When the Dead Speak

Chapter 53

Chapter 53

"I've never seen you stumped before, Sam." Tim sat on the floor in the study while Sam fingered the books on the bookshelf.

"I'm just going through cranial overload. I need a diversion."

"You never told me why they changed your precinct."

She saw a videotape leaning against one of the books and pulled it out. It was the tape Jake had brought after her visit to Preston's. She popped the tape into the recorder, saying, "This is why."

Tim joined her on the circular couch by the entertainment center. Pointing the remote at the VCR, Sam pressed the PLAY button.

"Wow." Tim's eyes widened. "Whose house did you break into this time?"

"State Representative Preston Hilliard," Sam said proudly.

"The chief found out about this?"

Sam stretched out on the couch and propped her head up on one elbow. "No, not this one. At least not yet." Her voice trailed off, not wanting to go into full detail. "He found out about another one and wanted to distance me from him so as not to jeopardize HIS promotion."

They watched the video of Sam hiding in the closet, Preston entering, talking on the phone, then pounding on his keyboard.

Slowly, Sam lifted herself to a sitting position, then moved to the floor so she could be closer to the screen. "Did you see that?"

"What?"

She hit the rewind button. When she played it back, she pressed the pause button. "There. Do you see that, Tim?"

Tim crawled closer to the television set.

She pointed to an area on the screen. "The reflection of the computer screen in the window behind Preston. If we could enlarge that, I bet we'd find out his password."

"I'll get right on it." Standing, Tim said, "By the way, did you notice the dark sedan that's been parked on the street by the entrance to your house? It left when I arrived but I could swear it's the third time I've seen it. It changes location each day, but it's the same one."