In the mirror, George saw the way Geena looked at Andi. They had to tread carefully. The conclusion Andi had just drawn had come naturally to him, a combination of the “hard” information he had from Shireen and the witnesses and the “soft” information he had gained through the arthropods. George had gotten so used to Andi’s way of connecting dots he couldn’t even see, he hadn’t thought of interrupting his partner’s train of thought. All Geena saw, though, was Andi making assumptions based on nothing. The good thing was they were still at the beginning of the case, which meant Andi could get away with what outsiders would perceive as guesswork, especially when it was as conclusive as his suspicion regarding LeClerk. Later on, it would be much harder to claim a gut feeling when there was evidence pointing in another direction entirely.
“Let’s not get too excited. We have to see what Shireen can tell us about the report and who filed it.” If Andi was right, which was practically a given, Shireen would lend his “hunch” the credibility it needed and hopefully throw Geena off their track. They could play it down as a lucky guess.
“I’m texting her right now. Let’s see what she has once we’re back.” Andi was already looking for his phone, which was in his left back pocket this time. After he sent the text, he fell silent again until they reached the precinct.
Shireen was already waiting for them, her eyes sparkling from what George suspected was a heavy overdose of caffeine.
“If it isn’t my favorite detectives. And you brought a guest.”
Yes, she should definitely lay off the energy drinks and sugar. Out loud, George greeted Shireen with the smile she deserved.
“Hello, Queen of the Web. This is Agent Geena Davis, from the FBI. She’s here to help us with the serial killer, as you probably already know. Geena, this is Shireen, our IT specialist.”
“Hi, Shireen, it’s very nice to meet you.” Geena held out her hand, which Shireen took without hesitation.
“Hi, Geena. Likewise. I see you survived your first outing with these two. If you ever want to rant or need some advice concerning the handling of Andi, my door is open.” Shireen winked in Andi’s direction. He simply shrugged.
“Thank you for the offer. I have a feeling I’m going to take you up on that sometime. As it is, Andi has already proven that it’s worth suffering his unique charm.” Now both women looked at Andi, who stared right back, challenging them silently.
“Uh, we better start working. His prickles are already up.” Shireen turned toward the flat-screen on the wall, activating it with a sweep of her finger across the tablet that seemed to have grown onto her right hand. George saw the short glance she gave Andi before she started opening pages on the flat-screen. It reminded George that he wasn’t the only one protecting his partner and that beneath Shireen’s bubbly, amicable surface was a deeply loyal soul. He still didn’t know what Andi had done for her to earn such devotion, and he would probably never find out, but he admired how Shireen had deflected Geena by making her feel included.
“After Andi asked me to find out who filed the missing person report for Kesha Raport, I looked at the file logs of all the people who went missing from House Cusabo during the last ten years. Corporal Grand wasn’t reported, as you already know. Of the remaining eight, three were reported by one Thomas LeClerk, while the other five were called in by Regina Miles, the secretary of the director.”
“Who did Thomas LeClerk call in?” Andi’s voice sounded tight.
“TJ Ross and Celia Murdoch, both in 2013, Ross in May, Murdoch in September. Then Kesha Raport in March 2018. That’s strange.” Shireen furrowed her brows. Her fingers flew over the tablet’s screen. “She officially left House Cusabo in January of that year. Why would they report her?”
“You were right.” Geena stared at Andi, who lifted his hands.
“It was just a hunch.”
For a moment, the words hung in the air. They used this sentence so often, it tasted stale in George’s mouth. Shireen’s narrowed gaze darted from Andi to Geena, who looked absolutely amazed. It told George the agent hadn’t given Andi’s theory that much credit, even if her words had conveyed something different. It also meant she wouldn’t believe gut feelings as easily as George might have wished for.
“Well, you better get used to it. Andi’s hunches are the ones doing all the work.” Shireen grinned at Geena. “It’s best not to question them, otherwise the magic wears off.”
“I’ll remember that.” Geena nodded.
“Back to the question at hand. Why would LeClerk report Kesha missing?” Shireen was already busy with her tablet again.
“Does House Cusabo have files about their medication? What comes in, what goes out?” George scratched his chin. “Assuming LeClerk and Kesha were still in contact, it wouldn’t be too farfetched to think he provided her with her medicine, would it?”
“Certainly not. It says in her medical file she was on sertraline and venlafaxine. Aha!” Shireen did a fist pump. “For February 2018, we have a discrepancy in what was ordered and how much was given out to patients. It wasn’t reported, though. Either nobody found out, or they deemed the amount too small. And February was the only month where prescription drugs went missing.”
“Which fits with the timeline.” Geena cocked her head. “She left House Cusabo late in January, allegedly in a state of agitation. She was fully medicated then. In February, LeClerk got his hands on the drugs she needed, and in March, he reported her missing. Question is, does that make him a witness who lied to us or a suspect?”
“He was with the bees.” Andi had just murmured the words, but Geena heard him. She fixed her gaze on Andi.
“The bees in the garden? How do you know? And what have the bees to do with all this?”
Andi ignored her, his tried-and-tested approach when people got on his nerves. Only Geena was their partner, however temporary. George decided it was time to remove Andi from the situation.
“He was just thinking out loud. It’s something he does. Free association, you know?”Bullshit!“Shireen, if that’s all, I’d like to call it a day. Geena, you must be tired as well. Why don’t we all head home and start fresh tomorrow?”
He saw Geena opening her mouth to protest, only to be intercepted by Shireen. “That’s it from me so far. I had lunch with Evangeline today, and she said she’s positive she can tell you more about the victims tomorrow. You could meet with her first thing after a good night’s sleep.”
While saying this, she gently shooed them toward the door. George nodded his thanks in her direction before he steered Andi away through the bullpen. He knew Geena had left her jacket at his desk, which forced her to go there.
“Bye, Geena. We’ll see you tomorrow. Say eight?”
