I had passed Don’s information on to Lutz, and the picture of the deceased provided by Don and Mike looked good enough to air on the local channels. The man’s approximate age and description was sent along, and the commander would get it on the news as soon as possible.
The bull pen door opened, and five detectives poured through, each carrying packaged sandwiches and chips from the cafeteria as they prepared to eat lunch at nearly three in the afternoon. They placed their food on the desks and plopped down in chairs, grunting as they took their seats.
“No luck on any cameras?” I asked.
“Nope,” Shawn said. “They slithered away and probably made a point of staying in dark alleys where they couldn’t be seen.”
“Yeah, probably. Go ahead and eat, and then we have work to do. I’ve written down questions we need to address, and I want opinions and ideas from all of you. Lutz wants us to start investigating clubs for the over-fifty-five age group too.”
“That’ll take forever,” Frank said. “It would be too obvious if they belonged to the same club and all went missing in the same week.”
That thought hadn’t entered my mind yet, but Frank was right. It was going to be a time-consuming process, but we had to weigh all possibilities.
“We can’t drop the ball on Leah Standish, though. She needs to be interviewed. She’s staying in the area, has been arrested for assault, and is from North Carolina.”
“But she didn’t leave her apartment last night according to Patrol, and she leased a tan Forester, not a blue Sienna,” Tony said.
“You’re right, but I’ll see what Lutz thinks. It doesn’t hurt to talk to her, and that way, we can cross her off our person of interest list.”
While the guys were eating, I called Lutz. He said the news would be airing the latest victim’s information on the five o’clock broadcast. I mentioned interviewing Leah Standish, too, and Lutz agreed.
“Check that sheet of temporary employee work locations, and then you and Frank pay her a visit. Abrams can put his patrol units to better use if she isn’t deemed a person of interest.”
Back in the bull pen, I gave the guys the sheet of ideas I’d thought about. “Go ahead and brainstorm your own ideas and write them down. We’ll go over them later. Right now, Frank and I have to interview Leah Standish. Either she’ll be crossed off, or we’ll dig deeper into her past.”
Frank grabbed a can of soda on our way out and already had a cigarette in hand when we hit the parking lot. He would have time to smoke only half of it before we left.
Fifteen minutes later, we reached the Oakview Clinic, where Leah was a temporary employee. The large three-story facility in front of us housed twenty-six doctors in various fields, a lab, a radiology department, and its own pharmacy. The main reception counter was directly ahead as we crossed through the automated doors.
Frank took the lead as he flashed his badge and introduced both of us then asked to speak with Leah Standish.
“Certainly, Detectives, I’ll page her. It shouldn’t be but a few minutes.”
We thanked her and took seats in the waiting area, where newspapers and magazines filled the racks and coffee tables. A few minutes passed, then I noticed a thirtysomething brunette with her hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail walking toward us. The name tag on her lab coat read Leah S. We stood and introduced ourselves.
“Is there a place where we can speak to you privately, Miss Standish?” I asked.
“What on earth is this about?” Her eyes darted from Frank to me. She seemed petrified. “Did something happen to a family member of mine?”
“Not to our knowledge, ma’am. Our questions for you are related to recent crimes committed in Chicago.”
“How would I know anything about crimes in Chicago? I’ve only been here a month.”
“Ma’am, this conversation is better suited away from other people’s eyes and ears.”
She glanced at the relatively full waiting area. “Fine. There’s a small conversation pit down this hallway.”
Frank and I followed as Leah led the way. At the end of the corridor sat a small grouping of four chairs and a round table centered between them. We took our seats.
She wrung her hands, and a look of anxiety mixed with aggravation crossed her face. “I really can’t sit here long, so can you get to the point? I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m from North Carolina, I work for the country’s largest medical temp service, and I travel to different states every three to six months. Why on earth would my name come up in anything?”
I pulled my phone from my inner jacket pocket and located the file we had put together on Leah. “You’re from Asheville, North Carolina, only a few hours from Charlotte. Is that correct?”
“Yes, but apparently you already know that.”
“And you had charges filed against you a few years back for assaulting a patron in a bar?”
“It was a misdemeanor offense, and I made my restitution and paid a fine. That was five years ago, too, and I haven’t had any altercations with anybody since. I mind my own business and go to work every day.”
“Where were you last night?” Frank asked.
“At my apartment like most other nights. I got home, ate dinner, and watched TV until I went to bed at ten o’clock.”
“Can anybody verify that?”
“No, other than a call from my mom at seven thirty while I was eating pizza for dinner. The delivery receipt is in the garbage can in my apartment, for God’s sake.”
“Is there a GPS system in the Forester you’re leasing?”
“Yes, but how do you know what I’m driving?”
I ignored the question. “When does your term at the clinic end?”
“In two months.”
“Do you have any reason to leave Chicago before that?”
“No. I work five days a week. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay, that’s all we have for you right now.” We stood, and I handed my card to her. “We may need to contact you again. One more thing.”
She stood and put my card in her lab coat pocket. “What’s that?”
“Have you made friends with any other temp workers since you’ve been in Chicago, and do any of them work here?”
“I’ve made friends in the department I work in, which is phlebotomy, but I’m the only temporary employee here and filling in for a woman who’s on maternity leave.”
I nodded. “Sure. Thanks for your time.”
Frank and I left, but instead of exiting the building, I headed to the reception counter again.
“Now what?” he asked.
I tipped my chin toward the same woman I’d talked to earlier. “Excuse me again. I’d like to speak to somebody in your Human Resources department.”
“Certainly, unless there’s something that I can help you with.”
“We need to know if Leah Standish has missed any work or has come in late since she began her employment here.”
“I can pull up her file since she isn’t actually one of our employees. I wouldn’t be overstepping that confidentiality clause. Give me just a second, please.”
I watched as she tapped the keyboard on her side of the counter.
“Okay, here we go. Leah has been working with us for a month now, and it doesn’t look like she’s missed any days or come in late. A model employee by all appearances.”
I patted the counter. “Okay, appreciate your help.”
We walked out the same way we’d come in and I slipped my sunglasses over my eyes as we crossed the parking lot.
“So what’s your gut feeling?” Frank asked.
I swatted the air. “She didn’t have anything to do with the murders. She’s petite, hardworking, and it doesn’t sound like she knows anyone in the city other than her coworkers. I’d feel okay about crossing her off our list. She isn’t the person we’re looking for, and she doesn’t have an accomplice.”
We were back at the precinct in time to watch the five o’clock news. The first segment began with the news of another older man found dead in Chicago. That wouldn’t necessarily raise suspicion with anyone since murder in the Windy City was a daily event, but these were older gentlemen and ones who hadn’t been reported missing. His description and a facial photograph were shared along with the same tip-line number as before. Once more, it would be a waiting game with hopes of getting a viable lead.