Sink or Swim

Chapter 9 - Surprises All Round

Abi blushed as she gave him a huge loving hug, "This is amazing! I can't believe you're here!"

Leanne looked toward Jessica giving her a knowing smile and whispered - "We're not getting any sleep if they're sharing a bedroom!"

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Joanne spent the next few days studying CCTV video footage of the college and leisure centre. She researched social media channels and pieced together pieces of information.

"How's it coming?" Leanne asked, delivering a much needed sandwich and glass of cola to her friend.

"Well, I have found something interesting. Remember my party and the video posted on social media of you and Wesley. I've looked at it so many times and I haven't seen Naomi in any of the scenes. The video is taken at so many different angles she must be in the background someplace but I can't see her. It's really odd. I'm trying to eliminate her from the investigation," she said replaying the video for the hundredth time.

Juliette came in, "Have you found something?" she asked.

Joanne explained the situation and Juliette came up with a solution. "Sometimes the eye cannot see, but we do have access to FRS - Facial Recognition Software - best not ask how we came by it, but we can run the video through the software and see if we can match faces against those in other videos or picture files we have stored."

Juliette sat next to Joanne. "I'll leave you to it and I'll go and find Jess. Call us if you need something or find out anything." Leanne said leaving the experts to their work.

The computer started its analysis of the video as Jo ate her lunch. Juliette was surprised by the result, "Joanne, you're trying to eliminate Naomi from the investigation, well I'm afraid this may have been your actual breakthrough."

Joanne looked puzzled for a moment, then realised what Juliette was suggesting, "Naomi, a suspect? She can't be involved?"

"It's not looking good for her," replied Juliette honestly, "she is not in any of the videos which means she could be the one holding the camera. Do we have CCTV from the Karaoke club?"

"Sure," said Jo pulling her laptop across the desk placing it next to the desktop PC.

Juliette set-up a network share and pulled the video file onto the desktop. She ran the FRS programme again searching the CCTV file for Naomi's image. "Bingo!" Juliette said as the resulting search came back with a result.

In the shadows Naomi was pictured with a mobile phone in her hand. "I'll enhance the picture and see what she is doing." suggested Juliette. "I'm afraid that is our proof - she is positioned videoing the moment Leanne sat across Wesley. Here take a look." Joanne watched the screen in disbelief.

"They social media video was obviously set-up to make out Leanne is lap dancing with him to discredit her in some way. I wonder what else we can find on CCTV at the leisure centre..." Juliette said pulling in files from the day Hugo Wells almost drowned.

They watched back the CCTV as it was scanned. The video showed Naomi videoing the moment Hugo was thrown into the pool as part of the kidnap scenario arranged by Aaron, then another image of her entering the video control room at the time the girls were rescuing him from the pool.

"Naomi is our leak!" Joanne said in shock picking up the phone to call Aaron.

Juliette and Jo called the girls to brief them on what they had discovered and they gathered outside sitting at the daybeds over looking the pool.

"Oh, I guess that explains Naomi and Wesley being together in the doorway when I was jogging." said Leanne "They were working together!"

"Yes it does," agreed Jo, "I checked out her social media and her status is 'In a Relationship' then when I dug deeper I found lots of pictures of her with Wesley. I then cross-referenced his social media - same status - except he has stated 'In a Relationship with Naomi Clark' - so they are connected. I also checked some info from the cinema back home - on several occasions I have found either Naomi or Wesley had booked two tickets to see various movies, when I looked at CCTV using the dates the tickets were booked I found video of them together - and on two occasions the video showed them kissing! They are definitely an item."