22: THE LIAR

HANNA ENTERED THE expansive room, following the rest of the team through rows of cubicles that ran from wall to wall.

A phone rang from one of the desks, but it was impossible to tell which one in the sea of cubes. The mechanical sounds of a copy machine rattled in the corner as a woman struggled to fix a paper jam. A water cooler bubbled as two men stood around it, talking about the football game from the night before.

Hanna imagined these were the sounds of a typical office. Having never worked at a large company herself, she could only wonder if it was as mundane as everyone had made it out to be. Observing the office in person, it was exactly what she expected.

“I appreciate you coming back with us,” Charles said, leading her down the aisle of cubes toward his own office in the back. “I know it’s been a long day. I didn’t expect to get back so late.”

“No worries,” Hanna said. “I wanted to see your office anyway. It’s just a shame Russell couldn’t come. He would have loved to see this. It’s very big.”

“This isn’t our area. We share the building with Greater Boston Homicide. They have a much bigger team, since they juggle more cases. The SCB has a separate area in the back. We have a good amount of space as well, but our recent lack of success has stifled our growth.”

“I’ve heard. It’s on the news all the time.”

“Yeah,” Howard said. “The media won’t shut up about it. It’s like they want us to fail.”

Lenny plucked the wool hat off his head and stuffed it into his coat pocket. “It makes for a better story. People like to complain, and federal agencies are an easy target.”

“This case will shut them up,” Howard said. “The Beantown Slasher brought to justice.”

“The praise will last a few weeks,” Arthur said. “Then it’s back to the next big failure. If you ask me, the press can shove it up their—”

“Hey,” Charles interrupted. “I don’t want to hear you slander the press. It’s our job to catch the criminals, and it’s their job to report if we don’t. Any bad press is on us.”

“Speak of the devil,” Arthur said, nudging his head toward a woman standing by Charles’s office. “I guess they just let themselves in without knocking, now.”

“Calm down,” Charles said. “The Globe wanted the story first so I scheduled an interview with her. Like you said, this case makes us look good. We should be eager to talk to them.”

He turned to Hanna.

“I hate to keep you waiting. Why don’t you go home and get some rest? We’ll take care of the paperwork in the morning.”

Hanna dismissed the idea with a flick of her wrist. “Don’t worry about it. I can wait until after the interview. Claire can show me around.”

Claire nodded. “That’s right, sir. I’ll take care of her.”

“If you insist,” Charles said. He pointed at Howard. “I want you in there for the interview as well. You know this case better than anyone.”

Howard nodded. “Yes, sir.”

The two of them split off to greet the journalist. Arthur and Lenny dispersed as well, Arthur to the kitchen, and Lenny to the restroom.

“I better get going too,” Finn said. He held up the safe with the case files inside. “I need to get this back to the evidence room.”

“Could I come along?” Hanna asked. “I was hoping to see the evidence room at some point.”

Finn shook his head. “No can do. Only crime scene technicians are allowed in there. Not even Charles is supposed to go in. It’s kind of silly, if you think about it. He has a much higher clearance level than I do. But rules are rules. They just have to fix the issue with our cards. As it is right now, it doesn’t distinguish between technicians and others. Almost anyone with a card can just walk right in. It kind of defeats the purpose of having the cards at all. But hey, it’s a new system, and they’re still working out the kinks. You can’t fault them for that.”

“It’s not that new anymore,” Claire said.

Finn shrugged. “Maybe I’m too forgiving. The bottom line is, I can’t let you into the evidence room.”

Claire patted his shoulder. “That’s alright. I can show her where our team sits, instead.”

“She’ll like that. It’s not as exciting as the evidence room, but we handle all of the big cases, which means we get the fancy section of the office.” He started to walk away. “If I don’t see you again before you leave, have a great night.” He pumped his fist and cheered as he walked down the hall. “It’s over, everyone! The Beantown Slasher slashes no more!”

Claire nudged Hanna’s arm. “Come on. I’ll show you our section of the building.”

They walked past Charles’s office and down a separate hallway. Hanna glanced over her shoulder as they left the main building. “It’s all the way over here? It’s kind of far from everyone else, isn’t it?”

“We handle high-profile cases, so privacy is a big concern. Technically, we’re in a different building. They connected the two to bring us closer but, personally, I liked it better when we were separate.”

“Charles’s office is in the main building?”

Claire nodded. “That’s right. He runs the SCB, but he also oversees many Greater Boston Homicide cases. He stops by our section every once in a while, but he usually doesn’t spend much time with us unless it’s a big case. Howard is really the one in charge of our group.”

“So, all of you report to Howard?”

