“Well, that would make sense.”
“Maybe,” she said, “but you know that she handed it over quite freely.”
“But maybe she didn’t understand how long Forensics needed it.”
She shrugged. “Well, they probably got everything off that laptop that they want.” And, with that, she picked up the phone and then stopped. “You know what? I put a bunch of stuff on a rush for them over this last week. This is hardly something I can put a rush on as well.”
He nodded and said, “You’re learning. Remember. We have to be reasonable, and everyone thinks their cases come first, but we also have to have some consideration for people in these departments.”
“Meaning, don’t ask for a rush if we really don’t need it. I get it.”
“Exactly.”
She nodded. “In that case, I’ll let it ride for another day or so.”
“Do that,” he said, “and, besides, I can’t imagine that she’ll get the body back any time soon.”
She looked over at him. “I think it’s to be released today.”
He looked surprised at that. “Why? If we’re looking at it as a possible murder, you would think they’d keep it longer.”
“Not necessarily,” she said. “They’ve already done what they need to do. Anything we may find at this point is moot—or at least not related to the evidence found on the body.”
He nodded. “In that case, maybe she does need it.”
She groaned. “I’m heading over there anyway. I’ll see how it looks before I ask.” With that, she got up and headed to the computer geeks’ corner.
When Kate walked in, Bronwyn looked up, and she said, “It’s not done.”
“Yeah, sorry,” Kate said. “I was looking at a couple other things here too.”
“Of course you are,” she said, with a frown.
“I was just wondering if you could get a better image off this video feed,” Kate said. “We found the same guy at two of the drive-by shootings.”
At that, her eyebrows shot up, and Bronwyn said, “Let me look at it.”
“Where’s Stoop?”
“He’s on lunch.”
“Okay, good,” Kate said. “I hate to say it, but that lady is looking to get her husband’s laptop back, whenever you guys have everything you need from it and can release it.”
“I think we’re…” she said. “Let me talk to Stoop when he gets back.”
Kate nodded and asked, “And these photos?”
“We got it,” she said. “I’ll get it back as soon as I can.”
“Thanks, Bronwyn.” Kate smiled, then turned and headed out.
Once outside, she stopped in the fresh air and looked around. She was immediately aware of that weird sensation again, as if being followed, and she didn’t think she liked it much. But no way to know who or what it was. She looked around carefully, then shrugged and headed back to her office again. As she walked into the bullpen, her cell phone buzzed, and she found a bunch of emails downloaded onto her phone. When she got to her desk, she brought them up on the big screen, then stopped and swore.
“Now what?” Rodney said.
She said, “Another photo.”
He looked at her in surprise and said, “What do you mean, another photo?”