Hollywood Rage (The Hollywood Alphabet Series Book 18) Page 20

  Olivia pulled to the curb a couple minutes later, followed by Darby and Woody. After everyone assembled on the sidewalk, Leo repeated what he’d told me, adding, “The COD was a knife attack. She bled out in the home office.”

  As we walked to the front door, where a couple of uniformed officers were standing guard, Olivia asked Leo, “Do we know if Dr. Tanner had an appointment with a client late this afternoon?”

  “Not sure,” Leo said, showing us inside the home. “Maybe her mother knows.”

  Sally Dresden had been an officer with the department for over twenty years. She was a mother and a grandmother, exactly the kind of uniformed officer you wanted assisting at a crime scene. She came over to us, and I introduced her to Olivia, since she was new to Hollywood Station.

  Sally looked over her shoulder at the crying woman on the sofa. “The victim’s mother is having a rough time of it. I’ve called her friend, who’s on the way.”

  While Leo and the others went off to examine the crime scene, Olivia and I went over to the woman we learned was Claudia Tanner, and made introductions.

  “We’re terribly sorry about what happened,” Olivia said. “Do you think you could answer a couple of questions?”

  Tanner looked to be in her seventies, with short silver hair. We got a head nod as she used a tissue.

  “Can you tell us what time you got here tonight?” Olivia asked after we settled onto the sofa across from her, and Bernie rested at my feet.

  “Bev and I were...we were going to have dinner. I was here at seven, but she didn’t answer the door. I left, but called her cell phone several times.” She took a moment as her tears came again. “I got worried when she didn’t answer, so I came back just after nine and used a key my daughter keeps in a flower pot. That’s when I found her.”

  “We understand that your daughter worked out of her home. Do you know if she had an appointment with a client late today?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. I think she kept her appointment schedule in a laptop. It’s probably in her office.”

  “Was she having any problems with anyone of late that you know about? Maybe a boyfriend, or a client?”

  We got another headshake. “My daughter is...she was a lesbian. She and her wife recently separated, but there was no animosity. As for anyone else...I can’t think of anyone. Beverly was the kindest...” She broke down and didn’t continue.

  Olivia touched her shoulder as the elderly woman slumped over and broke down. “I understand your friend is on her way over. We’ll speak again later.”

  When we got to the psychiatrist’s home office, I was shocked by the amount of blood on the desk, walls, and floor. Beverly Tanner had fallen a couple feet from the desk, making me wonder if she’d tried to resist by running or turning away when she’d been attacked.

  We spent the next couple hours examining the scene and looking for the psychiatrist’s laptop and phone, but found neither. When the coroner, Dr. Earl Mumford arrived, we gave him a wide berth. He had a reputation for being surly and offering nothing in the way of insight on past cases we’d worked.

  Our victim’s mother had been allowed to leave with her friend after we got her contact information and an address and phone number for her daughter’s ex-wife. We then met up in the living room to discuss the case.

  Leo gave us his opinion. “Since the crime occurred in the home office, we’re likely looking for one of Tanner’s clients. Maybe there’s a record of subjects she was seeing somewhere besides the laptop and phone.”

  “Our preliminary look at the office showed there was no client list,” Olivia said, “but maybe Jenny and Molly can find something.”

  “This killing was personal,” Darby said, offering his opinion. “Maybe the shrink and her ex had issues, things went bad from there.”

  “We’ll need to talk to her,” Olivia agreed.

  “Tanner’s mother told us her daughter got along well with her ex,” I told Darby.

  “Doesn’t mean squat. Since when does a mother know everything about a daughter’s love life?”

  Olivia looked at me, probably tamping down her frustration with Darby. “Any other thoughts?”

  “We need to clear her client list. There has to be medical records somewhere. Maybe Tanner used a service to bill her clients.”

  Olivia took a breath and brushed the hair from her eyes. I had the impression she was exhausted. “We’ll look into it.” She stood. “Let’s go see what the coroner has to say.”

