Amy closed the door to the small interview room and drew the blinds. She placed a recorder on the table and her little scribble pad. Emma sat opposite her. She looked nervous, which was obvious given the situation.
"Take your time," Amy said softly. "Whatever you're comfortable sharing, we'll start there."
Emma nodded, exhaling slowly. "Two days ago, I got an email from an unknown address. No message, no signature, just attachments. Photos and a link." Her voice trembled slightly. "They were… private photos. Of me. In my hotel bathroom."
Amy kept her tone calm. "You're saying someone recorded you without your knowledge?"
"Yes," Emma said. "I was alone. The files were clearly taken from inside the bathroom, probably through the vent or mirror. The angles... they're not something anyone could've taken without setting up multiple cameras."
Amy wrote a quick note. "Did they make any demands? Money, favors, anything?"
Emma shook her head. "Nothing. I thought maybe it was some kind of ransom thing, so I waited. But there's been nothing so far." She looked up, her eyes filled with exhaustion. "I couldn't just sit around anymore. If those pictures ever get out…"
Amy nodded sympathetically. "You did the right thing by coming here. We can handle this quietly and carefully."
Emma hesitated, her voice dropping lower. "That's the thing. I need this to stay quiet. If word gets out that someone hacked me or planted cameras, the media will twist it. It'll be headlines for weeks, and this could ruin me and my movie promotion."
Amy leaned forward, lowering her voice as well. "We can classify it as a sensitive investigation. I'll make sure it doesn't leak internally."
"Thank you," Emma said softly, relief flickering in her expression. "I feel so lost, I don't know what to do. Please help me."
Amy offered a small, reassuring smile. "We'll do our best to catch this person, and we'll handle this carefully and professionally."
Emma nodded. "I appreciate that. I just… I can't go through a public disaster right now."
Amy took a breath, her mind already running through procedures. "We'll need access to the email and the files you received. We'll run metadata, trace IPs, and check for signs of remote access on your devices. Has anyone else seen the material?"
"No. Just me."
Amy stood up and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Then let's keep it that way. I'll loop in the captain and assign a small team. We'll treat this as a privacy breach and possible blackmail attempt, even if no ransom has been made."
Emma gave a quiet, grateful nod. "Thank you, Detective Santiago."
Amy smiled. "Call me Amy. And don't worry, Emma. We'll find out who did this before they get another chance."
---
[30 minutes later] [Hotel BlueStar]
Amy put the cyber team to work. Then she took Charles, a couple of scanners, and together they went to Emma's hotel.
Emma unlocked the door to her suite. The lights flicked on, revealing a spotless, luxury hotel room that suddenly felt a lot less welcoming.
Amy entered first, pulling on gloves. "Alright, let's start."
Boyle followed, carrying two black cases. "Operation Privacy Preservation is officially underway!" he announced proudly, opening one of the cases to reveal a collection of gadgets and detectors.
Amy gave him a look. "Please don't name the operation, Boyle."
"Too late," Boyle said cheerfully, switching on a handheld scanner that beeped softly. "And don't worry, Amy. This baby can sniff out even the tiniest bug or hidden lens. I once found a hidden camera inside a cat figurine at a bed and breakfast in Poughkeepsie."
Amy blinked. "Why were you in Poughkeepsie?"
"Long story. Involves pickles, a mystery novel convention, and a misunderstanding about a shared bathroom."
Emma looked mildly horrified. "Right…"
They got to work. The detectors hummed as they moved around the room. Amy methodically scanned the walls, lamps, and smoke detectors, while Boyle crawled under furniture with a flashlight clenched in his teeth.
After a few minutes, the first loud beep sounded.
"Got one," Amy said, pointing at the corner of the bookshelf. A small black dot was tucked behind the molding. She took a photo and carefully removed it with tweezers.
"Make that two," Boyle said, popping up from under the desk. He held up a second tiny lens. "This one was disguised as a screw."
Emma stood near the door, arms crossed tightly, watching as they continued. Her nervousness grew with every beep.
Within twenty minutes, they had a grim total.
Amy placed six miniature cameras in a line on the table. "Six hidden cameras. Four in the main room, two in the bathroom."
Emma's voice shook. "Someone put those in while I was staying here."
Boyle frowned as he checked the door lock. "There's no damage to the locks, no forced entry. Which means whoever did this had a key." He stood up, looking suddenly serious. "And in a hotel like this, who has spare keys?"
Amy replied. "Hotel staff, housekeeping, maintenance, management. Could be anyone." She turned toward Emma. "Did anyone come in to clean or repair something in the past few days?"
