An Unladylike Murder, page 20
part #1 of Jessica Sloan Mystery Series
“Did you notice anything strange?”
“No.”
“Did you notice a woman with black hair wearing sunglasses?”
“Sunglasses? That I would have remembered. No, I guess not.”
“Then what happened?”
“The lights flashed letting us know the play was about to start.”
This is like pulling teeth out of a dead horse.
“And when did the guards come back?”
“One of them came back just after the play resumed. He sat next to me and whispered in my ear.”
Jessica took a deep breath. “And what exactly did he say?”
“He told me that Jill was dead and that I should stay in my seat. And he said he’d already called 911.”
“Then what happened?”
“He left.”
“Where did he go?”
“I assumed he went to be with Jill and guard her body until the police arrived.”
I need to butter him up.
“What is your professional opinion of how the guards acted that night?”
Dale relaxed. “They were kind of stiff. But both of them are muscle bound weight lifters after all. You never get much acting ability or finesse from guys like them.”
“Thank you for coming in, Dale.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes, have a great rest of the day.”
Dale left.
After grabbing coffees, Cutter and Sloan headed back to the murder room.
Jessica said, “I think Dale was telling us all that he remembers.”
“I agree with you. I think we can cross him off the list of suspects. The only two things guaranteed in life are death and useless witnesses… As for the Lopez brothers, he didn’t say anything to throw doubt on them.”
“Or take it away either… If you don’t mind I’m going to dig into iPoirot and see if I can find anything else that’s interesting.”
“Go right ahead. I’m going to talk to Garcia.”
Cutter found Garcia in the murder room. “The actor wasn’t exactly helpful.”
“What were you expecting?”
“I was hoping he’d make some interesting comment or provide some insight on the guards.”
Garcia sat back in his chair. “Have you had any luck finding a new love interest? They have a hot new waitress over at the Deuces.”
“No, and I’m not interested. But, I’m not actively looking either. I’m a simple man. Feed me, and screw me daily. Keep my place clean, and I’ll take you out to McDonalds once in a while. I don’t understand why women don’t understand or like me.”
“Ha, ha. That’s why you’re divorced my friend… How do you find working with the rookie?”
“It’s working out. The only real negative is that she loves to talk.”
“Most broads do.”
“While I get to lead the investigation and shake out suspects to figure out who to talk to next, Jessica is good at reading their body language. And being a millennial, she knows where to search in the social media jungle for who they are and who they’re connected to.”
“Have you explained to her that body language can be faked and therefore isn’t reliable?”
“Not yet.”
Chapter 52
When Cutter returned from talking to Garcia, he told Sloan, “Nothing gets me going like conducting a warrant search. I’ve got them for the Lopez brother’s residence and place of business. Let’s hit the road.”
According to a map program, the Lopez brother’s Security Protection business was headquartered not far away on the southern edge of San Jose.
On the drive, Jessica wanted to test her partner. “I think you did well handling that reporter yesterday.”
Cutter grinned. “You did as well.”
“Last night I was reading an article about the history of San Francisco. It was about how San Francisco has been at the forefront of change for the past sixty years or so. One of the examples they gave was the Summer of Love in the seventies…”
“Sure. Back in Brown’s era, they had social change with the hippie movement and demonstrations over being drafted to go to Vietnam.”
“So how have you handled all the changes you’ve been through?”
“I hate change. Change is a pain in my ass. And I know what you’re doing.”
“What’s that?”
“While you may think of me as, what did you imply I was, a Luddite? It makes sense to me that being in the cradle of the greatest tech companies in the world, that we’d use all that we can for the benefit of our two thousand officers.”
“Sounds to me like you’ve been practicing that reply next time you talk to Brown.”
Cutter grinned again.
“Have you always been a Homicide Detective, Cutter?”
“No. I’ve also tried working in sex crimes, burglary and drugs.”
“Which one was the hardest?”
“Sex crimes tends to burn you out more than homicide or burglary. It sucks the life out of you emotionally and its psychologically taxing. On the other hand, drug cases are the most fun. It involves a lot of sitting and waiting for something to happen. Once it does, you get an adrenalin rush with firing your weapon and seizing the drugs. The map says to turn left at the next street.”
The Lopez location turned out to not be an actual office at all.
There were only two vehicles parked out front.
It was a rent-an-office with a single secretary. She acted as the telephone receptionist for multiple businesses.
Other than the tiny lobby, and a combination of coffee nook and photocopier/printer room there were three meeting rooms and seven small vacant offices, which could be rented by the day as required.
Cutter had been in a hybrid services office before. “Good morning. I’m Detective John Cutter. Is the owner of this business on the premises?”
The receptionist gave them her patented welcome smile and left her desk.