  I stopped her and said, “Just so you know, we all have history with Mumford. He’s uncooperative, at best, a monster at worst.”

  She nodded. “Thanks for the warning.”

  It was after four in the morning by the time Mumford finished up in the home office and directed the attendants to transport the body. He was headed for his car, not bothering to acknowledge us, when Olivia stopped him.

  “We need some preliminary findings,” she said, coming around and standing in front of him.

  “My report should be ready within seventy-two hours,” Mumford growled.

  The deputy coroner was a big, fleshy guy, in his forties, with dark, brooding eyes. He was probably the schoolyard bully as a kid.

  “Not good enough,” Olivia said. “We need to actively work this case starting right now and we need your input to do that.”

  “Don’t have any.”

  He started to walk away, but Olivia followed and cut him off. “That’s not acceptable.”

  Mumford shrugged. “It’s all you’re getting.”

  Olivia shook her head. “Either you cooperate, do your job, and give us some facts, such as your estimate of the TOD, information about the attack, and physical evidence, or I take this to your superiors.”

  “Are you threatening me?”

  “I’m stating my intentions.”

  Mumford regarded her for a long moment. His gaze then moved off and he lowered his voice. “TOD was likely between three and seven last night. The attack severed several major arteries. It was made by a very sharp instrument, possibly a hobby knife.”

  “What about a scalpel? Could something like that have been the murder weapon?”

  “Maybe. It’s impossible to say without further analysis, and, even then, it would be conjecture.”

  “What else?”

  Mumford drew in a breath and took his time responding. I had the impression that he enjoyed withholding facts. Maybe it was a power issue with him, or just a way to irritate whoever he was talking to.

  “Your victim was a drug user.”

  Olivia’s brows went up. “What kind of drug are you talking about?”

  “All I can tell you is there are multiple injection sites on the body that are in places they wouldn’t be seen by a casual observer, including the stomach, inner thighs, and feet.”

  “Are you saying she was a heroin user?”

  “I’m not saying anything until I get the tox screen back.”

  “But heroin would be the most likely injectable substance.”

  Mumford stared at my boss for a long moment. “Probably.” He turned and left.

  Olivia came over to us. “Nice fellow.”

  “I’m sure he gets along better with the dead than the living,” I said.

  “What do you think?” Leo asked Olivia.

  Our boss smiled. “I agree with Kate.” She then got back to business. “I think we’re looking for either one of Beverly Tanner’s clients, or possibly a pusher, someone she was getting illegal drugs from.”

  “Where do we go from here?” Darby asked.

  “To bed. Let’s meet back at the station at two this afternoon.”

  “What’s the plan then?”

  “We divide up duties and head for Camp Tribute.”

  FORTY-SEVEN

  There was blood everywhere. Haley let the stream of hot water wash over her, cleansing her of the sin of murdering Dr. Beverly Tanner. Not that she considered what she’d done a sin. It was a matter of freein
g herself after years of judgment and disapproval from the shrink. She blamed her mother for it all. Mother was the one who had made her see Dr. Tanner after Lizzy was murdered.

  After her shower, Haley wrapped herself in a robe and went over to her vanity. As she brushed her hair, she thought about what she’d done in the aftermath of the psychiatrist’s death. She’d taken the shrink’s laptop and cell phone, and had removed anything that might connect her to being one of Tanner’s patients. She was certain there was nothing that could tie her to the crime scene. The only person who could link her to Tanner was her mother.

  Haley looked into the mirror and said to Lizzy, “What should I do about Mother?”

  “Mother hasn’t spoken to you in years. Why are you worried?”

  “I don’t trust her. She’s the one who made me...” Haley touched the ring on her left hand, the one her mother had made her take from Lizzy.

  “Made you what?”

  “It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

  She saw her sister watching her as she continued to brush her hair.

