Just like the people who wore it.
He returned to the laptop and pulled up a map of Meridian Financial Group's office building.It was a newer twelve-story building in Midtown.He knew there was a security desk in the lobby, but nothing excessive.He also knew that there was executive parking in a structure two blocks away.Williams's reserved spot was on the third level, according to the information he'd gathered over the past week.
He studied the layout, memorizing exit points and timing.The parking structure had cameras, but they were older models.Easy enough to avoid if you knew where to look.
Above him, footsteps crossed the floor again.Slow, shuffling.Someone heading toward the stairs.He listened until the sound faded, then closed the laptop.
Three hours until Williams left his office.Three hours to run through every detail one more time, to make sure nothing had been overlooked.
He looked around the workshop.Everything in its place.Everything ready.The cold air made his breath visible in small clouds.
Kane would have approved of this.The patience, the planning, the understanding that purification couldn't be rushed.
He picked up the canvas bag and checked its contents one final time.Then he sat down to wait…and that was often the hardest part.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The security office was smaller than Miles expected, tucked behind the lobby desk with barely enough room for two chairs and a bank of monitors.The head of security for the building was a former NYPD sergeant named Dennis Kowalski.He’d already queued up the footage from the previous evening, just as Detective Linhart had said.
"This is from six PM yesterday through eight AM this morning," Kowalski said, gesturing to the screens."Main entrance, service entrance, garage, and all three elevator banks."
Miles leaned forward, watching the time stamps tick by at a partially fast-forwarded pace.Residents came and went, as did a few delivery people.A few visitors stopped at the desk to be announced.People walked by and laughed and chatted and went on with their days.Everything looked routine.
But then, after about twelve minutes of searching, Vic leaned in."Stop there," she said, pointing to the main entrance camera."Who's that?"
Kowalski paused the footage.Slightly off to the right, there was a man in a suit carrying a briefcase, standing at the desk."That's Mr.Chen from 28-B.He came home around seven-thirty.That’s his usual routine."
"And this one?"Miles indicated a woman with shopping bags.
"Mrs.Patterson, 35-A.Regular as clockwork.Bergdorf's every Friday."
They watched for another twenty minutes, but nothing stood out.No one was loitering or acting suspicious.From what Miles could see, no one was trying to intentionally keep their head low or avoid the cameras.
"What about the service entrance?"Miles asked.
Kowalski switched feeds.This camera showed a plain door with a card reader."This entrance is employees only.It requires a key card to access."
The footage showed maintenance staff, the assistant who'd found Rothschild's body, a few other building employees.All the faces were familiar to Kowalski.All the entries were logged and verified.
"Anyone could have cloned a key card," Vic said.
"Yeah, that’s possible, though a bit unlikely," Kowalski agreed."But they'd still show up on camera."
Miles studied the timeline."What about gaps?Any time the cameras were down?"
"None.The system's been running clean for six months.We had it upgraded after a break-in last year."
"Can you show me the garage again?"Miles asked.
Kowalski pulled up that feed.The footage showed cars entering and exiting, residents walking to and from their vehicles, and a FedEx truck making a delivery.Everything appeared ordinary and had a clear explanation
Miles straightened."He didn't come through any of the main entrances."
"Then how did he get in?"Kowalski asked.
"That's what we need to figure out."Miles looked at Vic."We need a workspace.Somewhere private where we can spread out."
Kowalski nodded."There's a conference room on the second floor.Residents use it for meetings, but it's empty today."
