Page 8 of Night Prey
Vandyke shook his head.
“I’ll need a complete guest list for tonight to cross-reference against the list of reunion attendees.”
Vandyke poked his narrow chin up at Ian. “I’m sorry the guy died, but my bosses would have me require a warrant before I give you anything.”
“True.” Ian was losing his patience. “If we wait for a warrant, I’ll have to keep your ballroom cordoned off longer. I’m sure you’d like to expedite the investigation. And even more, I’ll bet you’d like to get our crime scene seal off the door so your upcoming guests don’t have to look at it.”
He lowered his chin. “If I give you what you need now, you’ll give me a warrant to show my supervisors?”
“Yes.”
“Fine.” He grabbed the handset for his desktop phone and ordered security to compile the video. He hung up and tapped a few keys on his computer before his printer spit out a few pages. He grabbed them and shoved them at Ian.
The pages held guest names, just as Ian had hoped. “I also need you to send the video for all of the exits and the lobby at the end of each day until I tell you otherwise.”
“But why?” Vandyke asked.
“I need to look for any guests who might not have checked in at the desk but checked out that way.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t make me come looking for these files.”
“I’ll send them each night at ten, which is when I get off.”
“Thank you,” Ian said. “While we wait for the video files from security, you can show me the staff area that feeds into Ballroom D.”
He got up, his face a blank mask. “Follow me.”
The guy skirted around the end of his desk and nearly fled into the hallway. He was slender and fast, and Ian had to hurry to keep up with him. At the far side of the lobby, he pushed open a door marked Staff Only and led Ian down a dingy hallway to a large open area with lockers and benches. The area smelled like roasted meat, and Ian’s stomach grumbled.
Several uniformed staff members stood by a computerized time clock, and a few others were gathering their belongings from bright aqua lockers.
Ian faced Vandyke. “Do all employees sign in and out here?”
Vandyke nodded, and Ian looked around for cameras but didn’t see anything. “I’ll need a list of employees on duty tonight and their sign in and out times.”
Vandyke’s eyes widened. “You can’t think one ofmypeople killed him?”
“We need to be thorough.”
“Fine. This way to the ballroom.” Vandyke started across the room. He continued on, and they passed a large commercial kitchen with big stainless steel appliances and prep tables.
“Door at the end of the hall leads to Ballroom D,” Vandyke said.
Ian studied the area. “Means if my guy exited this way, he would have had to pass by the kitchen and any employees in the staff area. Maybe someone saw him.”
“I asked around before, and no one saw a guy wearing a mask.”
Ian assumed the suspect put on the mask right before entering the room and took if off the moment he stepped into the hallway, so what Vandyke asked or didn’t ask was irrelevant. Ian and the officers that he assigned would be doing the questioning. “I’d like to talk to the kitchen staff to see if they noticed anyone out here.”
“Sure.” Vandyke took Ian into the bustling kitchen, where the staff were plating up cheesecake slices and drizzling fresh strawberry sauce over the top. The reunion had ended abruptly, and since the only other group booking a ballroom that night was a gathering of Realtors in Ballroom A, he had to assume the dessert was meant for them.
“Let’s talk to Chef.” Vandyke strode toward a rotund man dressed in a white chef’s coat and hat. His face was flushed, his coat stained with red sauce, and he snapped out orders at top speed.
“Chef,” Vandyke said. “A word.”
Vandyke led Chef to a quiet corner and introduced Ian.
