At 3:22 a.m., a young woman walked out the open door, disappeared briefly from the frame, and returned with a wheeled trash bin. Someone who couldnt quite be seen tossed several bags of trash in the bin. Jamil froze the frame, then pulled cropped images of the persons sleeves and shoes over to another monitor. He then pulled images of the sleeves and shoes Nancy Salter wore at the main entrance when Buster Catalano was kicked out. They matched exactly.

So thats her then? Jessie said, verbalizing the obvious.

It would seem so. She drops in additional trash bags at three twenty-six and three thirty-two.

Okay, Jamil, Jessie said. Why dont you pull up the timeline I know youve created and are dying to show me?

Jamil smiled at her, then pushed a button. A timeline appeared on the screen. It was titled Millicent Estrada window of death and read: 3:00 to 3:50 a.m. He hit another button and a new timeline appeared below the first. It was titled Nancy Salter time accounted for. It read: 2:57 a.m. to 3:06 a.m. and 3:13 a.m.to 3:32 a.m.

So, Jessie concluded, while it was technically possible for Nancy Salter to have killed Milly, she would have had an extremely tight window and she would have had to go from the far end of one wing of the estate to the opposite end of another wing. Is that what youre telling me?

Thats what Im telling you, Jamil confirmed.

Jessie sighed. Her suspicion of Salter wasnt completely disproven but it was looking like one of her most promising suspects almost certainly had to be removed from the list.

Okay, she said. What other bad news have you got for me?

I actually have one bit of good news I can toss in to shake things up.

Please, Jessie replied. Ill take what I can get.

You asked me to check on the security footage from Beto Estradas house and let you know if I found anything unusual. I did. All the cameras cut out from nine fourteen a.m. to ten twenty-two a.m. For over an hour, it was just static. Then they magically turned on again.

He was looking at her hopefully, as if he might have brightened her day with news that actually confirmed her concerns about Estradas house being tapped. She didnt have the heart to burst his bubble.

Great job, Jamil, she told him reassuringly. Now you can go back to the bad news.

Jamil looked over cautiously at Karen, who shrugged.

Just tell her, she said. Remember, were in Band-Aid ripping mode here.

Jamil still seemed wary, but gulped and went for it anyway.

You know those other big names you wanted me to check into, the senator, the actor, and the sultan?

Yeah, Jessie replied.

It looks like you may have to cross them off the list too.

Why is that?