The Night Killer

I’m sorry to have disturbed you. We’ll have to have a drink over this later.” She hung up before he could ask more questions she would have to make up silly answers to.
    “He’s still in jail,” said Diane.
    “I’m sure lots of people in lots of places have Walker hounds,” said Izzy. They’re a popular hunting dog. I like a retriever, myself. Fun to play with.”
    Diane looked over at a door she heard squeak. David and Jin came out of their glass room. David started to speak when he caught sight of the video screen where Diane had stopped it.
    “A puppy?” said Jin. “A puppy? He could have gotten any of us.”
    “Jin, I want you to go outside and search the woods for any evidence that might help us,” said Diane.
    Jin nodded. “Sure, boss.” He rushed to get a crime scene kit and was almost out the door before Diane could give him instructions.
    “Canvass all of the woods by the east side of the museum, especially the dirt road that used to access the nature trail before we blocked it.”
    Jin nodded, bobbing his whole body like he had his engine idling. “I’ll keep in touch,” he said, and he left with his kit.
    “What have you got?” Diane asked David.
    “The latest message was from an e-café in Blairsville, about twenty miles from the last café,” said David. “We’re succeeding in taking the white noise out of the video. Want to listen?”
    David didn’t wait for an answer; he called up the message and they listened to Andie read again.
    “Hear the reverb?” he said.
    “They’re in a cave?” said Diane.
    “Possibly,” said David. “Maybe a large empty building. I’m still working on it.”
    “Good,” said Diane. “This is progress.”
    “How does it help us?” said Liam.
    “Anything that narrows the search field helps,” said David. “As Diane said, this is progress. It hasn’t been that long since she got the first message.”
    “I know. I just don’t like helplessly watching these videos,” said Liam. “I need more information to form the best plan, so I agree—anything that supplies new intel is good. It’s just that . . .”
    “That what?” asked David, stroking his balding head. Diane could see he was under as much stress as the rest of them, trying to hold it in. He wanted to yell at Liam. She knew David. He wanted to tell Liam that he, David, was doing the best he could. But he simply stood there, waiting for an answer.
    “What if you’re right and he got her to make all the messages—however many of them there are—and then he killed her? I can’t get that out of my head,” said Liam.
    Diane understood. She had worried about the same thing, but for one important factor.
    “He has to know that I’ll ask for proof she is still alive before I turn over the diary. I don’t think he will kill her before that.”
    “Maybe,” said Liam. “Maybe he thinks he’s in total control and any hope you have at all to get Andie back is to just hand over the diary.”
    “I think he is smart enough to keep her alive,” said David. “We have to believe that and believe that he wants the gold more than he wants to kill.”
    Liam nodded.
    The crime lab’s elevator started up, which meant someone was coming from the outside to visit the lab. Diane went to the elevator and waited. It opened to Frank and one of the lab guards who had escorted him up. Diane put her arms around him and hugged him as tight as she could after the elevator doors closed.
    “What’s up?” he asked. “I think this is the first time you have ever summoned me.” He gave her a small, cautious smile.
    Diane knew Frank would come. He was among the few truly dependable people she knew. He was also a good thinker, and that was what she needed, especially since her brain shut down every time she had a spasm of fear.
    “Andie’s been kidnapped by the killer—the one who killed the Barres and Watsons in the night. He’s taken Andie, Frank,” she said.
    “Jesus, no,” said Frank. “When? How?”
    Diane showed him both the videos plus the security-camera videos. Afterward, the four of them filled him in on what they were doing so far.
    “That’s quite a lot in a short amount of time,” he said. “What do you need me to do?”
    “Think. Look at the video. Find anything we’re missing. I need your eye. We need as much information as we can get,” said Diane.
    Frank nodded and sat down in front of the video to watch it again with Izzy and Liam. Diane was glad to give Liam