Page 18 of She Didn't See It Coming
He meets her eyes and shrugs helplessly.
Detective Salter says gently, “Henry Kemp’s alibi checks out. His every moment yesterday is accounted for. He didn’t take Bryden.” She looks at each of them in turn. “No one has seen her. The last time she saved the file she was working on was at 12:42 p.m., and she seems to have a habit of saving her work roughly every fifteen minutes. So we think that whatever happened probably happened around one o’clock—that’s our best guess.”
The detective looks again at Sam; she knows he was out of his office at that time. Sam feels a chill run over his body.
“We know Bryden didn’t leave the building through the lobby via either the front or back doors. There are cameras on them, and we’ve been through the footage. If she left the building, it could only have been through the underground parking lot, where there are no functioning cameras. Apparently, they’ve been down for almost two weeks. She looks at Sam again. “Did you know the cameras weren’t working?”
“Yes, everyone knew,” Sam says. “Management sent a notice that they were getting them fixed.”
“She can’t just vanish into thin air!” Lizzie exclaims. “She must be somewhere.”
The detective continues. “Her description has gone out to all police channels and to the media. We’re doing everything we can. Now,if you don’t mind, we’d like to speak to each of you. We’ll start with you, Lizzie.” She glances at Sam. “Is there another room we could use?”
He says, “You can use the den.”
He watches from the living room with his wife’s parents as the two detectives follow Lizzie down the hall to the den.
11
Lizzie is uneasy as she sits down on the pullout couch. She’s glad she hastily folded it back up after using it the night before. Bryden’s borrowed pajamas are draped across the back of it. Detective Salter pulls a corner chair up closer and sits down, and Kilgour does the same.
Lizzie thinks they should have found her sister by now. What have they been doing? But that might be unfair. She sees Salter nod at Kilgour. But first Lizzie says, “Are you absolutely sure about Kemp?”
“Yes,” Salter replies.
“I know this is difficult, Lizzie,” Detective Kilgour begins, “but we’re hoping you can help us.” Lizzie nods, eager to help. “Can you describe your relationship with your sister?”
“We’re very close. She’s pretty much my best friend. We tell each other everything.”
The detective nods. “Is there anything about your sister that mightbe relevant to her disappearance that you’d like to share with us privately?”
Lizzie looks at the two detectives. “No. I don’t know anything.” But before the detective can ask another question, Lizzie says, “But something is bothering me.”
“What’s that?” Detective Salter asks, leaning forward slightly.
“What if she’s still in the building?” Lizzie says. She’d lain awake all last night in this condo thinking, and she wants to share her theories. “I mean, what if she never left the building at all, and she’s in one of the other units?”
Detective Salter nods gravely. “We’re aware of that possibility. We can’t get inside them without either consent or a warrant, and we need sufficient grounds to get a warrant. We’re checking the backgrounds of everybody who lives or works in this building, and we’re working as fast as we can.”
Kilgour says, “That’s why it’s so important to tell us if you can rememberanythingBryden might have mentioned. Anyone in the building look at her the wrong way? Anyone give her the creeps? Or anyone she’d become friendly with recently?”
Lizzie shakes her head. “No. I would remember if she’d said anything like that. And I’m sure she would have told me.”
“Was she involved with anyone else,” Salter asks, “someone maybe she didn’t tell Sam about?”
Lizzie stares at her. “Are you asking me if she was having an affair? Absolutely not. She would never cheat on Sam.”
The detective nods. “Okay. Any problems with friends, colleagues?”
“No,” Lizzie says. “Do you remember that case at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles? About the missing girl they found on top of the roof in one of the water tanks?”
“Yes,” Salter says. “The Elisa Lam case.”
Lizzie swallows. “I just wonder if this is something like that.” Suddenly she begins to cry, and the words come out through her sobs. “Like maybe she’s still here, hidden away somewhere in the building, in the water tanks or in the boiler room or something, and you’ve missed her.”
The detectives share a glance.
Lizzie pleads with them, sniffling. “Could you check again?” She adds, “Maybe you could use dogs?”
