Page 36 of Night Moves
“With his IT experience, the technology was well within his grasp.” Drake stared at the video still playing. “But the fact that he knew he might be watched and planned ahead like this? No wonder he hasn’t been caught.”
“Exactly,” Londyn said. “He had this set up and the one in the bedroom timed to perfection so it looked like he was in the house. Never seen anything like it.”
Shaking her head, Natalie turned to face them. “And the evidence?”
“Gone, just like Gentry.” Londyn shoved her hands into her pockets. “That’s why I wanted you to come over, to confirm where the evidence was located so forensics can give those areas a more detailed search. Not sure how much it will help, but we aren’t going to leave anything to chance here.”
Drake texted Clay and told him to head out and get some sleep, then turned back to Londyn. “Forensics not here yet?”
“Not yet.” Londyn frowned. Maybe she was having jurisdiction issues. “Follow me.”
Londyn led them through a neat family room. Drake moved slowly, making a mental picture of everything in the large space open to the kitchen. The chairs. Blanket. Pillows. Pictures on the wall. Items on the fireplace mantel.
Londyn stopped by the basement door that stood open. “You coming, Drake?”
“Yeah, sorry.” He joined them.
From the visible side, the door looked ordinary, but Natalie had said the other side held a bookcase. He wanted an up-close look at that.
When Londyn and Natalie started down the stairs, he studied the door and spotted the tiniest hole by the locking mechanism. He took a better look and spied a camera. Tiny. But it was a camera for sure, plugged in from the other side of the door.
If he hadn’t been looking, he’d have missed it. He glanced around the other side, where the body of the camera was embedded in the base of a metal cat sculpture. He snapped pictures of the setup and items on the bookshelf. Who knew? Something else there might just be a lead. He needed to look at everything he could while he was here, as he was just plain lucky Londyn let him in with Natalie. He wouldn’t be given a chance to come back.
He hurried down the stairs looking for additional cameras and listened to Natalie point out where the nail polish and Tracey’s items had been stored. He didn’t miss the scent of bleach and heard Natalie and Londyn discussing it. If Gentry killed his wife down here and there was any hint of blood, the forensic team would find it.
He took his time scouring the workbench for any tool that could’ve been used to kill the women, but found nothing. Of course not. A killer who would create such an elaborate scheme to make it look like he was home while he escaped wouldn’t leave a thing behind.
“What I don’t get,” Natalie said, “is why he kept these items at all.”
“Souvenirs, maybe,” Drake said. “The bottles reminding him of each kill, and Tracey’s belongings doing the same.”
Londyn frowned. “Seems likely. And seems like he’s our guy.”
“Sure does.” Drake took one last look around, noting the contents of the room as he’d done in the family room. Two coolers. Camping gear. Bins of Christmas and Halloween decorations. And the workbench holding copious tools. Something told Drake to get a picture of the tools.
He motioned in the direction of the stairs. “After you guys.”
They went ahead of him, and he took a picture of the wall of tools. Not content with that, he shot a few more of the other items then hurried to catch up. Back on the first floor, he looked at Londyn. “Could we have a look at the bedroom? Natalie might see something that you all don’t think is important.”
“Follow me.” She jogged up the stairs, her paper booties whispering on the wood.
He managed to snap pictures of the family room on the way through and kept his phone out for the bedroom. Another screen faced the window where sheer curtains were still closed, but the thick velvet drapes remained open. The video wasn’t playing right now, but Drake assumed Kirk had filmed himself occasionally moving through the bedroom too.
The room smelled strongly of perfume, a peppery scent with a hint of flowers. A very unique scent that likely belonged to Tracey. In the corner sat a huge makeup table and mirror littered with cosmetics.
Londyn got out her phone and tapped the screen. “The perfume’s a special release of Caron Poivre for the company’s fiftieth anniversary. Costs a grand an ounce.”
Drake let out a low whistle and took a better look at the bottle. “This is a three ounce bottle. So three grand for perfume. Where did she get that kind of money?”
“A gift from Kirk?” Natalie suggested. “He could’ve used some of the money he inherited.”
Drake made a mental note to have Erik dig into Gentry’s finances and looked at Londyn. “You’ve been through the dresser and closet?”
She gave a sharp nod. “Nothing but clothing and shoes.”
Drake glanced inside the very tidy closet with a color-coordinated arrangement of male and female clothing. “So he never got rid of Tracey’s things. Not sure if that says he was expecting her to come back or he was just putting on a show for law enforcement.”
Natalie joined him. “The last time he mentioned her to me, he was saying he hoped she would still come home. That even if she made a fool of him by taking off, he’d still take her back. She was the children’s mother, and they needed her. I guess keeping her clothes helped support his claims, when all the while her things were in the basement, and it seems like he’d killed her.”
