Michaels had said it as a joke, but Aiden could clearly picture the man who lived in these surroundings, washing his hands with manic ferocity. There was a pause on the line. Perhaps Michaels was doing the same.
“So, what’s the paper?” Aiden asked.
“It’s the New York Globe from last spring, folded open to an article about Smart Homes. It’s written by your vic.”
“Regina Phelps?”
“Yep. You can see in the photo the paper is folded, so that’s the only article visible. That paper on the desk didn’t sit right with me, so I entered the reporter’s name into the database, and your case came up.”
“That’s some strong investigating, Michaels.”
“The brass is all over this case. The Mayor’s up for reelection. I’m not saying it’s more important than the other stack of files on my desk, but I’ve got ten people looking over my shoulder. No stone goes unturned.”
“Well, I appreciate it.”
“Other than Regina Phelps covering a couple of Landry’s new product launches and crazy hacking competitions, I didn’t come up with a connection. They didn’t live in the same city, didn’t socialize. And based on Landry’s dating patterns, she’s about thirty years too old to be a fuck buddy. You thinking there’s something there?”
Aiden stiffened. Something itched in his brain—crazy hacking competitions.
“Not sure, but I’ll keep you in the loop,” Aiden said.
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Short on leads?” Aiden asked.
“Just the opposite. If I had a nickel for every person this guy has screwed over, I could retire. I guess you don’t get to be a billionaire by making friends.”
“Fine by me.”
“I know, right? Fuck friends. I’ll buy new ones.”
“Thanks for the info, Michaels.”
“Any time.”
Aiden replaced the desk phone in the cradle and ran a hand down his face. He glanced at the Cal Landry crime scene photo, then opened the Intelligence Analysis Platform on his computer. The old school cops still used a whiteboard to post evidence pictures and map a timeline, but Aiden preferred the virtual link board.
After pasting the photo of Landry’s office and one of Calvin Landry, Aiden added a few notes. Examining his handiwork, he realized that the most common notations were question marks.
He needed more pieces to the puzzle. His fear now was that it would be the killer who provided them.