Frank Roberts, Crime Lab Arson Expert
When Jason returned to the office the next day, Zac met him at the door. “Hey dude, let me see your cellphone for a minute. I need to install an app.”
Jason handed him his cellphone. Zac came back with the phone five minutes later. “Let me show you what I’ve set up.” Zac led Jason over to Mary’s desk. Mary turned her monitor toward them. Her screen was divided into six parts, each with a view from a different camera. “I’ve our building covered outside--three sixty. One camera is located inside on the main entrance and a second one on the rear entrance.”
Jason was impressed. “Zac, how did you get this set up so quickly?”
“The cameras are wireless. It takes no time to set up.”
“No, I mean how did you get all this equipment so fast?”
“Oh. Some I already had, and the rest I borrowed from a friend of mine.”
“Yeah, but I thought you were a hacker not a spy.”
“Oh, that. Well, my grandpa told you about me hacking into the school computer and changing my grades.”
“Yeah, he told me that.”
“Well, there was more to it.”
“Like what?”
“Like I put these cameras in the girls' locker room.”
Jason whistled. “Holy crap, Zac. That’s serious. You could end up as a sexual predator.”
“I know, man. I know.”
Mary stood up. “That’s why dad got involved. The school wanted to press charges and send this idiot to jail. Dad got everyone to calm down and give him the lighter sentence. My son, the pervert.” She patted Zac shoulder.
“I know man. I was trying to be funny.”
“He posted the videos to the school website so the boys could see them,” continued Mary. “Apparently, the school admin wasn't amused.”
“Anyhow, I know stuff about cameras, and I had some. Let me show you your cellphone. See this app here? Just tap it once and it starts recording. I’ll install a bracket in your car. Point the camera with the back toward the driver side window. That way, when it records, no one can see the front screen.”
Jason looked at the camera. “What’s this piece of tape for?”
“That covers a red light that shows that the phone is recording. When the camera is on the video streams onto the computer here. It’s also recorded on my computer.”
“Good job. Now go mount that bracket in my car.”
A man in blue jeans and a red flannel shirt entered the Star offices.
“Can I help you?” asked Mary.
“I'm looking for Jason. I'm from the crime lab in Cheyenne. My name is Frank Roberts.”
Jason jumped up. “Hello, I'm Jason. Tina said to expect you. She said you'd look at Paulo's car.”
“Actually, I already did. Your friend, Mr. Vaughn, met me at the body shop early. He didn't want his boss to know.”
Jason sighed. “What'd you find?”
“Well, you and Mr. Vaughn were right. I can't speak about Mr. McAdams's death, but the car fire was definitely arson.”
Sean ambled over. “Pardon me, Agent Roberts but you don't look like an agent. Can we see an ID?”
Roberts pulled out his ID and showed it to Sean. “Sometimes it's better if we don't look like agents–I’m not an agent. I work in the crime lab. I'm an arson expert; houses mostly but occasionally an automobile.”
“Can you give us more details?” asked Jason.
Agent Roberts shook his head. “I've said more than I should but Tina said you were a friend of the victim. I'll know more when I get the car into our lab. I've asked Mr. Vaughn to tow the car to Cheyenne.
# # # #
When Jason returned to the office the next day, Zac met him at the door. “Hey dude, let me see your cellphone for a minute. I need to install an app.”
Jason handed him his cellphone. Zac came back with the phone five minutes later. “Let me show you what I’ve set up.” Zac led Jason over to Mary’s desk. Mary turned her monitor toward them. Her screen was divided into six parts, each with a view from a different camera. “I’ve our building covered outside--three sixty. One camera is located inside on the main entrance and a second one on the rear entrance.”
Jason was impressed. “Zac, how did you get this set up so quickly?”
“The cameras are wireless. It takes no time to set up.”
“No, I mean how did you get all this equipment so fast?”
“Oh. Some I already had, and the rest I borrowed from a friend of mine.”
“Yeah, but I thought you were a hacker not a spy.”
“Oh, that. Well, my grandpa told you about me hacking into the school computer and changing my grades.”
“Yeah, he told me that.”
“Well, there was more to it.”
“Like what?”
“Like I put these cameras in the girls' locker room.”
Jason whistled. “Holy crap, Zac. That’s serious. You could end up as a sexual predator.”
“I know, man. I know.”
Mary stood up. “That’s why dad got involved. The school wanted to press charges and send this idiot to jail. Dad got everyone to calm down and give him the lighter sentence. My son, the pervert.” She patted Zac shoulder.
“I know man. I was trying to be funny.”
“He posted the videos to the school website so the boys could see them,” continued Mary. “Apparently, the school admin wasn't amused.”
“Anyhow, I know stuff about cameras, and I had some. Let me show you your cellphone. See this app here? Just tap it once and it starts recording. I’ll install a bracket in your car. Point the camera with the back toward the driver side window. That way, when it records, no one can see the front screen.”
Jason looked at the camera. “What’s this piece of tape for?”
“That covers a red light that shows that the phone is recording. When the camera is on the video streams onto the computer here. It’s also recorded on my computer.”
“Good job. Now go mount that bracket in my car.”
A man in blue jeans and a red flannel shirt entered the Star offices.
“Can I help you?” asked Mary.
“I'm looking for Jason. I'm from the crime lab in Cheyenne. My name is Frank Roberts.”
Jason jumped up. “Hello, I'm Jason. Tina said to expect you. She said you'd look at Paulo's car.”
“Actually, I already did. Your friend, Mr. Vaughn, met me at the body shop early. He didn't want his boss to know.”
Jason sighed. “What'd you find?”
“Well, you and Mr. Vaughn were right. I can't speak about Mr. McAdams's death, but the car fire was definitely arson.”
Sean ambled over. “Pardon me, Agent Roberts but you don't look like an agent. Can we see an ID?”
Roberts pulled out his ID and showed it to Sean. “Sometimes it's better if we don't look like agents–I’m not an agent. I work in the crime lab. I'm an arson expert; houses mostly but occasionally an automobile.”
“Can you give us more details?” asked Jason.
Agent Roberts shook his head. “I've said more than I should but Tina said you were a friend of the victim. I'll know more when I get the car into our lab. I've asked Mr. Vaughn to tow the car to Cheyenne.
# # # #
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