“Usually, yes. And then he reports to Charles. But with Charles taking an interest in the Eileen Warner case, Howard decided to step back and follow orders like the rest of us. Personally, I don’t think he likes being in charge. Too much stress. It’s a role he fell into when the Serial Crimes Bureau was established and he’s been struggling to keep us afloat ever since, with all of the bad press going around.”

“Really? He seems so calm.”

“He’s good at hiding his stress. It’s probably why he got the position in the first place. You can’t expect a manic leader to run a functional team. He stays calm on the outside, but I can see the gears turning in his head. He’s always analyzing the situation. And I honestly do believe he’s the most qualified on our team.”

“What about you?”

Claire chuckled. “I’m flattered you would ask that, but I don’t have nearly as much experience as Howard. Lenny and I are both young. So is Finn, and he was only brought onto our team because he happened to be the crime scene technician for all three Beantown Slasher homicides. It was a no brainer to bring him on. Arthur has a few more years of experience than Howard, but he was very vocal about not leading the team. He’s content in his current position.”

Hanna swiveled her head to make sure no one was around. “I still think it was him,” she whispered.

“What do you mean?”

“I think Arthur is the one who framed Eileen.”

“You brought up his name earlier. Why do you think it’s him? Do you have any proof?”

“I don’t have any hard evidence, but there was something strange about our interview this morning. His behavior was off. It’s like he was probing for answers.”

“That’s his job. It’s the whole point of the interviews. He’s supposed to record your progress.”

“He tried to convince me to stop my investigation. He said the technology isn’t reliable enough.”

“That’s just how Arthur is. He’s always been a late adopter of technology. If it was up to him, he would be using one of those bulky VHS cameras. He complains about the digital one all the time.”

“I think he was trying to convince me to quit, and when I refused, he took matters into his own hands.”

Claire shook her head. “That seems like a stretch.”

“We know someone tampered with the evidence. If it wasn’t him, who else?”

“Maybe we’re wrong. Maybe Eileen actually is guilty, and she knew we would find out. She decided to take the easy way out and poison herself.”

Hanna stepped back, surprised by Claire’s sudden doubt. “Or someone slipped the Temazepam into her water when she wasn’t looking. You were there during the scuffle. It was chaos. The cup was just sitting on the counter. Any one of them could have done it.”

“Do you even hear how crazy you sound? This isn’t some sort of government conspiracy.”

“What about the handwriting? Someone planted Eileen’s hair as evidence. How do you explain that?”

“Finn said he’s a lousy speller. It’s possible someone found a spelling error and replaced the labels.”

“And the guy who stole our storage server? How do you explain that?”

“I don’t know. It could have been an unrelated burglary. You said the thing was worth a couple grand.”

“The lab has all sorts of expensive gadgets, and they’re all much lighter than the storage server. He went for one of the heaviest things he could grab. That doesn’t sound like someone trying to make a quick buck.”

“Look,” Claire said. Hanna could tell from her tone that she was trying to deflate the conversation. “I’m just saying it’s possible we were wrong. Sure, a lot of strange things happened during this case, but that doesn’t mean Eileen is innocent.”

Finn appeared at the far end of the hallway, waving at them from a distance. Hanna and Claire waved back.

“We’ll look at the records,” Hanna whispered. “Finn said it himself. No one else is supposed to be in the evidence room, but all of your cards grant access. If someone planted evidence, they’ll show up on the records.”

Claire glanced at Finn, who was getting uncomfortably close for the conversation. “I’m sorry, Hanna. I’ve been with you up until this point, but there isn’t enough evidence.” She turned to Finn and smiled. “So, the case files are safe and locked away?”

“Yes, they are,” Finn said. “I have to say, the two of you walk incredibly slow.”

“We’re ahead of the other guys,” Claire said. “Lenny must have been holding his bladder for a while.”

Finn shook his head. “I ran into Lenny and Arthur. They’re heading back to the lab. I guess Arthur forgot his camera.”

Claire held her hand to her stomach as it growled. “I’m starving. I was going to show Hanna our section of the building, but I think I’ll grab my sandwich first. It’s a far walk to make twice.”

“I can bring her over,” Finn said. He turned to Hanna. “If that’s okay with you.”

Hanna smiled and shrugged. “Sure, grab your sandwich. I’ll be fine with Finn.”

“Okay,” Claire said. “I’ll be right back.” She turned around and walked toward the main building.

Hanna pointed down the hall. “Lead the way, Glass Joe.”

Finn tipped his head and walked. “You know, this used to be a separate building. They connected them to bring us closer—”

“Can I ask you a question?” Hanna interrupted. “Do you find the different handwriting on the evidence suspicious?”

