Michael Connelly - A Darkness More Than Night

10/13

12:12 A.M. – engaged by D. Storey

10/13

3:19 A.M. – disengaged by D. Storey opened/closed

10/13

3:19 A.M. – engaged by D. Storey

10/13

4:01 A.M. – disengaged by D. Storey opened/closed

10/13

4:01 A.M. – engaged by D. Storey Langwiser continued her questioning of Hendricks.

“Does this illustration accurately reflect your testimony about the alarm system in David Storey’s home on the evening of October twelfth going into October thirteenth?”

The technician looked at the poster carefully and then nodded.

“Is that a yes?”

“It’s a yes.”

“Thank you. Now, because these activities were instigated with the system’s recognition and approval of David Storey’s voiceprint, are you telling the jury that this is the record of David Storey’s comings and goings during the time period in question?”

Fowkkes objected, saying the question assumed facts not in evidence. Houghton agreed and told Langwiser to rephrase or ask another question. Her point made with the jury, she moved on.

“Mr. Hendricks, if I had a tape recording of David Storey’s voice, could I play it into the Millennium Twenty-one’s station microphone and receive clearance to engage or disengage the alarm?”

“No. There are two fail-safe mechanisms. You must use a password recognized by the computer and you must say the date. So you need voice, password, correct date or the system won’t accept the command.”

“What was David Storey’s password?”

“I don’t know. It’s private. The system is set so that he can change his password as often as he likes.”

Langwiser looked at the poster on the easel. She went up and took a pointer off the easel’s ledge and used it to underline the entries for 3:19 and 4:01 in the morning.

“Can you tell from these entries whether someone with Mr. Storey’s voice left the house at three-nineteen and returned at four-oh-one, or if it was the other way around; someone came in at three-nineteen and then left at four-oh-one?”

“Yes, I can.”

“How is that?”

“The system also records which transmitter stations are used to engage and disengage the system. In this house the stations are set on either side of three doors – you know, outside and inside the door. The three are the front door, the door to the garage and one of the doors to the rear deck. The transmitters are on the outside and the inside of each door. Whatever one is used gets recorded in the innkeeper program.”

“Can you look at the printout from Mr. Storey’s system that you looked at earlier and tell us what transmitters were used during the three-nineteen and four-oh-one entries?”

Hendricks studied his paperwork before answering.

“Uh, yes. At three-nineteen the exterior transmitter was used. That means somebody was in the garage when they turned the alarm on in the house. Then at four-oh-one the same exterior transmitter was used to turn the alarm off. The door was then opened and closed, then the alarm was turned back on from the inside.”

“So someone came home at four-oh-one, is that what you are saying?”

“Yes. Right.”

“And the system computer registered this someone as David Storey, correct?”

“It identified his voice, yes.”

“And this person would have to have used Mr. Storey’s password and given the correct date as well?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Langwiser said she had no further questions. Fowkkes told the judge he had a quick cross-examination. He bounded to the lectern and looked at Hendricks.

“Mr. Hendricks, how long have you worked for Lighthouse?”

“Three years next month.”

“So you were employed by Lighthouse on January first a year ago, the so-called Y-two-K changeover?”

“Yes,” Hendricks said hesitantly.

“Can you tell us what happened to many of Lighthouse’s clients on that day?”

“Uh, we had a few problems.”

“A few problems, Mr. Hendricks?”

“We had system failures.”

“What system in particular?”

“The Millennium Twos had a program malfunction. But it was minor. We were able to -”

“How many clients with Millennium Twos were affected in the Los Angeles area?”

“All of them. But we found the bug and -”

“That’s all, sir. Thank you.”

“We got it fixed.”

“Mr. Hendricks,” the judge barked. “That’s enough. The jury will disregard the last statement.”

He looked at Langwiser.

“Redirect, Ms. Langwiser?”

Langwiser said she had a few quick questions. Bosch had known about the Y 2 K problems and reported them to the prosecutors. Their hope had been that the defense would not learn of them or raise them.

“Mr. Hendricks, did Lighthouse fix the bug that infected the systems after Y-two-K?”

“Yes, we did. It was fixed right away.”

“Would it in any way have affected data gathered from the defendant’s system a full ten months after Y-two-K?”

“Not at all. The problem was resolved. The system was repaired.”

Langwiser said that was all she had for the witness and sat down. Fowkkes then rose for re-cross.

“The bug that was fixed, Mr. Hendricks, that was the bug they knew about, correct?”

Hendricks gave a confused look.

“Yeah, that was the one that caused the problem.”

“So what you’re saying is that you only know about these ‘bugs’ when they cause a problem.”

“Uh, usually.”

“So there could be a program bug in Mr. Storey’s security system and you wouldn’t know about it until it creates a problem, correct?”

Hendricks shook his shoulders.

“Anything’s possible.”

Fowkkes sat down and the judge asked Langwiser if she had anything else. The prosecutor hesitated a moment but then said she had nothing further. Hendricks was dismissed by Houghton, who then suggested an early break for lunch.

“Our next witness will be very brief, Your Honor. I’d like to get him in before the break. We plan to concentrate on one witness during the afternoon session.”

“Very well, go on.”

“We recall Detective Bosch.”

Bosch got up and went to the witness stand, carrying the murder book. This time he did not touch the microphone. He settled in and was reminded by the judge that he was still under oath.

“Detective Bosch,” Langwiser began. “At some point during your investigation of the murder of Jody Krementz were you directed to drive from the defendant’s home to the victim’s home and then back again?”

“Yes, I was. By you.”

“And did you follow that direction?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“On November sixteenth at three-nineteen A.M. ”

“Did you time your drive?”

“Yes, I did. Both ways.”

“And can you tell us those times? You can refer to your notes, if you wish.”

Bosch opened the binder to a previously marked page. He took a moment to study the notations even though he knew them by heart.

“From Mr. Storey’s house to Jody Krementz’s house it took eleven minutes and twenty-two seconds, driving within posted speed limits. Coming back it took eleven minutes and forty-eight seconds. The round trip was twenty-three minutes, ten seconds.”

“Thank you, Detective.”

That was it. Fowkkes passed again on cross-examination, reserving the right to call Bosch back to the stand during the defense phase. Judge Houghton recessed the trial for lunch and the crowded courtroom slowly drained into the outside hallway.

Bosch was pushing and moving through the crowd of lawyers, spectators and reporters in the hallway and looking for Annabelle Crowe when a hand strongly grabbed his upper arm from behind. He swung around and looked into the face of a black man he didn’t recognize. Another man, this one white, came up to them. The two men had on almost identical gray suits. Bosch knew they were bureau men before the first man said his first word.