  “What are you going to do?” Lizzy asked.

  She looked at her sister and smiled. “The transformation—it still needs to be completed.”

  She saw Lizzy brush a tear from her eye. “I don’t want you to hurt anyone else.”

  Haley studied her sister for a long moment. Over the years, Lizzy had refused to talk about the man who had murdered her. No matter how she tried to approach the topic, her sister would close down, not saying anything. Maybe things would be different now.

  “The man, the one on the boat that hurt you,” Haley said. “Tell me about him.”

  “No. I never want to talk about him.”

  Haley’s gaze moved off as she thought about what Lizzy said. It was her twelve-year-old sister’s standard reply. She looked back into the mirror. “What if there are others?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Maybe there are other girls out there that he’s hurt. Only you can stop him.”

  Haley saw her sister’s eyes lose focus as she considered what she’d said. She worked on her makeup as Lizzy remained silent. After Haley finished at the vanity, she went over and wrapped the cilice around her upper body. She’d refashioned the instrument of torture with new wires and hooks that cut deeply into her flesh.

  After Haley slipped into her clothes, she heard Lizzy calling over to her. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”

  Haley went over and took a seat at the vanity again. “I know, Lizzy. But only you can help me complete the process. You have to tell me about the man.”

  Lizzy’s head slumped down and she nodded. Her voice was just above a whisper. “He forced me to do things before...”

  Haley was shocked. “When...when did it happen?”

  “You were away with mother, shopping. He took me to the movies, and then...”

  All at once, what had happened so many years ago finally made sense to Haley. Lizzy had been sexually assaulted by the man who killed her. He must have murdered her to keep her quiet.

  “Who?” Haley asked. “Who was he?”

  “You need to ask Mother.”

  “Mother? What does she have to do with...” Things suddenly shifted and Haley remembered all the men their Mother had been with after Father had died.

  Lizzy went on. “His father owned a boat—a different boat than the one...” She brushed her tears. “We went sailing one day when you were with Mother. That’s before he...” Lizzy broke down, crying.

  Haley took a moment, now remembering that day. Lizzy had been terribly upset when she got home, but she had remained silent, refusing to tell her what happened.

  “His name,” Haley demanded. “You have to tell me his name.”

  Lizzy wept and clutched her sides. Almost a full minute later she finally said, “Everything that happened was because of Chad.”

  “Chad? Who is that?”

  “He and Mother...I saw them together at our house before...”

  “Before he raped you?”

  Lizzy’s head slumped. “I was too afraid to tell anyone, even you and Mother. I’m sorry.”

  Haley reached out, touching the mirror, wishing she could take her sister in her arms and comfort her. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

  Haley took a moment, mentally sifting through what Lizzy had said. The man would likely be in his forties now. “His last name, Lizzy. Do you remember his last name?”

  Lizzy shook her head. “I don’t even want to think about him.”

  Haley stood and moved toward the door.

  “Where are you going?” Lizzy asked.

  Haley turned back to her sister. “To kill the man who raped you.”

  FORTY-EIGHT

  Bernie and I got home around nine in the morning and found the nude couple I’d seen a couple days earlier on our living room sofa, this time with a camera crew surrounding them. Natalie and Mo were wearing shirts that read Security and came over to me.

  “Need to see some ID,” Mo deadpanned. “We got us an R-rated production here and wanna make sure you’re old enough to watch.”

  “Funny,” I said.

  “Actually, it’s a good thing you’re here,” Natalie added. “Emma and Ryan are just warmin’ up, and you can use a sex-ed refresher course, since you’re a BAV.”

  “A what?”

  “Born Again Virgin.”

  “Ssh,” a man said, putting his finger to his lips and looking over at us. I had the impression he might be the director.

  “Let’s take a break,” Mo whispered. “I need me some coffee, and you can let Bernie out into the back yard.”

