The Shooter

Chapter 3

"Sir, Martinez has something to discuss with you about today's shooting," officer Rousey said. She and Bayley had gone back to the station when they had been relieved by other officers at the gas station, and had gone straight to sergeant Reigns' office so that she could present her theory.

"Then I'm sure Martinez can tell me herself. She's not a rookie anymore," Reigns said calmly, look up at them from behind his desk.

"Yes, of course," Rousey said, standing aside to give Bayley centre stage.

Bayley pushed the office door closed, then stepped up to her superior's desk. "Sir, I don't believe that the woman who was shot at the gas station today was the target. I think officer Richards was the intended target."

Reigns looked a little surprised. "I assume you have some evidence to support what you're saying?"

Taking a deep breath, Bayley had reached the tricky moment that she had known was coming. "I don't have evidence, sir. I have a theory I would like to present," she said, trying to sound confident and not making the best job of it.

"A theory?" Reigns said, raising an unimpressed eyebrow.

"Yes, sir," Bayley said. "Can I come around your desk and use your computer, please? It will help me to explain."

Reigns pushed his chair back from the desk and motioned to the screen to indicate that she could have at it.

At least he was willing to hear her out, Bayley thought. She walked around the desk and leant over it to move the computer's mouse and operate the keyboard. Calling up Google Maps, she quickly located the gas station where the shooting had happened, and zoomed in on it in the satellite view.

"This is the gas station at the corner of 32nd and Walnut," she began. Picking up a pen from Reigns' desk, she used it to point to locations on the screen as she moved the map around. "Richards and Dillon had parked their squad car here. They were about to get back into the car when the victim was shot. That puts Richards here. The victim was approximately here."

"Don't forget to show him the photos you took," Rousey said.

"I will," Bayley said. "I need to finish this first." She moved the satellite view over slightly. "On this corner, opposite the gas station, there's a parking lot. It was largely empty this morning. Beyond that, there's this waste ground. It looks like buildings were demolished there some time ago. I believe our sniper fired from somewhere there, and was trying to shoot Richards. Somehow, he hit the victim instead. A small misjudgement, but..."

"So you're saying we're looking for a sniper who can't shoot straight?" Reigns asked, looking from Bayley to Rousey and back again.

"Show him the photos," Rousey said.

"I took some pictures with my phone to show the sight line to where I think the shot was fired from, roughly." Bayley took out her phone and showed a couple of pictures to Reigns. "Sir, I think the sniper fired from over there with a silenced weapon, possibly from inside a vehicle of some kind. I also checked the position of the sun, and it wouldn't have been a problem to them from that angle."

Reigns leaned back in his chair and studied her for a moment. "And you came up with all of this by yourself?"

"Sir, if you take another look at it..." Bayley began defensively, before Reigns cut her off.

"Relax, Martinez, I think you might be on to something. I'm going to have a forensics team check out that waste ground for footprints, tyre tracks and any other evidence they might find. I'll also have all of the CCTV in the area collected. I'll need officers to comb through it all to see if there's anything of interest."