"Beth what's your location?" Max our groundskeeper bellowed through the line.
"My office why?" I replied.
"Beth you might want to call the sheriff and head to the north indoor garden. I just locked the doors to keep people out of here. Remind the sheriff that whoever he brings needs to be discreet there are kids around. Have them come to the back loading door."
"Max, what's going on?"
"We got a dead body, Beth."
"Ok I will be right there do not touch anything," I called the sheriff and told them to come in the back discreetly as we had a bunch of kids here today and headed to where max was myself.
I had not dealt with a dead body since my time working as a detective in Tampa, Florida. Nothing ever happened in this town to warrant as much as a ticket so this worried me a lot. I got down to the garden entrance and my guys moved aside to let me in. I followed the pathway through the hedges and shrubs to where I heard Max's voice coming from.
Max looked at me and said, "Beth I know you used to deal with all of this in your past but this is not too pretty."
I looked at Max and said, "Never is easy finding a body. Do we know who the poor soul is?"
Max looked at me and then back towards the covered body. "Beth I am going to be 100 percent honest with you I saw the body, checked for a pulse, and realized his eyes were open and called for you. I don't handle dead very well. I don't even go to funerals very often unless I have to."
I knew how Max felt about the dead but also knew we needed to see how this man died. I reached down to pull back the sheet Max had used to cover the body. I started checking the pockets and no wallet and ID were found from what I could feel. I didn't want to move the body until the police got here.
"Max, when was the last time this area was used?" I asked. "This gentleman seems like he has been here for a while."
Max looked up, "Beth that's the thing. This spot was just used six hours ago for the children's center lunch with Santa. The last people cleared out of here around 5pm. I helped the volunteers load the last of the items in their van via the loading door for this area. After they left I locked the doors and walked to the entrance and shut off the lights and locked the main door. I do not know how the body even got in here as the area is secured."
As I sat on the nearest chair thinking about the possibilities there was a knock at the entry door. I stood up as Max went to unlock the door. I looked up and saw our local detective, Charles walk into the room. He walked up to me and asked, "Well detective you have any thoughts on how a body ended up on your property?"
Charles loved to push my buttons as he knew I used to be a detective in the big city. "Well, detective you are the only law enforcement here. Max had this area shut down after an event earlier today. From the look of the body, it's been deceased for a while as rigor mortis set in. Not like a corpse can just walk its way into an event hall. But I was going to check the security cameras to see if there is anything we can see."
Charles turned to Max, "Max, Beth said you had this area locked up. May I ask why you came back in?"
Max turned and said, "Sure thing I had lowered the security gate when I shut the area down as I didn't want teens to sneak in here to make out. But when I was doing my rounds I saw the lights for the bathroom area were on and I could have sworn they were off when I locked up."
Charles asked, "So then why did you go back in there?"
"Because I did not want to risk someone being locked in here," Max said. "Plus I know I shut the light off. It's a habit the wife at home keeps on me about so I do it here as well. Came through the side door walked towards the bathroom and saw the body when I looked from the bathroom to the back loading door."
"Well officer, While you're doing your job here I am going to pull all the security tapes and see what I can," I said, "Come on Max let's leave the police to do their jobs. You can be my second set of eyes."
Max chuckled as we left the area and headed to the security office, "Is it me or does Charles seem threatened by you?"
"Its not that he is threatened," I said. "He just does not get how I could have went from a detective in a major metropolitan are to a small town amusement site head of security."
Max looked at me, "You never explained why you came here? Come on Beth if you explained why then he wouldn't be such a bear to you."
"Max," I said. "If he was a good detective I wouldn't have to explain anything."
Max chuckled and led the way back to the security office. After we got back into the office and poured ourselves some coffee we sat in front of the security camera. I put in the time for the video feed and brought the feed up to where I see Max locking the back door, walking and checking both bathrooms, and heading to the main entrance. When Max shut the light off and the night vision came on.
That's when we see a man come out of the men's bathroom. I looked at Max and said, "How you checked the bathroom?"
Max looked at me and said, "Was he hiding in the bathroom ceiling?"
We saw our dearly deceased walk to the center of the room and then another man appears from the bathroom and we see a figure fully clocked in black run up on the victim. It looks like he karate chops his neck and as the victin falls to the ground the cloaked man runs back to the bathroom. I make a disk for Charles and Ma and I head back to the event room.
Walking in we see charles and I pull my gun at the bathroom door. Charles comes over and I said, "Have any of you been in there?"
"No why?" He said as he pulled out his gun.
"Because thats where both the victom and the killer came out of," He said.
We walked in and started looking in every nook and cranny. Then I looked up and over the last stall the ceiling tiles were moved. I pointed that out to Charles and he said, "Where does the ceiling paths go to?"