“It’s not typical procedure for more than one person to log evidence, but I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t happened before. Someone probably just noticed an error and decided to fix it.”

“You don’t think it’s strange that the only three labels that changed were on Eileen’s hair?”

They turned the corner into a new section of the building. “Are you insinuating that someone planted that evidence? That someone framed Eileen Warner?”

“Is it possible?”

Finn looked down at his feet, thinking about the question. “I do recall personally collecting hair samples from the crime scenes.”

“Someone could have swapped those samples and replaced them with new ones.”

He thought some more. “Only crime scene technicians are allowed in the evidence room, and I’m the only one who’s supposed to be handling the Beantown Slasher case, but I guess it’s possible someone else slipped in. It’s against SCB policy, but our security system is all out of whack. Anyone higher than security level two can get in with their card, which is pretty much everyone in the building, minus the new hires.”

“But it’s all tracked in a digital record, right? So, if someone planted evidence, they would show up on that record.”

“Yes, that’s right. Any time a security card is scanned, it goes to our records. To get into the building, to access case files, to enter the evidence room. All of it.”

“Can you show me those records?”

“You really believe she’s innocent, don’t you?”

Hanna raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer to her request.

Finn rolled his eyes. “Sure, I’ll show you the records, but I think you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

They entered a large room, almost the size of a basketball court. There were no cubicles. The room was open concept with a handful of spacious hardwood desks. On the far wall was a gigantic flat screen television.

“Wow,” she said, marveling at the scale of the area. “This is a lot nicer than the other building.”

Finn stepped forward with his arms extended. “It sure is. It’s all state-of-the-art. We chose hardwood desks to keep a nice rustic feel, but they’re on hydraulics, so if you want to go a little higher or lower, all you have to do is push this button.”

He demonstrated on the nearest desk, raising it up to his chest.

“And then you’ve probably noticed our luxurious one-forty-six-inch 8K microLED TV. The picture is so clear that it’s basically an interactive window. But the highlight of our office are these computers.” He placed his hand on top of one of the cases. “These beauties are top-of-the-line high performance workstations. Powerful enough to handle any task you throw at it.”

He paused for a moment and decided to amend his statement. “Not including all of your thought-hopping stuff. And look.” He flipped a switch on the back of the case, revealing a set of glowing red lights. “It lights up.”

Hanna stared at the lights and smiled. “You and Russell really would get along.” She wandered around and noticed a doorway leading to an empty room. “What’s in there?”

“Nothing yet. Charles says he has plans for that room, but he won’t tell us what they are. It’s a big waste of space, if you ask me.” He stepped toward the room. “Do you want to take a look?”

“No, that’s okay. If you don’t mind, I would like to skip the rest of the tour and get to those security records.”

“Yeah, sure thing,” Finn said, moving to his desk. “I just have to boot up my computer. Take a seat.”

He slid out an extra chair from under his desk. She sat down and watched both of his monitors light up. The SCB crest appeared on the screen with a loading bar underneath.

“So, you think it’s possible Eileen was innocent,” Finn said, twirling his thumbs and watching the bar fill up. “It’s hard for me to believe. The few times I spoke with her, she was pretty hostile.”

“She was sexist, for sure. Hated men. But I don’t think she was a killer.”

Finn leaned back in his seat. “She was nuts. That’s what she was.”

“Yeah, well, being nuts isn’t a crime.”

“If she wasn’t responsible for the murders, who was?”

“Beats me. The girlfriend. The wife. Who knows? I’m more concerned about who framed Eileen. Being nuts isn’t a crime, but forging evidence sure as hell is.”

The loading bar filled up and Finn’s cluttered desktop appeared. He leaned forward to search through the icons, clicking on the SCB database. “So, let me get this straight. Since I’m the only one authorized to enter the evidence room for the Beantown Slasher case, these records should only show my name. But you think someone else will be on here.”

Hanna nodded, staring at the screen. “That’s the theory.”

“And who do you expect to find?”

At the moment, Hanna suspected Arthur, but she didn’t want to reveal her suspicions to Finn. “No one in particular. But there must be someone.”

“Okay,” Finn said. “Here we are. The list of every person who has entered the evidence room, sorted by date and time. Of course, there are other people on here, since it includes Greater Boston Homicide cases as well. I recognize most of these names. They’re all crime scene technicians, like me. But we can filter this down to just the Beantown Slasher case.” He typed the case number into the bar at the top of the screen and all of the names disappeared except for Finn Dooley.