Two minutes later, she returned with the owner who turned out to be a slim and attractive woman. Cutter guessed she was of Filipino descent. She stood next to the receptionist.
No one else could be seen or heard in the facility.
“I’m Detective John Cutter of the San Francisco Police Department.”
“I’m Detective Jessica Sloan. We would like to talk to you about Ben and Carl Lopez. We believe they run a Security Protection firm from this location. Is that correct?”
“Why, yes, they do.”
“How long have they had their offices located in your facility?”
“It’s been close to three years.”
“Do they come into your offices often?”
The owner looked at her receptionist who answered. “No. Like several of our clients, we rarely see them.”
“How often do they meet with clients here?”
“Never, that I can recall. The only time Ben comes in is to collect their important mail, which isn’t very often.”
“When was the last time either of them was in here?”
The receptionist checked on her computer. “That would have been sixty two days ago. A courier dropped off an envelope for them.”
“Who was it from?”
“We don’t track that.”
“How do you contact them to let him know you have something for them?”
“I text them on Ben’s cell phone.”
“When was the last time you texted him, or saw him, or Carl?”
The receptionist checked her client log in her desktop computer. “It was Tuesday morning. Ben told me that he and Carl had an out of state contract that might take several months. He asked me to hold all mail until he returned.”
“Can you still text him?”
“He asked me not to. He said his phone wouldn’t work where he was going.”
Cutter and Jessica glanced at each other.
“We have a warrant for all of their mail, documents and any other materials or possessions. The warrant also includes all communication logs relating to them that you may have.”
“I can print out the logs in a few minutes. As to mail or documents, we don’t currently have any for them.”
Chapter 53
With the Lopez brother’s communication logs in hand, Cutter and Jessica next headed to the bodyguard’s residence.
The brothers shared the rent on a single story older home. It appeared to be at least fifty years old and was in an immigrant neighborhood.
As they drove by, they saw several men who looked to be drug dealers.
“If anyone drove in here by mistake, if they had any sense, they’d get the hell out as fast as they could.”
“Let’s get this over with.”
They left the front seats and walked around to the trunk where they pulled out their protective vests.
They were suddenly thirty pounds heavier.
As they left the Taurus, Jessica made eye contact with a next-door neighbor who was sitting on his porch.
He looked like a roadmap of bad decisions with a shotgun resting on his lap.
Behind him were two other tattooed homies with visible handguns.
There’s nothing creepier than a bunch of gang bangers quietly eyeing you.
Sloan knocked on the door to the Lopez home.
No one answered.
She tried the door handle to find it was locked.
Cutter had a warrant to search the premises. “I’ve got this.”
He proceeded to pick the lock.
They drew their weapons, entered and proceeded to clear the home.
They proceeded slowly. They checked everywhere. They looked under beds, in closets, the empty garage and the dusty attic.
Except for some mice droppings, it was empty.
It was a two-bedroom home and each bedroom had a queen-sized bed.
The kitchen had a small breakfast table with four outdoor plastic chairs.
Instead of a dining room table, that space had a bench press, loaded barbell, curling bar and several hundred pounds of free weights.
It looked to Cutter that roughly half to three quarters of their clothes were missing. “If the Lopez brothers had suitcases, they filled and took them.”
Sloan said, “Given their neighbors, I doubt very much that they have no gang affiliations.”
Cutter considered Sloan’s statement. “It’s not unusual for illegal aliens to use different names. So, my bet is that you’re right.”
The pantry held several now empty health food supplement containers that promised muscle growth. “They most likely dumped the contents into plastic bags and took them with them.”
They couldn’t find any computers or hard drives.
They already knew who the internet provider was.
After serving the provider with a warrant they knew the account was current and had been pre-paid for the next six months.
A sweep of the home and the property yielded no garbage bags inside or out. “Someone has really cleaned up. But I’m going to call in a forensics team to see who else may have been in here.”
“Good idea, but warn the forensic team to bring patrol backups to stand guard. Now why don’t we get out of here?”
“The warrant includes a tap on both of their cell phones. If they use them, we’ll know about it.”
“They won’t. They’ve been tossed and they probably have burners by now.” Sloan said, “We also now know why Ben didn’t appear to work with our sketch artist. What’s our next step?”
“We focus on the people we now know were involved.”
“Do you think we should talk to the neighbors to see if they know where they went?”
Cutter laughed.
“I’m going to phone their landlord.”
Ten minutes later, Sloan put down her phone and turned to her partner. “I just called the landlord. He knows nothing about the Lopez brother’s leaving the house. The brothers left no forwarding information. That smells to me like they’re on the run. They just moved to the top of my list of suspects.”
“Mine, too. But, since we’re down this way, why don’t we find Sonia’s sister and check on her and Sonia’s alibi.”
