He took pictures of everything from different angles. Then he positioned his chair and hoisted himself up once more. He used his hand, covered with the sleeve of his jacket so as to not smear or add to any fingerprints already there, to push the tile gently up. He poked his head through and looked around. The space was empty here. No pipes or electrical lines or ductwork. What was here was space to hide something. Like cammie gear and perhaps even weapons.
He looked over every inch of space and then hit pay dirt.
Snagged on a metal support was a thread. He shone his light on it. It looked beige. At another support point there was a smudge in the dust. And a third spot might just be oil residue from maybe a shotgun wedged there.
He touched nothing, climbed down, and texted Lancaster. The forensics team would have to come down here and tear this place apart. While he was waiting for them, he walked to the exterior door opening onto the small loading dock.
“Shit.”
It had looked locked, but when he had leaned his bulk against the door it had fallen open, prompting his expletive. He stepped out onto the small loading dock. It was surrounded by a six-foot-tall wooden fence. With his height he could see over. Some garbage cans were located here, as well as a small Dumpster. And wooden crates were stacked in one corner. Decker nudged open the fence gate and peered out.
Two parking spaces, both empty now. Off that, a short strip of cracked asphalt and then a chain-link fence that led to a long row of ten-foot tall bushes and other shrubbery that had grown up right next to the fence. He walked quickly over to the fence. At the spot opposite from the kitchen entrance he pushed his way through the bushes. The chain-link fence here was split right down the middle. He shone his cell phone light over it. Rusted. It had been this way for a while. He continued through the bushes and came out on the other side. Here was a path that led down into the woods that had been next to the school since forever.
Easy come, easy go.
Chapter 15
Lancaster whittled down her gum while a tech team scoured the cafeteria and kitchen area. Outside, teams of police and FBI agents were following the trail that Decker had showed them.
Decker leaned against one wall of the cafeteria, his hands in his pockets, and took in all that was going on. Lancaster walked over to him.
“We had looked in the freezer before,” she said. “But we didn’t check the food or the temperature gauge. That was an oversight. I’m sure we would have noticed it later.”
“You were looking for a shooter, clearing rooms,” Decker said. “Not worrying about spoiled hamburger. I didn’t have to worry about that. I was just nosing around.”
“Right, after you took off from the library without a word. I called after you, you know. I could have come with you, Amos.”
He noted her hurt look and then gazed around. It had not occurred to him at the time. She was still on the police force, so her and Decker finding this new line of investigation together would have helped her career. As it was, it had been Decker’s discovery, which helped Lancaster not at all.
“I... I didn’t—”
“Forget it,” she said abruptly. “You did the same thing when we officially worked together.”
“I did?”
“I guess it’s just a quirk of yours. Although for a guy who has this great memory, I would have expected you to remember doing it. At least to me.”
“I’m a little out of sorts here, Mary.”
Her irritation seemed to lift. “No, I think you’re getting your mojo back. I knew you would. That’s the important thing.”
“It’s not like you need me to solve this case. You have a lot of resources.”
“The thing is, Amos.” She looked down for a moment, chewing her gum. Then she gazed up at him and said, “Truth is, I miss working with you. I think we made a good team.”
Decker nodded but said nothing.
As the moments went by, Lancaster evidently realized he was not going to comment on this admission. She said, “But what I don’t get is, if he was in here, how did the video camera capture him at the rear entrance? It doesn’t jibe.”
Decker pushed off the wall. “I’ll show you.”
He led her to the rear of the school and pointed at the camera that had captured the image of the gunman. “Check the angle.”
She stared up at the lens. “Okay.”
Keeping to one side of the rear foyer, Decker circled around so that his back was to the rear door. Then he stepped to his left. “This is the spot where the camera picks up an image. I could see it on the feed. That middle door behind me is the only one in the frame.”
“So the shooter could have done what you just did? Come in from the side and then gotten picked up by the camera.”
“And made it appear that he had come in the rear entrance when he really hadn’t.”
“I wonder why the camera is positioned that way?”
“Well, it could have been moved.”
Decker went over to the camera, extended his arm, and touched it. “I can reach it, but I’m tall. Yet someone shorter using a stick or a broom or something like that could have repositioned it. Probably no one would notice. It’s not like someone is monitoring this full-time right?”
“Damn, this thing keeps getting more and more complicated.”
“No, it’s getting more and more premeditated, Mary.”
“You want to go outside and smoke with me?” she asked.
He looked at her funny. “I don’t smoke.”
“I thought this might make you start.”
“I can be fat or I can smoke. I can’t be both.”
They walked back to the cafeteria.
When they reached it Lancaster popped another stick of gum in her mouth and started chewing. “Captain Miller’s calling you in paid dividends.”
Decker looked at her. “What dividends?”
She pointed at the room they were in. “This, Decker. Jesus. For a smart guy you can be obtuse at times.”
“I found this, so what? Not really a clue to the shooter.”
“He was hiding in the freezer with the temp turned way up. It looks like he hid his weapons and maybe his cammie gear in the ceiling. So he was already here, which is why no one saw him come in.”
“But have you found any other trace?”
“Oil mark on a ceiling tile support. Could be from a gun. The thread you found. Looks to be cammie fiber. The FBI is verifying. So that’s something.”
He drew his hands from his pockets and placed his index finger a half inch from his thumb. “This is how much I found. Nothing to cheer about.”
“Well, it’s more than we had.”
“I saw the control panel. When does the security system get turned on here?”
“Normally ten p.m. But there was an event that night. A school play that ran late. Lots of people. So the system wasn’t turned on until midnight so everyone could get out of the building.”
“And no activity on the alarm log?”
She shook her head. “None. First thing we did was check with the monitoring company. The log is clear.”
“So the shooter has to get in before midnight. Did this play involve refreshments in the cafeteria?”
“No. A friend of mine went because her kid was in it. She told me everyone left right after the play was over.”