Page 56 of Mystic Justice
‘A few hundred yards,’ she admitted.
‘Right. And with Bogan, we’re talking about throwing a really heavy guy thousands of feet high. It doesn’t fit.’ I rubbed my tired eyes. ‘Goddamn it. The killer will strike again and we’ve got shit.’
I pulled out my phone and dialled McCaffrey, Channing and Frost, joining them on a video call and putting them on speakerphone when they answered. ‘McCaffrey, tell me some good news,’ I said.
‘Sorry, boss. I’ve been through all the CCTV again but there’s nothing. Either the kidnapping didn’t take place here, or the kidnapper knows exactly where the CCTV cameras cover and where they don’t. That would make it an inside job.’
I sighed. ‘It turns out there’s a super-secret back room where they’re growing illegal plants. It’s covered by illusion spells and there’s no CCTV inside or outside of it. I’m betting Moss left through the back room and was kidnapped from there.’
‘Shit,’ McCaffrey muttered.
‘Indeed. I’m setting up surveillance tonight until closing time. I’ll monitor the back exit that’s not covered by CCTV.’
‘I can watch the front,’ Channing offered.
‘Bland and I can be a visible presence in the bar,’ Elvira said. ‘Maybe that will be enough to make the killer think twice about targeting someone else.’
Frost spoke up. ‘I can watch discreetly from inside. I haven’t been to Botany yet, so no one knows I’m a cop. I can go in civvies.’
I grimaced. ‘Without a mate to hang out with, you’d stick out like a sore thumb.’
‘I’ll go too,’ McCaffrey offered. ‘I spoke to the staff about Moss going missing but that was a few days ago. If I wear a wig, no one will recognise me.’
I sighed. ‘You’re all supposed to be off shift.’
‘With respect,’ Elvira said tightly, ‘the killers aren’t going to be off shift.’
She was right, and I really didn’t want to start another day with another corpse. ‘No, they’re not. Okay. Get yourselves some refs and go back to Botany. It looks like we have a stakeout.’
Krieg and I had pulled the short straw. He’d swapped his flashy Range Rover for a well-loved but beaten and dented Ford Focus. We were parked on the same street as the back room exit but a good few feet back: we could see the exit but we weren’t on top of it.
We’d been watching the door – which was hidden by another wall illusion – for four hours. It was almost time for the bar to close but so far none of us had seen anything suspicious.
Earlier on, Ji-ho had been to Botany and installed more hidden cameras including one in the back room. He was monitoring the remote video feed in a van parked on the next street. We were pouring man-hours into this operation but at least Thackeray had authorised overtime; he was happy to foot the bill as long as the OT produced results. I hoped to hell it would, but my gut was still twisting. The killers hadn’t finished. They’d used water and air, and fire and earth were still on their to-do list.
I tapped my comms. ‘Status check. Anyone got anything?’
‘Negative,’ Channing replied. ‘The front entrance has been quiet all night. So far I’ve only had a drunk dryad trying to flirt with me.’
‘The bar is calm,’ Elvira said. ‘The staff look tired but they’re not twitchy and there’s no sign of any new players.’
‘Inside is boring,’ Frost muttered. ‘I’ve counted the wall tiles twice and memorised the cocktail list. There’s no sign of trouble.’
‘Same here,’ McCaffrey added. ‘Though I’ve had a surprisingly interesting conversation about kombucha and houseplants.’
‘I love kombucha,’ Ji-ho said enthusiastically. ‘My brother makes award-winning kombucha.’
‘Focus, please,’ I ordered him.
‘Sorry, Shirlylock. All quiet inside, no one has come into the back room.’
‘Alright,’ I said. ‘Keep your eyes open. We’ll stay until closing time. Let’s hope we at least spook the killers into staying home tonight. Keep the airway free – final check-in in fifteen minutes.’ I lifted my finger from the comms and switched to receive-only so I could still hear the team but keep my conversation with Krieg private.
He gave me a look as he sipped his stone-cold coffee. ‘This is a romantic evening.’
I gave him a tired smile. ‘I know how to rock a man’s world.’
‘I suspect you do,’ he murmured softly. ‘You’re flagging, Inspector. It’s been a long day, and you’re already carrying the third victim on your shoulders even though their body hasn’t dropped.’