Emma thought for a second. "Just normal cleaning. There was a new housekeeper on Tuesday. She said she was filling in for someone sick. I didn't think anything of it."
Amy took out her notepad and wrote it down. "We'll get the staff roster and see who worked that day."
Boyle nodded. "And check if that person actually works here."
Emma looked at the row of cameras again, her voice quiet. "They were watching me for days, weren't they?"
Amy softened her tone. "We'll find out exactly when they were placed. The cyber team will pull data from the devices and the email you got. These cameras usually store files locally before they're uploaded. If we're lucky, there's a trail."
Boyle pointed to one of the lenses. "Also, these are high-end. Not cheap spy gadgets. Someone either had money or access to professional surveillance gear."
Amy stood, pacing slightly. "That narrows it down. Let's bag these for forensics. Charles, get the manager. Keep it quiet."
Boyle nodded, "On it."
Amy looked at Emma, "I think you should find some other place for the time being. This place isn't safe anymore."
"Yeah, I've already called a friend. I'll be staying with her for now," Emma replied.
"That's good. Well, I'll do some questioning and all, and I'll let you know as soon as possible," Amy said as she put the notepad into her pocket.
"Thank you," Emma said with a little nod.
...
[A few minutes later]
Amy waited in the hotel's lobby with her notepad in hand, trying not to roll her eyes at how fancy everything was. The gold accents, the soft music, the smell of overpriced lavender diffusers—it all screamed "expensive trouble."
A nervous-looking man in a navy suit hurried over. His nametag read Carl – Manager. His smile was wide, strained, and about as genuine as a fake ID.
"Detective Santiago, right? I'm Carl. You said there was… an issue?"
Amy gave him a polite but firm nod. "That's putting it mildly. We found six hidden cameras in one of your rooms."
Carl's smile froze. "Cameras? That's… impossible. We have the highest security standards here. Maybe your team was mistaken?"
Boyle appeared beside Amy, holding a clear evidence bag filled with the miniature lenses. "You mean these cameras? Because unless they sprouted legs and crawled into the vents on their own, someone in your staff installed them."
Carl's face went pale. "Oh dear Lord."
Amy placed her notebook on the counter. "We need a list of all employees with access to that suite, plus surveillance footage for the past week."
Carl straightened up, trying to recover his composure. "Detective, I'd love to help, truly, but our guests' privacy is sacred. I can't just hand over internal security data without a warrant."
Amy crossed her arms. "Privacy? A woman was secretly filmed in your hotel. Privacy left the building about six hidden cameras ago."
Carl adjusted his tie nervously. "Still, I have policies to follow."
Boyle leaned casually on the counter, his tone suddenly way too cheerful. "Totally get it. You have rules. We respect rules. That's why we'll go get a warrant."
Carl blinked.
"Yep," Boyle continued, grinning. "A full search warrant. For the entire hotel. Every floor. Every room. We'll need to seal off the property during the investigation. It's going to be a real media circus. Cameras everywhere. Oh wait, you already have those."
Amy shot him a look but didn't stop him. He was on a roll.
Boyle nodded seriously. "And once the press hears about this, they'll come running. The words 'hidden camera scandal' will be trending faster than a raccoon in a buffet line."
Carl swallowed hard. "Wait… wait. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
Amy leaned in, lowering her voice. "Then help us now. If you cooperate, this stays internal, and you'll get enough time for damage control because either way, there could be other cameras hidden in here, so there will be a proper investigation. Otherwise, we'll be back with a warrant within 24 hours, and you'll be explaining yourself to half of Brooklyn—and possibly the FBI."
Carl looked from Amy's serious face to Boyle's unsettlingly eager grin. He wilted like an overwatered plant. "Alright. Fine. I'll get you the list. And the security footage."
Amy nodded briskly. "Good call, Carl."
Boyle clapped him on the shoulder a little too enthusiastically. "See? That wasn't so hard. You chose the path of cooperation instead of the road to public humiliation. My therapist would be proud."
Carl rubbed his temple. "I'll have the files sent to you within the hour."
Amy smiled tightly. "Right now. We'll be right here."
Carl sighed. "Alright."
As he walked off, Boyle grinned. "Classic Boyle intimidation. Works every time."
Amy gave him a side-eye. "That wasn't intimidation. That was mildly terrifying optimism."
"Same thing," Boyle said proudly.
Amy noticed that Carl was slightly limping as he walked. "Do you think he's involved?"
Boyle made a serious face, "Could be. Directly or indirectly... We'll find out after watching the CCTV footage."
---
[POWERSTONES AND REVIEWS PLS]
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[24 advance chs] [No double billing.]
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