Chapter 3
Calleigh had paged Horatio from the firearms department and as he walked into the room he was surprised to see that she had the fuel tank from the Lancaster on the floor. She looked up. "What did Alexx say?" she asked.
Horatio replied, "Right now, sweetheart, we need to focus on the fuel tank. Did you find anything?"
Calleigh knelt beside the fuel tank and pointed to what looked like a bullet hole at the center. "I think we can rule out a possible default with the fuel tank," she said.
"Someone shot it?"
"With this bullet," said Calleigh as she stood up. She held up an evidence bag with a mushroomed bullet in it. "Nine mil. Whoever shot Kyle down was one hell of a marksman."
"Does any of the ground crew carry guns?" asked Horatio.
"None of them said anything," answered Calleigh. She looked at Horatio. "How's Mrs. Shannon holding up?"
"It's hard on her," he said.
At that moment Eric called on Horatio's cell phone. "Yes, Eric?" he asked.
"H, we've just gotten Kyle's personal effects," said Eric. "There's a video camera in here…I'm in the AV lab just about to check it out."
"Right, I'm on my way." Horatio hung up and thanked Calleigh, ending with "You hang in there." She gave him a sad smile and went back to work.
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Cooper had the video camera footage uploaded when Horatio got to the AV lab and he was stunned to see Kyle on the screen, standing there in a blue RAF officer's uniform, talking with fellow officers and smoking a cigarette. He looked calm and relaxed and happy.
"Hey, Shannon," said one of the officers on the tape, "someone's looking at you."
Kyle blew a wisp of smoke toward the sky and looked at the camera. A ghost of a smile crossed his face and he began walking toward the cameraman, the smile blossoming into a grin the closer he got. When he was nose-to-nose with the camera, Kyle opened his mouth and let out an awful sounding high note. Laughter echoed behind him and the person holding the camera was giggling too.
"I'm sorry if I can't do a striptease right now," said Kyle to the camera. "It's not the time or the place – Shane, just why are you taping me?"
Horatio asked, "When was this recorded, Cooper?"
Cooper tinkered with the recording for a second and Kyle froze on the screen. "Eight o'clock this morning…just before the crash. Anything you're looking for specifically, H?"
"Just play it," said Horatio.
"Well, I've got a minute before show time," said Kyle, "and I'm assuming my darling wife is going to see this so to her I'm going to sing. And if any of you laugh at my singing, I'll kick your behinds."
"Derek has to get in there," said an officer. "Sing us a duet!"
Kyle grinned at the camera. "Derek," he said, "get your ass over here. For our viewer's pleasure, we shall sing Madonna's 'Hung Up'. Derek, get over here!"
The camera bounced for a minute then Kyle was joined by another man, this one wearing a different kind of uniform and was slightly taller than his CO. He looked like a wrestler, with buzzed blond hair and blue eyes. For a few minutes they did a funny dance, singing the lyrics in voices that broke at the high notes.
Horatio's eyes narrowed. "Stop."
The image froze. "You see that, Eric?" asked Horatio, pointing to Derek. Eric peered at the image and nodded. "I do see it," he said. "Derek has a gun in his hand."
"Looks like a sniper rifle, too," said Horatio.
"Think he could be the one who shot Kyle out of the sky?" asked Eric.
"Only one way to find out," said Horatio. "We need to ask Bethany some questions."
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"His name is Derek Wallace," said Bethany as she shifted in the chair. "He was the chief of Kyle's ground crew and Kyle's best friend…they'd known each other since they were children."
"Any idea why Derek would carry a sniper rifle around with him?" asked Horatio.
Bethany looked at him. "He has a license, Horatio that much I know. He uses it for hunting back home in England."
"Why would he bring it to Miami?"
"I don't know," she said. She frowned slightly. "Why ask, Horatio?"
Horatio met her eyes, dreading what he was about to say to her. "We think that rifle was used to shoot your husband down," he said. Bethany's face went white.
"Derek wouldn't do that," she said, her voice crackling with emotion. "He's Kyle's best friend…it's just not possible." She wiped her eyes.
"Bethany, I need to find him," said Horatio. "I need to know where he is."
"He's staying with me at the hotel," she replied.
"OK," said Horatio, his voice growing softer. "Thank you, Beth."
As they were walking out of the interrogation room Eric asked, "So we're bringing in Derek for questioning?"
"Eric, I need you to stay here with Bethany and keep an eye on her," said Horatio. "I'll take Frank with me this time."
Eric nodded. "OK."