Terry felt his pulse quicken. They'd been waiting for her to return his call since she could be the key to connecting Harry Blackwood directly to the party drugs.
"Claire, thanks for calling back," Terry said, putting the phone on speaker. "We need you to come in and look at some photographs. Can you make it this afternoon?"
"I guess so." Claire's voice carried the wariness of someone who'd spent too much time with lawyers lately. "Do I need my attorney?"
"That’s your right. We want to show you a few photographs to see if you can identify the person you saw talking with Robert," Terry interjected.
A pause stretched across the line, then finally, Claire's voice came back quieter than before. "The guy in the expensive suit?"
Terry and Jeremy exchanged glances. "That's exactly who we need you to identify."
"Okay. It’s a three-hour drive. I’ll get there as soon as I can."
Hours later, Terry appreciated Claire’s prompt arrival. She sat in the DTF interview room, her hands folded tightly in her lap. Terry spread six photographs across the table, making sure Harry Blackwood's picture was positioned randomly among five other men of similar age and build. "Take your time. Look carefully at each face."
Claire studied the photos with the intensity of someone taking a final exam. Her gaze hovered over different images, her brow furrowed in concentration. After nearly a minute, she tapped Harry Blackwood's photograph.
"That's him. That's the guy I saw talking to Robert in the back room."
Terry felt satisfaction surge through his chest, but kept his expression neutral. "You're certain?"
"Absolutely. This might sound strange, but my undergrad roommate and best friend was an art student. I remember she always searched for faces and body types to draw, and she loved finding unusual features. While art was never my thing, it was fun to see what Pamela was talking about.”
“Okay. Can you elaborate?”
“This man has a lean body type… tall, sort of a runner’s build. But his face doesn’t look… well, like someone who would appeal to me. His chin is narrow and slightly… um… back? I know it's sometimes called a weak chin. On a male, it’s not a particularly attractive feature to me.” She shrugged, and a tinge of pink stained her cheeks. “It makes me sound picky, but in this case, I can assure you I noticed it that afternoon and would recognize him.”
Jeremy leaned forward slightly. "Did you hear any of their conversation?"
"I’m sorry, but no. I was only there for maybe thirty seconds before I was afraid of being caught eavesdropping. I didn’t hearany specific words, but their tone was businesslike. Not just friendly."
"What else did you perceive about their tone?" Terry asked.
Claire shrugged. "I don't know, but it felt serious. Tense. And this guy”—she tapped Harry's photo again—"he had this nervous energy about him, like he was in a hurry to get whatever it was finished."
Terry gathered the photographs, his mind already working through the implications. They now had a witness placing Harry Blackwood at a house where high-grade drugs were found hours later. Combined with the financial evidence, they were building a case.
"Claire, I need to ask you something else," Terry said, his voice gentle but serious. "Have you been contacted by anyone since the party? Anyone asking you not to talk to the police or trying to find out what you told us?"
Her eyes widened slightly. "No, why? Should I be worried?"
"Just being cautious. If anyone does contact you, call us immediately." Terry handed her his business card. "And Claire? Thank you for coming in. I know this isn't easy, and it’s a long trip back. Will you be okay traveling?” He knew he’d hate for his daughter to spend six hours on the road.
“I have a cousin who lives in Williamsburg. I’ll just drive that far and spend the night with her.”
After Claire left, Terry, Pete, and Jeremy returned to the bullpen, where the financial evidence was spread across the table.
"You want us to bring Harry Blackwood in for questioning?" Pete asked.
“No… I don’t want to tip him off yet. We’ll talk to Robert first, but only after we dig into him a little more.” Terry's jaw tightened as he thought about the scope of what they wereuncovering. "And we do it fast, before they realize how close we are to bringing them in."
He leaned back in his desk chair, the satisfaction of Claire's positive identification still coursing through his veins. Harry Blackwood at the house wasn't just a coincidence… it was the thread that could unravel the entire operation. But they needed more than one witness placing him there. They needed Robert Whitman to start talking.
"Jeremy," Terry called across the bullpen. "We want Robert back here. Tell his lawyer we have more questions."
Jeremy looked up from his computer, eyebrows raised. "Think he'll come willingly?"
"His lawyer will make sure he does. They don't want this escalating." Terry's jaw tightened. "I’m going to contact Virginia Beach DTF. I want to know what they're seeing in terms of drug money movement through the Chesapeake area."