Max groaned, "The ceiling pathways go all over the resort."
Charles muttered under his breathe and said, "We need to see if any of the external exits are compromised and also see if any of the shops restaurants or hotel areas are messed up."
I looked at Charles and said, "We will but there are a massive amount of kids throughout this entire place. We will do this in a calm manor and we will get my entire team in."
I took out my walkie and said, "Hey all I have a issue and need to have a meeting for all waking staff members. Please meet in the break room in 10 minutes and please do not make a big show with leaving the floor we need to stay discreet."
I started hearing copies over the headset. Looking back at Charles I said, "You coming or what?"
Charles looked at me like I had lost my mind and said, "You know Beth this is my investogation."
Turning to him I said, "Listen Charles I am going to be honest with you. People might be reluctant to talk to you. If any of my staff has a inkling of what is going on they might not tell you because you are pushy."
We walked into the security office and he pulled me into my office, "What do you mean I am pushy?"
"Listen CHarles I been were you are I did your job for many years but you need to be kind or people will not want to say anything" I said "I want to make sure this gets handled and I do not want another dead person on my hands"
Charles was quiet as we headed into the office and I took point. "Okay everyone I know all of you have military or security training. This is what we are dealing with. Two men were hiding in the same room that we had the childrens home party and after the area was emptied one of the men emerged from the bathroom and another came out and murdered him. The police are dealing with the body but there is no forced exit and the security footage showed the killer went back into the bathroom. All exits are being watched but here is the thing as we are an active hotel, resort, event center along with a mall people can be in danger. The tunnels along the roofs as well as the ways to get out are plentiful. We need to find this killer. After the mall closes we are gonna implement the propertys bio sensors. But I am open to other sugegstions?"
"How about we take a team in under the preface there are reported leaks and smells? Matt said. "I don't want to see a kid or anyone else get hurt and we can put on repair cloths. Me Shawn and Marty are all ex special ops so we can handle anything."
I looked at Charles and said, "you know that's not a half bad idea."
Charles looked up and said, "I want a camera on each of you if this is going to happen. Guns hidden on you as well."
Matt gave a Cheshire grin and said, "Sure thing boss. Who would have thought we could do what we were trained for in the middle of Santas village."
Matt and his team geared up and went through the ceiling inside the office to start searching the building. They decided to start further away to flush whoever was there towards the bathroom. Charles and I listened to them on ear pieces and we had officers waiting in the bathroom incase someone came out. Matt said into the speaker, "Beth I have a question what was this place before Santas Village?"
"Matt it was a event center, why do you ask?" I said.
"Did the event center have a skating rink?" He asked
"Sure did I skated here as a child when I visted my Grandma." I said.
"Well so you are aware we are over the court yard in what I would assume would be the second floor and I just found the skating rink," He said.
"I will be honest with you, There are still a ton of things up here someone could easily hide in here." He said. "Like its a building within a building and its sitting here. I am sending you some pictures."
He sent a series of pictures and Charles looked at them and said, "Those are stores full of merchandise just sitting there. Is that a Merrygo round?"
I rubbed my temple and said, "This is not even on the blueprints to the building. How in gods name does a whole section of the original mall disappear from the blueprints. Hey Matt do me a f avor can you get into any of the locations?"
"Beth I am insulted you think so little of me," He said. "What are we looking for Boss?"
"A news paper or something dated," I said. "Also is the power on down there?"
He responded and said, "Yes Maam, I bet Geroge had no clue especially when he was out last month. He mentioned the electric was so high..ho hum umm Beth there is a bank down here. A full ass bank."
Charles grabbed the phone and said, "Matt go to the bank and see if there is a safe."
We heard the team walk and then heard Matt say, "Well well someone has been in here."
"What do you mean Matt?" Charles asked.
"There is equipment here to bust into the bank vault," He said. "Hey boss lady take this down. Echo Foxtrot 385 Delta. That is the safe number for University Bank."
Charles said, "Anything dated Matt?"
Marty quipped in, "December 13th, 1971 We are saddened to inform you this location will be closing on December 23rd. Please see bank HR for severance package."
"Well shit" Max said, " I think I know what that is. Back in the 1970's I lived a few towns over and we heard that in a 2 week time a local shopping mall shut down and a bunch of walls were put up around the building. Businesses in the mall complained about not being able to get everything out of the stores. The developer stated that they gave plenty of notice and they told stores they had until the 24th to get everything out. On the 26th people arrived and saw the walls and the guards said that the building was demolished and everything inside was destroyed. There was a lawsuit and the owner of the property was not held liable as the contract he had stated that they had 30 days to give notice and they provided 50 days notice."
"Well apparently they did not destroy the Mall." I said.
