An Unladylike Murder, page 29
part #1 of Jessica Sloan Mystery Series
Sloan said, “I don’t see it as a balancing act. Do you?”
“No, I work because I feel like I’m making a difference. If I was stuck in a dead end job with no future, then I might dream about finding something more interesting.”
Jessica looked down at the table. “Right now I feel the same way. If I get married and have children, I’m pretty sure that’ll have to change.”
She was pleasantly surprised when Logan said, “I agree with you.”
“So how do you know my sister’s fiancé, Brad?”
Logan grinned. “Now that’s a long story.”
“Why not give me the short version.”
“Brad worked at a startup that I helped to found.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what was the startup called?”
“Uh, Reid Security Technologies, Inc.”
Jessica recalled hearing how Reid Security was acquired by another cyber security company for several billion dollars.
“And you were the founder?”
“I was one of three founders.”
“And now you work in Forensics for the SFPD? Why’s that? Why aren’t you living on the beach somewhere?”
“The way I look at it, I can take a vacation on the beach anytime I want. I’m not interested in that right now. With artificial intelligence maturing so fast, the world is far too interesting for me right now. It’s going to change everything. And in case your next question is does the SFPD know who I am, the answer is yes, they do. I told them that I wanted to understand where the problems and bottlenecks were in the Forensics department so that I might be able to evaluate new technologies that are in the pipeline and perhaps if I’m lucky, invent one or two things to help speed their processes up. If I’m successful doing that, I’ve agreed to give them a percentage of my next company.”
“That’s generous of you. What kind of problems are you trying to fix?”
“Processing crime scene evidence. It’s cumbersome, frustrating, and time-consuming today. What if Forensics didn’t have to transport all the evidence collected, downtown to the lab before they can even start to process it? What if it, most of it, could be done in a mobile lab right at the crime scene? Think of how much time could be saved. Think of how much faster detectives could get critical information such as DNA results and fingerprints identified. It would be in minutes or hours instead of days or weeks. You could leave the crime scene with a much better idea of who your prime suspects were.”
“Wow, that would be a game changer.”
“It also goes for getting information from the Medical Examiner. What if an ME didn’t have to waste time going to a crime scene, then going back to his facility to do tests and perform the autopsy?”
“They could do the autopsy on the spot?”
“Why not? Autopsies are best if performed within 24 hours of death, before organs can deteriorate.”
“But don’t they take a long time to perform?”
“Most only take one to two hours.”
Sloan was impressed. “That could mean that a detective could leave the crime scene knowing the cause of death. That would be huge. What about tox screens?”
“Toxicology testing could also be sped up. I’ll look at that later. But what if artificial intelligence could guide both the Forensic team and Medical Examiner on what to look for, and which steps should be taken next? Think how much faster you could catch criminals if you knew the identity of the victim, the cause of death, the identity of other crime scene items such as fingerprints and biologics within a couple of hours of arriving on the crime scene.”
O.M.G. Logan!
Jessica’s eyes widened as Logan shared his ideas. “That would mean that criminals wouldn’t have such a big time advantage. If we had iPoirot and the tools you’re describing we could catch more and catch them faster.”
“Exactly.”
Jessica was hyped. “Is what you’re saying a pipe dream or is it possible in the near term?”
“The main roadblocks to what I’m describing are money for developing and creating the labs and the inertia of resistance to new ways of thinking. The SFPD is open and I’m willing to use some of my funds to speed things along. I also have a few VCs who invested in my last venture wanting to invest in this one, once I move it along a little bit more.”
“Now, that would be using technology to speed things up, that’s for sure. It all makes perfect sense. I can see why you’re so excited by what you’re doing.”
“Anything else you’d like to know?” Logan raised his eyebrows.
Jessica bent forward and half whispered. “I feel bad for asking you this, but is Brad a good guy?”
“How do you mean?” His eyebrows rose.
“Well since Brad wants to marry my sister, I’m wondering if he’s a decent guy or flaky, hard worker or slacker, smart or dumb, and anything else you can tell me about him.”
“Yes, I’d say he’s a smart, hardworking and decent fellow. More than that, I can’t say, because I really don’t know him that well.”
Logan looked into her whiskey colored eyes. “Is it my turn to ask a question?”
“Sure.”
“I’ve met your sister Brooklyn a couple of times but you two don’t strike me as being too similar. Although you might look a little alike, the fact is that your personalities almost seem opposite to each other.”
“How do you mean?”
“Brooklyn’s always on Facebook and Instagram. Her priorities seem to be having fun, getting married and having children. You seem to be focused on your career.”
“I try not to compare myself to my sister. In this age of social media, it’s tempting to beat yourself up if your friends are getting married, having kids, and living a life of luxury and you’re not. Brook and I live our own lives. The only thing you're going to do is hurt yourself if you try to do what others are doing.”
“OMG, Jess. I completely agree with you.”
“Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Sure, what do you want to know?”
