Page 60 of Her Last Whisper

The security guard immediately spotted McGaven as he approached.

“Randy Drake?” asked McGaven.

The guard nodded to his friend who quickly left. “Yeah, I’m Randy.” He eyed the tall deputy and spotted the badge and gun.

“I’m Sean McGaven from the sheriff’s department. I’m working the Amanda Payton homicide. Would you have a moment for a few questions?” he asked, keeping his authority to a minimum, not wanting to put Randy on the defensive. He had known the type and wouldn’t be surprised if Randy had tried to become a police officer and didn’t make the cut.

“Oh yeah, I heard about that. That’s terrible. Amanda was a really nice girl.”

“Is this a good time?” McGaven persisted.

“Sure, c’mon in.”

McGaven followed the security guard into a small office. Randy closed the door and began to straighten up the messy desk, then gave up.

He plopped down in an adjustable office chair. “What would you like to know?” he said, now eyeing McGaven’s police issued firearm. It was quite common for people to keep glancing at his gun.

“How well did you know Amanda Payton?”

He thought about it, shaking his head in a strange manner as if trying to recall his relationship. “Not well, she and several other nurses from her floor were just the kind of people you said hello to in passing. We just knew each other at work.”

“Did you want it to be anything more?”

“With Amanda? Nah, she really wasn’t my type.”

“Your type?” McGaven asked.

Randy leaned forward and said in a quieter tone, “I like ’em kind of dirty, if you know what I mean? Amanda was a nice-looking girl, don’t get me wrong, but she was too clean and conservative for me.” He smiled and leaned back in the chair smiling broadly. He then broke out in a creepy laugh as if imagining what it would be like being with her.

“As far as you knew, did she date anyone here?”

“I’m not sure. I actually wouldn’t know… Oh, wait…” The security guard spun around in his chair and opened a laptop computer. He turned it on. Opening a desk drawer, there were several CDs and he pulled one out. “Okay, this might blow your mind.” He inserted the CD and waited to play the image. “Wait, I’m not going to get in trouble, am I?”

“I don’t think so,” McGaven replied.

The CD spun in the computer as they both waited.

McGaven didn’t say anything, but he hoped it wasn’t some personal home movie.

“I actually almost forgot all about this. There are, how shall I say, interesting things that go on in the hospital. Us guards have seen quite an eyeful, if you know what I mean. This might help you.”

McGaven waited, but he wasn’t entirely convinced until he saw the footage.

There was a black-and-white security image of a long hallway. McGaven didn’t recognize the area even though he’d walked through much of the large, rambling hospital. The area looked narrower than he had been through, with swinging doors all the way along. There was a woman walking down the hallway, back to the camera, and she seemed to be waiting for someone.

As she paced, the camera caught a shot of her face and it clearly identified Amanda Payton. She nervously chewed her thumbnail as if contemplating whether or not she should leave. Within a minute, a dark-haired man appeared and they proceeded to have a conversation. Their body movements were restrained at first, but then they let go of their inhibitions and embraced in a passionate kiss.

“Yeah, you see. Amanda could be a tiger, I guess,” said Randy holding back a laugh as he viewed the screen.

McGaven watched and had to agree with the security guard as the couple burst through one of the doors, their bodies locked together, their hands exploring hungrily.

“When was this taken?” asked McGaven. There were no identifying dates on the video itself.

Randy opened the CD holder where there were pencil markings. “It was nine months ago.”

“Who is that with Ms. Payton?”

“That’s Marco Ellis, he’s a morgue technician,” said Randy.