Hanna scanned through every line, her eyes racing up and down as Finn scrolled through the page. She was determined to find a second name somewhere on the list. All she saw was Finn Dooley, repeated over and over. Maybe Claire was right. Maybe her conspiracy theory was nothing more than a distraction from the truth.

And then she saw it. The name stuck out like a sore thumb. It was not Arthur Freeman, like she had expected. It was Claire Foster.

“Holy crap,” Finn said as he read the name. “Claire entered the evidence room three times. Once after each crime scene was processed.” He turned to Hanna. “What does this mean?”

Hanna did not respond. She slid her chair away from the desk and stared at the floor, her mind struggling to process the discovery. Claire had stood by her side from the start. She was the one who had suggested Core Tech Computing to Charles. She was the one person Hanna thought she could trust. But not anymore. Now, it was all a lie.

“What do you think of our space?” Claire asked, entering the room. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”

Hanna snapped out of her trance and looked up at Claire, not uttering a single word.

Claire glanced at Finn, and then back at Hanna. “Is everything okay?”

Without acknowledging the question, Hanna stood up, walked past Claire, and stormed out of the room.

“Hanna,” Claire called. “Where are you going?”

Her voice faded as Hanna marched toward the main building. She had to tell Charles. She didn’t know what she would say, but she knew she had to say something. When she arrived at his office, the journalist was leaving. Charles shook the woman’s hand, wishing her a pleasant evening.

As he turned back into his office, Hanna called out to him. “Sir, could I speak with you for a moment? There’s something important I have to tell you.”

Charles smiled when he saw her. “Perfect timing. Now that you’re here, we can finish your paperwork. Please, come into my office.”

Howard sat in a chair in front of Charles’s desk. In contrast to the sterile cubicles outside, his office had an old-fashioned feel. Dusty particles fluttered in the air as she breathed in the smoky smell of cedar. Each step she took sent a squeal through the floorboards.

“Have a seat,” Charles said, gesturing to the empty chair next to Howard. “This won’t take long. While I was speaking to the journalist, I had Howard polish up the contract. All we need now is your signature.”

Howard held up the contract. “Your signature, and the signature of a witness. In this case, your witness is me.” He slapped the paper down on the desk and signed his name on the line. “Technically, I’m not supposed to sign until I see you sign. That’s the whole point of a witness.” He flashed a smile and handed over the contract. “Don’t tell anyone.”

Hanna took the contract and looked at the empty line at the bottom. If she signed, the case would be over, and she would get her money. She and Russell could buy new equipment. Build a new storage server. Replace the main computer. They could invest in better headbands and streamline their software. Core Tech Computing would not only survive, it would thrive.

“May I have a pen, please?” she asked.

Howard handed his pen over. When she accepted it with her left hand, he chuckled. “That’s right. You’re a lefty like me. I almost forgot.”

Hanna grinned, raising her left hand. “We’re a rare breed.” When she looked back at the piece of paper, her eyes were drawn to Howard’s name. Above his signature, the line had requested his full name in print. Howard Grimley. The i in his last name swooped to the left at the bottom, like a checkmark.

It was then she remembered Claire had lost her security card. She could not have entered the evidence room. Someone else had taken her card, and now she knew who that person was.

Howard was the one who planted the hair samples. Howard was the one who stole the storage server. And Howard was the one who poisoned Eileen Warner.

She glanced at Howard, who sat comfortably with his legs crossed and his hands propped on his knee. She wanted to expose him and clear Eileen’s name, but she knew she didn’t have enough proof. Right now, the evidence pointed to Claire. Before she could accuse him of anything, she needed to find Claire’s stolen card.

“I’m sorry,” she said, placing the pen down. “I can’t sign this.”

Charles raised an eyebrow. “Is there something wrong?”

“By signing this contract, I acknowledge that the case is closed, but I don’t believe that’s true. I think Agent Claire Foster framed Eileen Warner.”

“That’s a serious accusation,” Charles said, crossing his arms. “Do you have any proof to back it up?”

“Yes, I do. Finn is the only one allowed in the evidence room, but If you look at the security records, you will see that Claire entered three times. Following all three murders, she snuck in and planted evidence to incriminate Eileen.”

“The hair samples,” Charles said.

“Correct, sir. Finn remembers processing hair samples at the crime scenes, but I don’t think it was Eileen’s hair he was handling. I think he found hair from the girlfriend and wife. He bagged and processed them, and then Claire swapped them out before they were tested. I don’t think Eileen was present at any of the crime scenes.”

Charles paced behind his desk, peering through the window. “Yes, I see. And why do you suppose Agent Foster would do such a thing?”