“The reason I ask is because most guys I meet usually lose interest as soon as they find out that I’m a cop.”
“I think cops are special people who are called upon to do the unnatural. You run towards danger, not away from it… So yes, I’m attracted to you.”
Jessica blushed. “Thank you.”
I need to change the topic.
“Since you’re into Artificial Intelligence, in simple terms, how does it work today?”
“Using sophisticated algorithms and the right data in enormous quantities, it’s possible to make increasingly accurate predictions.”
“What do you think Logan? Could machine learning and algorithms actually help make the criminal justice system faster and fairer?”
“There are many issues involved and people smarter than I am who are weighing those issues.”
“What issues?”
“Well, for one thing, at the moment AI is still not better overall than humans are. However, in a few years, who knows how good AI may be. If I’m successful in what I’m trying to build and AI gets even better, that’s what excites me.”
“Give me a real world example. How is AI not better than humans today?”
“An even bigger question to ask is if AI is any worse than our current system where human judgment is influenced by a multitude of factors ranging from mood, to the weather, to time of day or fluctuations in attention due to domestic issues. Inevitably, this results in people in positions of authority making different judgments at different times, even when faced with identical scenarios. In other words, there is a lack of consistency.”
“Then what do you think of the iPoirot system?”
“How do you mean?”
“If it’s successful, what will happen next? Will they start replacing cops with robots?”
“They’ve already tested that.”
“Huh?”
“Startups have been trying to marry the police and a total surveillance society for several years now. They’ve even tried using Robocops as threat assessment and surveillance collection devices in several places around the world.”
“Such as?”
“Dubai for one. There was even one attempt here in San Francisco.”
“I’ve never heard about it. Were these robots driven by AI?”
“Yes. They recorded everything they saw and heard back to a central computer for analysis. The vision was that once they became commonplace, they would start replacing expensive real cops.”
Jessica was clearly surprised. “So, what’s going to happen to detectives like me, in say ten years?”
Logan smirked. “By then they’ll probably have married self-driving cars and iPoirot to create robots that can do most of what cops and detectives do today.”
“We’ve all seen the Robocop and Terminator movies where the robots take over and try to kill everyone. Doesn’t that scare you just a little?”
“It does make me pause, but I think it’s better to be part of the future than trying to fight it. Think of it this way. A hundred years ago, the first automobiles started replacing the horse and buggy as transportation. Horses are still around but the automobile has taken over. If you had fought the change you’d have disappeared.” Logan looked into Jessica’s eyes. “Technology can make our lives better, or worse. It all depends on how it affects you personally and how you adapt to the new reality.”
Jessica thought of Cutter. “Some people hate even a little change.”
“They’re the ones who protest and lose out. The ones that embrace change, embrace the disruption, like us, will win every time.”
I sure hope so.
Chapter 93
On Wednesday, Brooklyn decided to try to take her sister’s mind off the Jill Gillberry case, iPoirot and the pending lawsuit.
“I have a few personal days saved up, why don’t we drive up to Napa for a day of wine tasting. We’ll both relax and have some fun.”
“Are you thinking of bringing Brad?”
“No way, I said that we both need to relax and have fun.”
After their fourth winery tasting Jessica said, “Why don’t we see if we can find a room so we can spend the night?”
“Sounds perfect to me.”
They ended up checking into a Napa hotel that had an in-house spa. They shared a bottle of a Rutherford Cabernet over dinner then went to the spa where they enjoyed hot lava rock massages that turned them into jelly.
Jessica slept soundly and didn’t dream of work.
On Thursday they drove home after a leisurely breakfast.
In the afternoon Jessica worked out at a nearby gym in Danville then went for a short bike ride through downtown Livermore and back.
She was exhausted but all the exercise had cleared her mind.
I’m ready for whatever happens.
Since John couldn’t afford cable television, he’d rented three older movies at a Redbox outside his pharmacy. Watching them, Cutter had gone through a bottle of cheap whiskey then sobered up. He’d washed and waxed his Mustang then cleaned the worst of the mess inside his apartment.
Chapter 94
Friday
Jessica Sloan and John Cutter had taken their time off. They came back to the SFPD Homicide Division’s Squad Room unsure of what to expect.
Brown’s clock was still on the wall but it held less meaning for either of them.
Sloan wanted to know about iPoirot’s status and the lawsuit.
I need to ask Cutter how to find an affordable lawyer to defend me.
Carrying in a box of twelve donuts and one red apple, Cutter was ready for his next case. He placed the donuts on Garcia’s desk, as Lee wasn’t visible and he wanted to let Garcia and Lee get first dibs.
He placed the apple on top of Sloan’s desk in front of her.
Jessica nodded at him. “I’m glad to see that I’m having such a positive influence on you.”
“Did you feel that quake this morning? It woke me up and when I tried to get out of bed, I fell back onto it.”
“Yes, we felt it over it the East Bay as well. But no, we didn’t get the same amount of shaking. Anything break in your apartment?”
