Chapter 11

Captain Alvin Yan retraced the thieves’ steps.  He walked up to the exterior door and opened it.  His street cops had seen him recreate criminals’ activities before. They watched him eagerly hoping they would absorb some of his skill.  He walked in and placed the empty toolbox he carried on the floor.  He reached out gloved hands to move the access panel.  He fiddled with wires and then put the panel back in place.  He walked to the stairwell and took the stairs two at a time, arriving at the top with slightly labored breathing.  Within seconds, his breathing returned to normal.

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He referred to the notes on his iPad and walked to the apartment, opened the door, walked to the closet and pushed the coat aside.  He popped the panel, messed with wires, put the panel back and then followed his detective’s script of the crime scenario.  He pretended to pick up the two laptops and the two external hard drives.  Yan followed the script through from beginning to end from the stairs to the door twice.  He followed the script in the apartment four times.

He stood over the mannequin lying where Meghan McDonald had lain.  He carefully reviewed his notes.  Then he kicked the mannequin.  He first kicked right footed from the left side of the body.  Then he kicked left footed from the right side of the body.  Then he stomped on the left arm right-footed.  He referred to his notes again and sat in the chair next to the dressing table.  After a few minutes he said quite clearly, but not at all loudly, “bull pucky.”

Seconds later a huge police sergeant walked silently into the room to stand slightly behind him.

Alvin Yan said, “Rudy, would you please get my crime scene team back out here.  Let them know that now would be a good time for them to be here and that I am not upset, simply very curious about a few anomalies.”

“Yes, Sir,” said the Sergeant in his mellifluous voice and speed dialed the head of the crime scene team.

Yan sat in the chair going over the notes on physical evidence and inventory, checking and rechecking.  He called his wife, “Sweetheart, I am afraid I shall be late for dinner again.  Have you started cooking yet?”

He listened to the answer and said, “Then why don’t we meet at the Fire Dragon at around nine? Excellent!”  He reread the information on his iPad and read through the information another time.  Then he read it again.  The third time, he made copious notes.