“Her motive is unclear, and that’s why I can’t sign the contract. The case is not closed. I am aware I don’t have sufficient evidence. All I have is a theory based on her being somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be. I would like to enter her mind and see if I can find something more substantial. If I dig through her hippocampus, maybe I’ll find a memory of her swapping the samples.”

“She probably won’t cooperate.”

“Which is why I want one of your agents to come with me.” Hanna glanced at Howard. “Agent Grimley seems like a good candidate.”

Howard glared at her with suspicious eyes. “I thought my brain was incompatible with thought-hopping. Something to do with my inability to picture an apple. Fantasia?”

“It’s aphantasia,” Hanna said. “And it doesn’t mean you’re incompatible. Claire was just more compatible.”

“Yes,” Charles said, turning away from the window. “Searching her memories is a good idea. It may only be a theory, but I think it’s worth looking into. We will take Agent Foster into custody and bring her back to your lab. Then, you and Agent Grimley will enter her mind and search for anything suspicious.”

Howard uncrossed his legs and stood up. “Yes, sir.”

“Has Agent Foster gone home yet?” Charles asked.

Hanna shook her head. “No, she hasn’t. She’s with Finn in the other building.”

“Good. Howard, find Arthur and Lenny so we can arrest her.”

“Arthur and Lenny are already headed back to the lab,” Hanna said. “Arthur forgot his camera.”

Charles sighed. “Of course he did. I guess it’s just the two of us then. Let’s go.”

They marched out of his office and down the hall. Hanna followed, staring at Howard as she walked. She was certain he still had Claire’s security card. He was hiding it somewhere. But where?

Claire sat at her desk when the three of them entered the room. Howard took out a pair of handcuffs and held them out. “Agent Claire Foster, you are under arrest for falsifying evidence in the case against Eileen Warner.”

“What’s going on?” Claire asked, backing away from Howard. “What do you mean I’m under arrest?”

Charles approached her from the other side. “Claire, please cooperate.”

She glanced back and forth at them, and turned to look at Hanna. “Does this have to do with those security records? I swear, I don’t know why my name is on there. I never entered the evidence room.”

Hanna nodded to reassure her. “Do as they say, Claire. Trust me. Everything will be fine if you cooperate.”

“You have the right to remain silent,” Howard said, locking the cuffs around her wrists.

As he recited her rights, Hanna examined the desks, looking for the one with Howard’s name. She wandered to the other side of the room, where she found his desk tucked away behind a whiteboard. Perhaps Claire’s security card was stashed in one of his drawers.

“Come on,” Charles called out to Hanna. “We’re leaving. Are you coming?”

Hanna emerged from behind the whiteboard. “Yes, I’m coming.”

“Finn, you come along too.”

Finn stood and followed them out. “Man, what a crazy day.”

Howard escorted Claire to his car, seating her in the back, while Charles and Finn split off to their own vehicles. Before Charles could open his door, Hanna stopped and searched her pockets. “Oh, shoot,” she said, pretending to be frustrated. “I think I left my phone inside. You guys go on without me. I’ll meet you there.”

Charles nodded. “Very well. We’ll see you back at the lab.”

She spun around and headed back inside. Now that the office was empty, she was free to search for Claire’s card. She had accused Claire of the crime, but she knew that finding the card would absolve her.

She raced over to Howard’s desk and opened the top drawer. In it, she found a notepad and a collection of pens. One drawer down was a library of folders, labeled and organized alphabetically. She flipped through the folders, peeking inside each one, but all she found was meaningless paperwork.

She shut the drawer and tried the bottom one. There was an assortment of textbooks, most of them covering topics of forensic science. She thumbed through a few of them, hoping to find the card hidden between the pages, but she had no such luck. She closed the last drawer and scanned the top of the desk. It was spotless. The man must have cleaned it recently. All of his belongings were organized and in plain sight. No security card.

A nagging theory clawed into her mind. What if Claire had lied about losing her card? What if she still had it? Hanna walked toward Claire’s desk when she realized how far-fetched the theory was. The card was the only thing pointing to Claire. Everything else pointed to Howard. His handwriting matched the labels on the bags. His body type matched that of the man who had stolen the storage server. He had been standing next to the Temazepam when the scuffle with Eileen broke out. He was the one who had instigated the fight in the first place, and the water was sitting right next to him. There was no chance Claire could have done any of it. It had to be Howard. There was no one else.

The card was not in his desk, so he must have been carrying it with him. Without the card, she would need another way to expose him. They were all headed back to the lab, ready to search Claire’s mind, but Hanna had a different plan.

She knew exactly how to prove Claire’s innocence. She took out her phone to call Russell. She needed to make arrangements before the others arrived.