Chapter 17 - THE STORAGE CAMERAHale Renovation used inexpensive cellular trail cameras at vacant properties after copper theft.
One camera at H-17 had been removed.
The cloud account retained thumbnails.
A vehicle entered the property at 3:14 a.m. two days after the fake death announcement.
Richard’s Ford Expedition.
Another vehicle behind it.
White cargo van.
Plate unreadable.
At 3:22, three figures appeared near the farmhouse entrance.
One resembled Richard.
One smaller figure, head covered by a hood or blanket.
One second adult walking poorly.
No facial identification.
At 4:03, the Expedition left.
The van remained.
At 11:17 that morning, the van left too.
Where?
Traffic cameras.
Tolls.
Fuel purchases.
Ortiz began building a route.
Northwest.
Then west.
Toward an abandoned motel property Richard had once bid to renovate but did not own.
Dead end.
Then a gas receipt found in the van’s reconstructed route pointed farther.
A rural road near a decommissioned youth camp owned by an investment partnership.
One partner:
Richard’s cousin, Thomas Vale.
I immediately said:
“So Thomas is helping.”
Ortiz:
“We don’t know.”
I almost screamed.
She continued:
“Ownership is a lead. Not guilt.”
Thomas lived in Florida.
The camp had been vacant eight years.
No utilities except a well and one electrical service maintained for security.
May you like
Police went.
This time they heard something.
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