Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Sawyer's jaw tightened as he strode out of the alley and approached the restaurant. The sign on the glass door informed patrons that the restaurant didn’t open until early afternoon, but he knew from speaking with Sam last night that most workers would be here already, prepping for the day ahead.

He knocked hard on the door, hoping to catch someone’s attention. Ten seconds passed, then twenty. Sawyer knocked once more, a little harder this time, then moved toward a side window. Cupping his hands around his face to block out the sunlight, he managed to catch a glimpse of the interior.

A shadowy figure was moving across the dining area, and Sawyer knocked on the window to capture their attention. The figure paused, then turned his way. A moment later, a man appeared in the window, shaking his head, indicating they were closed. Sawyer unclipped his badge and held it up to the window for the person to see.

The man’s face registered surprise, and he pointed toward the door. Sawyer met him there a moment later, and the front door swung inward.

“Sorry about that,” the man apologized. “I didn’t recognize you. I’m Dan Reynolds, the manager here.”

“No problem. I’m Detective Reed," he introduced himself, extending his hand for a quick shake. Sawyer tipped his head toward the alley. “I’m following up on the murder from last night.”

Dan made a face. “Terrible, what happened to her. And poor Sam. I can’t imagine.”

Sawyer nodded in commiseration. “How is he holding up?”

“He took the day off—understandably—but he seems to be okay.”

“Good.” Sawyer gestured toward the restaurant. “I noticed you have a few cameras outside. I need to see your security footage from last night."

The manager's eyes widened slightly, but he nodded. "Of course, Detective. Follow me."

He led Sawyer to a small office at the back of the restaurant, where a monitor displayed several camera feeds. The manager pulled up the footage from the previous evening and handed the controls to Sawyer.

“We have two cameras outside—one positioned at each doorway,” Dan added.

“What about out back?”

“You mean where the employees park?” Dan’s mouth curved down in a slight grimace. “Sorry. Everyone leaves through either the front door or the alley, so that’s where they installed the cameras.”

Sawyer nodded slowly. “Who all parks behind the building?”

“Mostly the cooks.” Dan lifted a shoulder. “The waitresses generally finish up sooner, so they park out front, across the street. Since the cooks are here longer, the lot out back is reserved for them since it’s closer.”

“How many people worked last night?”

Dan glanced upward in thought. “About twenty, including all the cooks, waiters, and other staff.”

Sawyer stewed over that for a moment. How was it that no one else had seen Lindsey? “How many cooks did you have last night?”

Dan let out a little laugh. “On a Friday? Several. It’s one of our busiest nights. We had five people back here.”

“Sam was the last person here—What time did the others leave?”

Understanding immediately what Sawyer was asking, Dan’s expression turned serious. “I’ll check the time cards.”

"Thank you.” Dan left to retrieve the information and Sawyer focused on the screen, enlarging the feed that spanned the alley. He rewound to the previous evening, beginning the footage at sundown, his eyes scanning every movement in the alley.

Time crawled by as he slowly advanced the video. The alley remained empty as the light faded, the shadows growing longer. The restaurant's side door occasionally opened, employees stepping out for a smoke break or to take out the trash, but nothing out of the ordinary.

The door opened, and Dan stepped inside. “Here you go.” He passed Sawyer a list of employees, and the times they’d clocked out.

“Perfect. Thanks for your help.”

Sawyer rolled the footage, watching as the employees began to trickle out after their shift. He cross-checked the time on the camera to the time on Dan’s list, marking off each employee. Finally, only Sam remained.

Just before one o’clock, a figure appeared at the edge of the screen. Sawyer's heart rate quickened as he watched the man enter the alley from the rear. The man kept his head down, his movements jerky and hurried as he strode toward the dumpster.

From the bulky outline of the shadow, Sawyer could tell that the man carried Lindsey over his shoulder, her arms dangling limply. Sawyer winced and anger burned through him as he watched the man bend, then drop Lindsey's body to the ground. Her body hit the ground hard, limbs tangling as she landed face down.

Sawyer curled one hand into a fist, bile rising in his throat. It was as if he were discarding trash—not a human. Fury raced through his veins as he focused on the man, desperate for a glimpse of him. But the man kept his face tipped downward, hidden within the shadows.

“Goddamn it," Sawyer muttered savagely. The man knew exactly where the camera was; he must have scouted the place before choosing to leave her here.

On screen, the footage continued to roll until, less than ten minutes later, Sam left through the side door and angled toward the dumpster. Everything happened exactly as he’d said—he’d literally tripped over Lindsey’s body on his way out.

Sawyer paused the video and scrubbed a hand over his chin. The man had entered through the back parking lot. Had any of the other cooks seen anything suspicious? He glanced at the time log again, noting the last person who’d left before Sam—Jay Cochran.

“Dan?”

Clearly hovering nearby, the manager stuck his head in the open doorway. “Yes?”

“Could you please get me Jay Cochran’s information?”

“Of course.”

Sawyer turned back to the screen and rewound to when the man entered from the back. He watched once more as he dumped Lindsey’s body, then retreated the same way he’d come. A few moments later, Sawyer noticed a slight lightening near the edge of the screen.

Headlights.

Sitting forward in his seat, Sawyer mentally tracked them, trying to figure out which direction he’d gone. Movement from the left side of the screen caught his attention, and Sawyer tapped the button to freeze the screen. He squinted but could make out nothing.

He slowly rewound, until a large object moved into view. Tires filled the upper portion of the screen near the road. Sawyer tipped his head, staring hard as he watched the vehicle slowly roll across the screen. Too long to be a car, it had to be a van, SUV, or truck. The body was lighter in color, possibly white or silver.

Hope exploded in his chest. They had a lead— finally .

“Here’s Jay’s information.”

Sawyer nodded. “Is he working today?”

“Yes, but his shift doesn’t start until four.”

Good. That gave Sawyer plenty of time to speak with the man. “By the way—can I get a copy of this?”

“Sure thing.”

Dan copied the footage, then sent it to Sawyer who stood and shook the man’s hand. “Thanks again for your help.”

“I hope you can find something,” Dan offered.

“Me, too.”

Sawyer left the restaurant and paused on the sidewalk. Less than twelve hours ago, a vehicle had passed by this very spot. Was it the man who’d killed Lindsey? His gut told him yes.

Shielding his eyes against the bright morning sun, he lifted his gaze and studied the surrounding buildings. Someone had to have a camera that pointed in this direction—and he was damn well going to find it.