Chapter 54
Cutter knew that sometimes it was better to drop in unannounced on a witness than calling for an appointment. “It’s easier to hang up than it is to close the door in a detective’s face.”
“Did you notify the Gilroy locals that we are coming to interview someone in their town?”
“I did. It’s just a courtesy. But it also helps the 911 team if someone calls in thinking a fake detective is at their door.”
Sonia Rodriguez and her sister both lived south of San Jose in the town of Gilroy.
As in the East Bay where Sloan lived, the dark green of the ancient oak trees stood out against the golden grassy hills.
Even though they had driven in the carpool lane, it had taken them longer than they hoped it would.
As they entered the town limits, Cutter bent over and adjusted the vent system.
“Why are you closing the outside vents?”
“You’ll find out in a minute. Gilroy’s the garlic capitol of the world. Once we interview Sonia, if we don’t arrest her, we’ll stop and I’ll buy you some garlic ice cream.”
“Yuck. That doesn’t sound very tasty.”
“If you like garlic it’s a treat. Just don’t have one before you go out on a date.”
Or interview anyone.
“It appears to be a big agricultural area.”
“It is. Turn right on the next street.”
Two minutes later, they pulled off the road onto a dirt strip in front of a decaying farmhouse that was surrounded by sagging chain link fencing.
Jessica asked, “Are you lost, Cutter?”
“No, I’m just exploring… According to the directions, we should be close.”
“Let me look up the address on my Map program.”
As soon as Sloan typed it in, she said, “I think we’re here.”
The driveway that ended beside the house was your basic dirt with ruts. The weeds that clung next to the house were over a foot tall.
Two chickens looked at them and clucked a warning to stay away.
Cutter looked at the house and yard. “I’ll bet these people are illegals.”
Sloan needed her partner to feel some empathy. “They’re here trying to make a better life for their families. They’ve probably spent their life listening for the wolf or immigration officials at the door.”
“Are you saying you don’t want to do this, or what?”
“Never mind. Let’s do this.”
The house appeared to be empty.
Then a curtain moved.
Cutter said, “Someone’s home, let’s go.”
They walked the last steps to the faded blue door and knocked.
The door opened slowly.
It stopped at about three inches.
John spoke into the void. “I’m Detective John Cutter and this is Detective Jessica Sloan. Are you Sonia Rodriguez’s sister?”
“Si.”
“May we come in, we need to talk to you.”
“No hablo inglés.”
Sloan replied. “No hay problema, hablo español.”
The hidden woman opened the door onto a dim space.
Jessica entered first with her right hand on her handgun.
Standing side by side was a poor Mexican couple. The woman wore a small flower print dress that looked like it had come from Goodwill. The husband was wearing a long sleeved shirt and well-worn jeans.
They aren’t the designer kind.
Sloan guessed they were in their early fifties. “What are your names?”
“My wife’s name is Juanita and I’m Hector Sanchez.”
Sloan looked the woman. “Do you speak English, Juanita?”
“Un poco, er, a little.”
I thought so.
“Do you see your sister, Sonia, very often?”
Juanita’s eyes went to her husband then bounced to another door, as if she were seeking an escape route. “Si.”
“When was the last time you saw her?”
“Why, was she in an accident?” Juanita faked a gasp and held both hands up to her chest.
“No. No. She is fine. We just need to know when you saw her last.”
“Uh, Thursday night.” Juanita scratched an itch on her cheek.
That was after Sonia came in to the station for her interview.
“What about a week ago, Monday? Did you see her then?”
“Si.” She turned to her husband, then back to Jessica. “She was here for dinner last Monday evening.”
“What time was that?”
“Hector drove to pick her up and she came early, around five or so. We made dinner together and Hector drove her home just after ten.”
“Are you sure of those times?”
“Si.”
“It must be nice to have your sister so close by.”
“Si.”
“Do you have any other relatives nearby as well?”
Hector spoke up. “I’m sorry to be rude but we are late leaving for a medical appointment for my wife. Can you leave now? We must go.”
Sloan and Cutter looked at each other.
Jessica said, “Yes. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Cutter opened the door.
As they made their way to the car, they were careful not to let the chickens escape.
Chapter 55
Jessica drove away. “Juanita was lying about having her sister over last Monday.”
“I agree with you.”
“Women are usually better at lying than she was. Even though Juanita and Hector must have rehearsed the times Sonia was over, they were still too nervous. They sure made a point of telling us that Hector picked her up at five and drove her home at ten. It all sounded too contrived.”
“So, ya think she’s involved.”
“Exactly. It’s too bad we don’t have CCTV cameras out here in the country yet.”
“The way things are going we’ll probably have them, but not for another twenty years or so as we move closer to Big Brother. Say, did ya ever read that 1984 book by Orwell?”
“Sure.”
