They’d nearly reached downtown when his phone dinged, and he glanced at the screen. “Text from Ruth. Go ahead and look at it.”
Londyn grabbed his phone, and he had to share his password so she could unlock it.
“Ruth didn’t find any videos with a drone,” Londyn said. “She’ll keep looking for older footage that might show a drone.”
“Still seems like the photo will give us the connection we need to Malone’s delivery.”
“Photo’s not clear enough to read the serial number,” she said. “It’d be better if we had matching numbers, but it’s the same model.”
“Send it to Nick at Veritas, along with the video from the delivery at Malone’s house. Ask him to compare the drones, and tell him it’s urgent. His number’s in my contact list.”
She tapped the screen, and when she’d finished, she placed the phone back in the holder.
He sped to the office, and the second he reached his desk, he applied for a warrant to open the box and reveal its contents. The warrant was taking too long, and Ian was too anxious to sit. He jumped up and started pacing, mentally willing the judge to give his approval.
Londyn got up from her desk where she’d been researching the drone company and crossed the room. She stopped in front of him. “Pacing won’t make the warrant come in any faster.”
“What if we don’t get one at all?” he asked, feeling like the mere thought was strangling him. “What if we have to give the box back to Olivo unopened?”
Londyn tilted her head and took a breath, then slowly let it out. “We have probable cause. The picture Nicole took showing the drone matched the one that delivered Malone’s package. And my research says it’s not a common brand. Add Junior’s association with Olivo, that the packages were delivered in the same manner…”
“It seemed good going in, but when you list the reasons, it doesn’t seem like enough.”
“It was enough for the LT to sign off on the request. He wouldn’t do that if we didn’t have enough to request it.”
“Then why is it taking so long?” Ian looked at his watch. “It’s been a couple of hours already.”
“You know crime’s up and warrants are taking longer.”
He did know. Their murder rate had skyrocketed this year, as had other crimes. His desk phone rang, and he snatched it up.
“Your warrant’s on the way to your fax machine, and I’m also sending an electronic copy,” the judge’s clerk said.
“Thank you.” Ian ended the call and looked at Londyn. “We got it.”
He charged across the room to the fax machine. He tapped his foot until it started humming and spitting out the pages. He snatched them up and hurried back to his desk. “You want in on this?”
She nodded.
“Then let’s go.” He’d arranged for Sierra at Veritas to X-ray the box before he opened it, just in case it held a dangerous powder. Now he could take it over there.
He and Londyn nearly jogged for the elevator and raced to his car in their secured lot. He put the package in the trunk so he didn’t keep looking at it but kept the warrant in the car with him.
Londyn clicked on her seatbelt. “I keep wondering what we’re gonna find.”
Ian cranked the engine. “It’s such a small box, but heavy for its size, so who knows. Not likely a picture this time, unless he tossed a brick or two inside the box.”
“A photo could hold proof of something, which would explain the word written on the outside of the box.”
“But proof of what?” Ian’s phone rang from the dash, and he used his car’s infotainment system to answer the call from Nick on speaker.
“I finished analyzing the photo you sent and comparing it to the video,” Nick said, his voice deep and concise. “When I enlarged and enhanced them, I discovered you’re looking at two different drones.”
Ian cast Londyn an uncertain look. Good thing he didn’t know that bit of information when he’d asked for the warrant. It might’ve stopped him from getting it.
“Good news. The picture the kid took has such clear resolution that we got a fingerprint from the drone, and Reed said he would run it through the fed’s database.”
“Good. Have him do that. And please have Sierra compare it to Junior’s prints. We’re on our way over there now.” He hung up.