“Unfortunately, not.”
Garcia overheard them. “I’m sure everyone in the city felt it. Living in the Bay area means that we all live on one of the fault lines. On my car radio, I heard a scientist say once again that we’re overdue for the big one. It’s not if it will happen, but when.”
Sloan was still feeling unwound after her time off. “Even with the earthquakes, the homeless, and some people resisting change, the Bay Area is still the best place in the world to live.”
Garcia had finished his doughnut and was licking his fingers. “I have to agree with you.”
The apple caught Jessica’s eye. As she reached for it, she heard Lieutenant Brown’s voice.
“Cutter. Sloan. Garcia. My office. Now.”
Chapter 95
The three detectives entered to find George Lee already inside.
Lieutenant Brown looked pleased. “As I was just telling Lee, I’ve been informed that the powers that be have decided that the city and the SFPD have the right to use iPoirot after all.”
Cutter didn’t understand. “What about the fact that iPoirot hadn’t been approved by the San Francisco Department of Technology?”
With raised eyebrows, Brown said, “It turns out that there is no law saying that they have to approve something before it can be used.”
I’m not going to be sued!
Sloan was enthusiastic. “That’s fantastic. Can I assume that means we can unpack the Gillberry murder case and we can re-arrest the Lopez brothers and the rest of the family?”
“You could, but I’m afraid it’ll be a waste of time at the moment.”
Sloan squinted. “Why?”
“On Tuesday, I had Garcia and Lee start tracking the family. Ben and Carl Lopez along with Sonia and Juan have all returned to Mexico.”
Cutter said, “Since the USA has an extradition treaty with Mexico, it’s just a matter of the Mexican authorities finding them for us, right?”
Brown nodded. “If they can find them, yes. Once they do, then you can collect more information from iPoirot on them and Coyne. Until then, leave the case alone.”
Sloan asked, “What about Coyne?”
“Three nights ago he took a flight to China. He landed in Beijing and we don’t know where he went from there. Garcia called Coyne’s firm and they said he was overseas meeting with investors.”
Cutter said, “So he’s on the run. He’s guilty as hell and he probably has more than enough money to hide out in style for a while. What about Simon Ratner? He must have known that he was bluffing us with the lawsuit threat. Is there anything he can be arrested for?”
“I’m afraid not.”
Sloan wanted to get back to using the system. “Is iPoirot up and working?”
Brown said, “I was told it would be up and running this afternoon. When you get on it, let me know how it’s working. I’m sure you’ll have a new murder case soon enough. This time I’m expecting you to find the murderer quickly.”
Chapter 96
Friday
It was day four of the investigation.
Cutter turned on his television to have some company as he made himself coffee and toast.
“This is Judy Pearcy, I am live on the Embarcadero where protesters have once again shut down the street trying to block people from getting into their offices. As you can see, there are about fifty protesters carrying signs demanding that the technology companies leave San Francisco.”
Please, not before I’ve had my coffee.
John found the remote and changed the channel.
On the new channel, the District Attorney was standing at a dais in front of the San Francisco courthouse. “Silicon Valley has created the greatest amount of wealth ever seen. Since the CEO’s compensation package was tied to the company stock, financial deceit became too much of a temptation. We will prove that the CEO and CFO cooked the books then unloaded their stock before the company's stock price collapsed.”
John turned off the TV.
Sloan, Garcia and Lee were working the phones while they waited for John Cutter, who was unusually late.
When Cutter finally walked in, he was apologetic. “I had to take an Uber into work; car wouldn’t start.”
Garcia smirked. “You mean your old clunker finally gave up the ghost.”
Cutter gave Garcia an evil eye then spoke to everyone in the room. “My ride happens to be a black 1968 Mustang. It’s got a V8, Holley headers and an Edelbrock four barrel Carburetor. It might not be show quality, but it’s definitely a classic.”
Garcia defended his remark. “Admit it Cutter, it’s close to being a donation wreck to some charity. Besides, it’s a Ford and you know what F. O. R. D. stands for don’t you, Found-On-the- Road-Dead.”
Cutter turned away from Garcia to look at his partner.
Garcia continued to needle him. “Sloan, have you seen the only car in the garage that’s hidden under a tarp so no one can laugh at it? Well that’s John’s.”
Jessica ignored Garcia. “I’m glad to see you’re using ride share technology to make your life easier and cheaper, Cutter.”
“Well, I have to admit it was faster and cheaper than trying to take a cab. Anyway, I had a nice chat with the driver about those electric scooter things.”
“What did he have to say?”
“He told me that the only people he’s seen or heard that have actually used them are drunks who can’t drive their own cars home and who Uber drivers won’t let them into their vehicles in case they barf. Apparently, people get on these things, weave all over the road and give drivers the finger if anyone honks or yells at them.”
“I guess that’s one of the reasons people that rent them are just leaving them lying all over the place, when they’re finished with them.”
