“We found Abby Serrat.” Pacini let out a long sigh. “Her body was shoved into a bookshelf. Her face was covered in blood. It was obvious”—Pacini paused a moment—“she was gone. Mr. Serrat fought past the court’s officers to get to his daughter. We had to subdue him until he collapsed from shock.”
Fallon let the image hang there. Sean wasn’t sure how long, but it seemed like forever.
“Nothing further.”
CHAPTER 71
Blake Hellstrom took his time. He stood slowly, buttoned his jacket, and gave Frank Pacini an extended glare. “Deputy Director Pacini, how long have you been in the FBI?”
“Twenty-five years.” If the goal was to downplay Pacini’s role as a federal agent, he wasn’t doing the prosecution any favors. He wore a crisp white shirt, spoke in clipped agent-speak, and sat up straight—he looked every bit the quintessential G-Man.
“And when Mr. Serrat phoned you that night, he called you because of your law enforcement expertise, not because you two were such good friends, right?”
“I’d say a little of both. We were certainly friendly, and our daughters were friends. He didn’t know what to do.”
“You went to his daughter’s apartment in the middle of the night?”
“Correct.”
“And when you got there, what did you find?”
“Someone had broken in. The place had been torn up pretty good.”
“Were you concerned for Ms. Serrat at that point?”
“When Mr. Serrat first called, I thought he might be overreacting. Girls in their twenties sometimes go away for a weekend and don’t tell their parents. But the apartment changed things for me.”
“And you called in some agents?”
“Yes.”
“And you had Abby’s phone tracked?”
“Yes.”
“So, even before you ever got to my client’s home you were acting like an agent, isn’t that right, Deputy Director?”
“I already said, I went as a friend.”
“Is it typical when you go on a social visit with friends to call for backup?”
A titter from the gallery. A glare from the judge. Hellstrom didn’t wait for a response. “When you arrived at my client’s home did you tell him you were with the FBI?”
“I don’t remember, maybe.”
“So, you’ve called in your men and had them processing Ms. Serrat’s apartment like a crime scene, you had the government trace her phone, yet when you arrived at Mr. Montgomery’s home for the search you somehow didn’t have your government hat on? Is that your position?”
Fallon started to stand, but the judge darted her a look.
Pacini didn’t flinch. “I’m not a lawyer. But I’m telling you what was in my mind, and I was there as a friend. And it wouldn’t have mattered either way, since your client gave us clear consent for the search.”
“Says you, Deputy Director, says you.”
No reaction from Pacini.
“Tell me, did the FBI ever connect my client to the break-in at Ms. Serrat’s home?”
“No.”
“Has the FBI looked for any suspects in Ms. Serrat’s murder other than Malik?”
Sean and Emily leaned in at this, but Fallon stood ready to object.
Before Fallon got out a word, Judge Chin said, “Not the time or place, Mr. Hellstrom, move on.”
“About the phone that was found in Mr. Montgomery’s home,” Hellstrom said. “Are you aware that all the data was wiped from the phone?”
“Yes.”
“Wouldn’t it require some computer expertise to wipe a phone that way?”
“I’m not assigned to the investigation, but, based on my general understanding, I assume it would require some experience with software. But that’s hardly uncommon with the younger generation, and the Internet has instructions available.”
Hellstrom paused. He seemed to be debating whether to ask his next question. “You say you gave Mr. Montgomery his Miranda rights before speaking to him, is that right?”
“Yes, I did. I distinctly remember because he was insulted by it.”
“It’s routine to have suspects sign a Miranda waiver before questioning them, isn’t it? The FBI even uses a standardized form, right?”
“This wasn’t a planned interview, and I—”
“It’s routine to have a form signed before an interview, correct?”
“Yes.”
“And there’s no signed form here, correct?”
“That’s right, but as I said—”
“You mentioned the camera footage at the Supreme Court,” Hellstrom interrupted.
“Yes.”
“It showed Malik entering the building?”
“Yes.”
“What did it show after he entered the building?”
Pacini paused. He looked at Hellstrom and said, “It didn’t show anything. The rest of the footage went blank.”
“Blank? What do you mean?”