  I knew Bernie could use some potty time, so I agreed. After letting him into the yard, I declined coffee and took a seat in the atrium, across from my friends.

  “We heard some shrink was murdered last night,” Natalie said. “Was it one of her nutter patients that whacked her?”

  “Too soon to tell. It’s still early in the investigation.” It was my standard reply, one that was routinely ignored.

  “I heard the psychiatrist was cut up real bad,” Mo said. “That seems to be your specialty lately.”

  She was referring to our Wonderland case victims, both attacked with knives. I deflected several more questions as they pumped me for information.

  Natalie then said, “Nana texted us and said she’s gettin’ our outfits for the engagement party together. She wanted to know what size you are, so I told her I think you’re a twelve.”

  “What? I’m a size four. If she gets me a size twelve, I’ll look ridiculous. The dress will probably fall off me.”

  “I’ll talk to her,” Mo said. “We wouldn’t want you lookin’ ridiculous and showin’ Ross your privates again.”

  “Don’t remind me.”

  “Is he coming?” Natalie asked.

  I shrugged. “I haven’t had a chance to ask him.” I checked the time on my phone and stood. “I have to leave for Camp Tribute at three, so I’m going upstairs and taking a nap.”

  As I opened the door and called out to Bernie, Mo said, “Make sure you’re careful out in them woods. I heard through the grapevine Lazarus and his followers are crazy as hell.”

  I closed the door behind Bernie. “Thanks for the heads up. See you both in a day or so.”

  After a quick shower, I got into bed, but had trouble sleeping. I was thinking about our cases when the phone rang. It was Joe.

  “For once I’ve got some good news, Buttercup,” he said.

  “I could use it.” I sat up in bed. “What’s up?”

  “Pearl’s been spotted in a small costal town south of Rio. We’ve got agents on the ground trying to locate him. It could be the Rylands are also there.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “Turns out Harlan Ryland and Collin Russell owned a business there, going back to the 1980s, called Krosberg Enterprises. It was supposedly an export company for produce, but we think it was a front for their ca
rtel operations. We’re still piecing things together.”

  “Let me know if you hear from Pearl. I’m heading for the mountains this afternoon, so I’ve got to get a couple hours sleep.” I took a moment and mentioned my cases.

  “Okay, I’ll let you go. Just wondering if you’ve made any decisions about looking for your father’s kid.”

  “I’ve got one of our crime analysts doing some checking.”

  “Let me know if you need any help from this end.” He hesitated before adding, “I just wanted to mention how much I enjoyed dinner the other night. I think it brought us closer together.”

  “Me too,” I said before ending the call.

  After I put my phone away, I lay in bed awake for a long time, thinking about what he’d said. It was now obvious that Joe thought I wanted to take our relationship to another level. I silently cursed myself. I didn’t know if I could ever see myself in a relationship with Joe, or even Ross, for that matter.

  Thoughts about my failed previous relationships then assailed me. I spent the next hour reliving all those failures, deciding I was hopeless. I turned over in bed, my eyes filling with tears, before sleep finally came to me.

  ***

  I got back to the station a little after two and saw that a small convoy of cars was being readied for our trip. Once everything was packed, and Olivia confirmed a warrant had been issued to search Camp Tribute, she gathered the Section One detectives, and a half dozen other officers who had been chosen to join us, and told us how things would go.

  “We got a late start, so we’re going to stay at Trinity for the night. It’s a small mountain town about twenty miles from Camp Tribute. We plan on going to Ellis’s compound first thing in the morning with officers from Kern County, since they have jurisdiction. We’ll need to be prepared to meet resistance. Rumor has it the group is heavily armed.”

  Bernie and I had the misfortune of riding with Darby to Trinity. Along the way, he gave me his thoughts on Ellis. “The guy was stealing everything he could from Marilyn and her father. If you ask me, Mel wanted to stop him. Even so, I don’t think that necessarily means he’s guilty of murder.”