*
By noon, Carl was still stroking his beard with one hand, and using his mouse to scroll slowly down the computer page with the other. "She didn't have a chance in that car." He printed two copies of the crash photo the Connellys' attorney presented in court, and handed one to Michael. "The police report says the car rolled three times before it hit the bottom of the ravine." He dug in his briefcase for a small magnifying glass.
"Her face is pretty messed up," said Michael. "Compared to the age progression picture, I really can't be sure if it is or it isn't Georgia."
"Wouldn't you say the hairlines are different, though?" Carl asked.
Michael lifted his glasses, rubbed his tired eyes for a moment, and then looked at the picture again. "Maybe…maybe a little. It's too hard to tell."
"What does the PI's report say?" Jackie asked.
"Nothing Austin didn't tell us," Carl answered. He moved his magnifying glass slowly down the right-hand side of the photo. "There it is - the purse."
"I see it," Michael said.
"Any other purses at the crash site?" Jackie asked.
"I'm still looking," Carl answered. "Nope, I don't see anything. Of course, we can't see in the car, but the police would have reported it, if more identification was found."
"Good point," said Michael.
"It couldn't have been very hard for a PI to find this information. A phone call to Scotland Yard would have worked well enough, especially since Mathew knew where to look. I wonder how much the Connellys paid their PI." Carl asked.
Michael rolled his eyes. "Mathew probably charged it to Nick."
Jackie laughed, "You're probably right. Michael, haven't you hacked into the boarding school records yet?"
"Jackie, it's a very sophisticated computer system…an expensive one that hasn't been on the market for very long," Michael answered. "I'm surprised a boarding school can afford it."
"I wonder what a boarding school charges for hiding a child," Carl mumbled.
Michael yawned, and reached for his cold cup of coffee. "We're about to find out, hopefully." He took a sip and nearly spit it out. "Yuck, time for a fresh pot."
*
When she got back to work, Maggie was so excited; she couldn't wait for her afternoon break. As soon as Jim walked past, she followed him upstairs. "I think I'm in love."
"Really? With who? Not one of these clowns, I hope," he said, walking into the break room and sitting at a table. This time, Nicole and Susan sat in the corner of the room having what appeared to be an intense conversation. As soon as Maggie and Jim came in, Nicole and Susan got up and left.