acceptance program. She’s Mr. Storey’s executive assistant.”
    Langwiser asked permission to set up an easel with a board displaying the times and activities Hendricks had just testified to. It was approved over objection and Bosch helped Langwiser set up the display. The poster board had two columns on it showing the record of the house alarm’s engagement and the usage of the door between the house and the garage.

    ALARM
    INTERIOR GARAGE DOOR
    10/12
    7:09 P.M. – engaged by D. Storey. opened/closed
    10/13
    12:12 A.M. – disengaged by D. Storey opened/closed
    10/13
    12:12 A.M. – engaged by D. Storey
    10/13
    3:19 A.M. – disengaged by D. Storey opened/closed
    10/13
    3:19 A.M. – engaged by D. Storey
    10/13
    4:01 A.M. – disengaged by D. Storey opened/closed
    10/13
    4:01 A.M. – engaged by D. Storey Langwiser continued her questioning of Hendricks.
    “Does this illustration accurately reflect your testimony about the alarm system in David Storey’s home on the evening of October twelfth going into October thirteenth?”
    The technician looked at the poster carefully and then nodded.
    “Is that a yes?”
    “It’s a yes.”
    “Thank you. Now, because these activities were instigated with the system’s recognition and approval of David Storey’s voiceprint, are you telling the jury that this is the record of David Storey’s comings and goings during the time period in question?”
    Fowkkes objected, saying the question assumed facts not in evidence. Houghton agreed and told Langwiser to rephrase or ask another question. Her point made with the jury, she moved on.
    “Mr. Hendricks, if I had a tape recording of David Storey’s voice, could I play it into the Millennium Twenty-one’s station microphone and receive clearance to engage or disengage the alarm?”
    “No. There are two fail-safe mechanisms. You must use a password recognized by the computer and you must say the date. So you need voice, password, correct date or the system won’t accept the command.”
    “What was David Storey’s password?”
    “I don’t know. It’s private. The system is set so that he can change his password as often as he likes.”
    Langwiser looked at the poster on the easel. She went up and took a pointer off the easel’s ledge and used it to underline the entries for 3:19 and 4:01 in the morning.
    “Can you tell from these entries whether someone with Mr. Storey’s voice left the house at three-nineteen and returned at four-oh-one, or if it was the other way around; someone came in at three-nineteen and then left at four-oh-one?”
    “Yes, I can.”
    “How is that?”
    “The system also