Leeming paused for a moment.
“You’re going in circles here. I’m not proving anything. I don’t have to. You have no evidence to state otherwise.”
“Open your phone.” Connor passed him the device.
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t recall how. It’s a new phone.”
“How are you doing business then?”
He shrugged, looking smug and secretive. “I was on my way to the store to get it unlocked.”
Cami shook her head at this blatant lie. This was just making a mockery of the questioning. He was not even trying to give a plausible story but was simply throwing back insulting ideas.
“We don’t believe you,” Connor said.
“Prove me wrong,” Leeming countered.
Cami tensed. She knew it was going to be hard to prove anything when the man was so cagey.
“What was your real purpose for being in the area where the crimes occurred?” Connor asked.
“I’m not telling you that. That’s confidential work.”
“Open your laptop,” Connor ordered.
“I can’t do that,” Leeming said.
“Why not?”
“There’s a password.”
“Open it.”
Leeming shook his head.
“I can’t do that. I don’t recall the password.”
There was a flicker of a smile on his face. Cami’s eyes narrowed. She knew that smile. She’d seen it before. It was the look of someone who was lying. Of someone who was bluffing. Of someone who had something to hide.
“What was your purpose for being in the area of the crime scenes at those specific times?”
“I’m not answering that.”
“Can you tell me who you’re here to see?”
“No.”
“We’ll get what we need,” Connor told him. He gestured to Cami. “We have sufficient cause to seize these devices. We’ll open this laptop. And your phone too. We’ll get what we need. But if you do it willingly, at least you’re cooperating. If you’re not cooperating, it means you have something to hide.”
“Unfortunately, I’m very aware of security. My devices are highly secure. You won’t find a way into them. The encryption is state of the art. It’s not something you can get into; not fast, anyway.”
He spoke with confidence that made Cami feel nervous. She didn’t think he was bluffing about this. She thought he was telling the truth. His devices were highly encrypted. She was sure she could get past the security levels, but it would take time.
She cleared her throat, wondering if she could contribute to this discussion. If she pressed his buttons, perhaps he would flare up and they’d learn something by how he replied in anger.