You Can't Run by Hope Davis (best way to read books .txt) 📗

out if there are any traces of ‘potassium, iron, copper, magnesium, or zinc’ in the body that would indicate her having higher than normal levels?” She read from her Julia Charles note.

Atlas picked up the phone and dialed. “You know if you’re going to stick around you should probably learn all the extensions and program all the numbers into your phone, so I don’t have to be your secretary.”

She chuckled. “I’ve been meaning to do exactly that. But this case got dumped on me so fast.”

He opened his mouth as if he was about to argue with her, but whoever was on the other end of the line must’ve picked up, so Atlas began asking for the additional tests to be run before the body was released to the family.

Naya was glad she hadn’t had to be the one to notify Alia’s boyfriend, how she meant everything to him rang deafeningly loud in her head. This had to have crushed him.

Atlas hung up the phone and turned, only for his phone to ring in his hands. He rolled his eyes, “Detective Atlas?... Mhm… Perfect, thanks.”

“What was that?” Naya asked, her fingers crossed that it was what she hoped it was.

“Our tapes.” He smiled and rose from his chair. “They’re emailing the ones with our victim in them, should be here in about a minute. I’m gonna grab some coffee, want a viewing drink?”

She shook her head, “No, thank you.” He seemed surprised but turned and headed for the break room regardless. She turned back to her computer and checked the time. It was just after two, Vance should have just finished chemotherapy. Naya hoped it went better than it had the week before. At least he wouldn’t be alone since their parents weren’t planning to leave for a few more days. She thought about texting Kevin, who she was sure would be over this evening, but quickly talked herself out of it. Coincidentally, her phone chose that moment to vibrate, she looked down surprised to see it was a text from the man himself.

Kevin: Can I take you to dinner tonight? Please?

Naya couldn’t help but smile, it was  amusing that he had apparently thought of her at the same time she had thought of him.

Naya: I need to see if my parents will let me get away first.

She pressed send and wondered what she would say, but she was a grown woman and it wasn’t as if her parents controlled her. She did a mental face palm as she realized how nervous she felt. What was it about Kevin that made her turn back into an awkward and shy teenager? The reply came while she was berating herself.

Kevin: They said it’s fine as long as I have you home at a decent hour ;)

Naya knew that last part had to be a joke, but she couldn’t help but chuckle as she replied.

Naya: Alright, I’ll plan on leaving the station at 6.

She put her phone back in her pocket, so she wasn’t tempted to look at it again and resumed her reading and notations. Atlas returned a moment later with a coffee in one hand and a bag of microwave popcorn in the other.

“You didn’t tell me you were making popcorn!” She said incredulously as she grabbed her notepad and pen and followed him into the conference room that had their whiteboard. Naya had updated the map the day before and added Alia Larson’s picture and information.

“You didn’t ask.” He replied smartly, although he handed her the open bag as he got the computer set up and logged into his email.

“Alright here she is leaving the building at about seven, just as her boyfriend said.”

Naya watched as Alia came from the direction of the stairs and passed through the lobby, ear buds in, she appeared to be texting on her phone.

“And here she is stretching outside.”

The next video was footage from the camera right outside the door, and sure enough, there was Alia doing a runner’s lunge.

“And then she runs out of view for about an hour…“ Atlas pulled up the next clip. “Then look, here she is at about eight, doing some after run stretches outside.”

“So, she made it back?” Naya was confused, and bit her lip as Atlas pulled up the last video.

“Not only did she make it back, but she made it through the lobby...”

Both watched as her figure walked past the elevator again and towards the stairs. “Which means our killer either lives in the building or knew her patterns and came in before her and was lying in wait.” Atlas theorized.

“You really think this guy would kill a girl in the building he lived in?”

“It seems daring.” Atlas agreed. “It’s unlikely but possible I guess. I’m going request they look over the footage again and send stills of anyone who walked in the building that morning.”

“Good idea. And we should see if we can get a full list of tenants in the building.”

Atlas was already at his computer typing the first email but nodded a quick yes. After he finished typing and hit send, he pulled out his phone and made a call, probably to the same judge who had acquired the warrant for the tapes for them.

Naya looked at the girl’s form, frozen on the screen on the edge of the frame, about to walk out of view. She was looking at her phone, no idea what lay in wait for her. She stood and walked towards the screen, wishing that she could’ve stopped this guy before he got to her.

She checked her phone to see if any of the emails they were waiting for had come in. There was nothing. They didn’t have the records from RunTracker yet, of course, they were futile for Alia Larson since they now knew she completed