Max said, "Thats the thing when the walls came down the event centers first structure was in place. It was almost as if they built over and around the mall. Which doesn't surprise me because the mall had two stories and the stories went down not up."
I grabbed the radio and said, "Matt listen to me, get out of there and look for a set of stairs that goes to the bottom level."
"What are you thinking Beth," Charles asked.
"Listen if the businesses couldn't get anything out what if someone was in the know when this place was an event center and mall and knew all these businesses were here." I said. Think about the mall it probably had multiple businesses and a bank and jewelry stores. Rob and grab and no one would be the wiser. Matt does it look like the businesses are opened and broken into?"
"Negative boss lady and look at these fancy stairs and a fountain," He said. "What are we looking for Boss?"
"See if there is any sign of people living here and what is running," I said.
They guys were quiet and after a few minutes Matt replied, "Hey boss your hunch is right about this we found a ladder that I am going to guess leads up to the bathroom our guys came into. There is also a store with beds and a few are made up and look slept in."
"Guys come back," I said. I turned to Charles and said, "I need to call George and find out what he knows."
I walked into my office and called George. I was thankful he answered on the first ring, "Beth my dear how are you?"
"George are you in town," I asked.
"No sweet girl I am taking Stella to see the Grandbabies," He said. "Whats going on Beth?"
"George take me off speaker phone," I said.
I heard a click and he said, "Beth I put you on my ear piece, whats going on?"
"I will tell you after I ask you a few questions," I said. "Do you know the history of the land that the conference center was built on?"
"No I was told the property was once a mall but they tore it down and built the event center," He said. "Beth what is going on?"
"George there was a murder in the room we used for the orphanage party," I said. "It happened thrity minutes after the party ended and the kids went home. I have the police here and when we could not find the person who commited the murder, OUR own personal strike team went in to see if they could find anyone. George they never tore the mall down. Santas Village is right over the mall. All the stores are there frozen in time full of merchandise."
"Beth thats not possible I saw the blueprints," He said.
"Wanna see the video the guys are taking when they get back to me?" I said.
"Your not joking," He said. "Shit Beth. Okay let me get my love to the Grandbabies and--"
"George stop," I said. "Stay with the Grandbabies I have this handled here. There is nothing you can do but guess what you have more than you thought you bought."
"Beth are you sure," He asked.
"Yes," I said. "You hired me for a reason and I got this. Now you give your love a hug for me and call me once you settle and I will give you an update."
I hung up the phone and turned to Charles and said, "George had no idea. He said that he saw the blueprints and had no idea that the mall existed. Before you ask could he be lying? No I don't he was shocked and wanted to drop Stella off with the family and come back here. I told him no because there is nothing he can do."
Charles nodded and said, "I am contacting my guy at the county zoning office and going to get the blueprints."
"There is no need," I said.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Because the blueprints are in Georges office and I have the keys. He has been toying with the idea of adding a skating rink inside the village and has been going over places he can put it. Well Now that he has a whole mall under this he can probably add the skating rink and another hotel. He has been toying with the idea of a capsule hotel as well." I said. "Come on lets go to Georges offices."
With the walkie in hand I said, "Matt where you boys at?"
"We are almost there Beth," He said, "Did George shit himself? I bet thats where he is going to put the skating rink and capsule hotel. Beth from what I could see the whole building down there is structurally sound. He is sitting on a ton of square footage that expansion he wants can happy and we found the original doors to the mall. Beth they lead to the wall near the bathrooms on the D wing. I am guessing that wall was built to block the Mall off and D wing and part of C and E wing were built right over it."
As Charles and I walked Charles asked, "Are those floors safe Matt or do we need to get people out?"
"Nah Man those support beams they use are safe and are meant to be built over existing buildings," He said. "You know Sisters of Mercy Church? If you go to the parking structure there was a whole strip mall underneath it. They built the parking garage right over the strip mall that has the church offices and charity store and soup kitchen. Those beams are solid."
Charles gave a sigh of relief. When we got to the office I unlocked it. We walked in and I stopped Charles. I grabbed my gun and put my hand in to put the light on. When the light went on we saw that the office was tossed. I looked at Charles and pointed to the ceiling and said, "Look in the corner they came in through the vent. I was here this morning and this office was pristine."
I walked over to the cabinet that held the blueprints and said, "The blueprints are gone."
Charles said, "We need to get a strike team downstairs. We also need to check the footage and see of we can see anything from the cameras in the hall."
Taking out my phone I said, "I have a hunch. Give me a second."
Dialing Georges number he answered right away, "Whats up Beth?"
"You are not coming home is that clear," I said. "But I need to ask do you have another set of blue prints?"
Beth- Head of security
Max- security Guard
Charles- Local officer
Matt shawn marty-security workers
George- Owner (Stella)
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