Tune Up by Joe Klingler

Author:Joe Klingler [Klingler, Joe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B072L5NWBL
Published: 2017-05-01T11:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 22

Qigiq sat in a conference room lit only by the projection of the frozen image of a silver Mercedes being pushed over a cliff by a full-size SUV. Kandy chewed her lower lip. Ferdinand alternated between scratching his beard and rubbing eyes circled with fatigue.

“But the airbag went off,” Kandy said.

Ferdinand nodded. “Yes. This implies the driver was in the car upon impact.”

“He for sure was in the car when it was pushed,” Qigiq said. “Any chance he got out before it hit the water?”

Ferdinand rubbed his right cheek. “Open the door and dive from a falling car like a Hollywood stuntman? Possible, if he were very fast, and out near the top. But then, why did so many airbags deploy?”

“We could send a team up to look for blood on the rocks,” Kandy said.

“And the gun,” Qigiq added. “Where’s the gun?” He paused. “And the money. Ten thousand blowing around the beach. Is that all of it, or is there more? Maybe a lot more?”

The room was quiet save for the humming fan cooling the projector.

Ferdinand stepped the video backwards until a face became visible through the open driver’s window of the Mercedes. The image was dark, fuzzy, and taken from a distance.

“Can’t swear it’s Spooner,” Kandy said.

“Should we show it to his wife?” Qigiq asked. He slid his chair closer to the computer and moved the video backwards one frame at a time. The SUV moved forward and the Mercedes followed as if attached by a powerful magnet. The vehicles separated. He continued until the driver’s window filled with a flash. He moved the video forward and back until the flash lit the face behind the wheel. “How’s that?”

Ferdinand said, “Let’s ask her.”

Kandy made a call. Halfway through she grinned and shook her head. Hung up.

“You won’t believe this.”

They waited.

“Our friend Mrs. Spooner was in Jasik’s office before eight this morning, demanding to know why we haven’t found her husband. He’s having her escorted over.”

Qigiq glanced at his watch. “Maybe we should head to the hospital and try to talk to the girl they airlifted in?”

Ferdinand shook his head. “Detectives, you really should be here for the identification. I must return to the lab.”

“Nice try, Qu” Kandy said. “Thanks for the video analysis, Ferd.”

The door closed behind Ferdinand.

“You think it’s Rudy?” Kandy asked.

“The girl on the cliff matches the pictures in Rudy’s contract, what we can see of her. The car is registered to his company.”

“So where is he?” she asked.

Qigiq studied the picture. “Is the seatbelt buckled?”

They both stared. Kandy walked up to the projection and touched the screen.

“Here, I think.”

“So if it’s buckled at the top, hard to imagine he was able to get out fast.”

She nodded. “So he went down with the car?”

“Yeah.”

“But now he’s gone.”

“And the seatbelt?” Qigiq asked.

She frowned in thought. “You mean, is it still buckled?” She slipped her smartphone from the front pocket of her jeans and pressed it to her ear.

Female voices approached from outside the conference room. Qigiq overheard, “Why does Mr.

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