Free DEAD SEXY by Caitlin Falls Page B

as I hate to see you with clothes on we need to get dressed and go.”
    Time was wasting and Blake had a feeling they had very little left.

Chapter Four
     
     
    The surveillance operations room was empty but for one sleepy-eyed man and a bank of computer consoles. “Not much to see this time of night,” he said laconically when Blake quizzed him as to why he was alone. “There are two other guys but they’re out on a smoke break.”
    “How often do you guys get a smoke?”
    The man was about forty, overweight and he began to look uncomfortable. “Listen, I don’t know what right you have to ask these questions. I mean I heard you say you are the guy Dunning said would be around to ask about things but still, I mean…”
    “I’m not here to bust your chops. It’s an empty nest this time of night, no harm in having one guy in and a couple out smoking as far as I can see. I just need to know if there has ever been a time when more than two of you were out.”
    “No, hell no. These people are hard to work for. They got cameras everywhere and you cannot erase the feeds. They even got them in here,” he indicated the cold eye of the camera above his head.
    “I see. I need to see the video from last night.”
    “You mean the floor that the guy got killed on? That’s already been taken.”
    “By who?”
    “By that cop. He came and got it almost before the day shift knew the guy was dead.”
    Dammit! Kevin had had the right to take the film, as long as he took it before the lawyers could slap him with the need for a warrant. The day shift crew had probably handed it right over, too.
    “Okay, let me ask you this—have you seen anyone, anyone at all, who is out on the floors late at night? Like someone who is always around?”
    “Yeah, her.” He jerked his thumb at Jenna.
    “Anyone else?”
    “Most of the folks from the upper floors work late. We see them all the time.”
    “Do you see them roaming around the hallways?”
    “Of course.”
    Blake was getting a bit frustrated. “Do any of them have a tendency to wander where they do not belong?”
    “Not that I ever saw.”
    “Great.” Blake doubted that the guy saw much. “The cleaning and maintenance staff, do you see any of them doing anything suspicious?”
    “Yeah, working.” The sarcasm was heavy and Jenna winced. This was becoming a pissing contest and it was clear that the security guard was determined not to help them. “Thank you for your time,” she said softly. “We appreciate it. Listen, this is me—she handed him a business card from her purse, please call my cell if you think of anything at all.”
    “Sure, but honestly, I can’t tell you much. They run this place like a prison you know, everyone has their own sections and halls and so on. Nobody on the cleaning staff is allowed to close a door while they work and there are a couple of guards that walk the halls all night, they have different shifts and routines so nobody ever knows when they might pop up.”
    “Can you see them?” Blake asked.
    The guard glared at him, “Yes, but we couldn’t communicate with a staff member except over the general intercom, if that is what you are getting at.”
    The guy was quicker than he looked. “It was, and thank you for answering.”
    “If you don’t mind I have to get back to work here.” He turned his back to them, a clear expression of how affronted he was then he swung back around, “The only people with access to everything are the top dogs, and I haven’t seen any of them out and about at night. Most of them head home about seven or so.”
    “Is there any way to check to see whose keys have been used to open certain doors?”
    “Yeah, but you have to talk to Ronnie down in the computer room. He’s the nerd that does all that stuff. He won’t be back in until morning.”
    Dead end. The frustration crackled in his skin. Blake managed a polite nod and hustled Jenna out the door of the operations room, but his mind was churning