Authors: M. Z. Kelly
Leo and I spent most of the night at the funeral home, processing the scene with SID and my friend Brie Henner, the deputy coroner who had been called out on the case.
“I don’t know how you manage your illness and continue to work,” I said to Brie after she’d examined the body, knowing that she had a five year-old daughter at home.
“Some days are easier than others. It’s a process that I’m learning to deal with.” She smiled and changed the subject. “So, how are things with you and Noah?”
It was my turn to smile. “I haven’t been this happy in a long time. We’re planning to go away together when I can work it into my schedule.”
We shared small talk about Noah and Brie’s own boyfriend before Leo came over and she went over her findings.
“I’d say Mr. Marshall has been dead at least forty-eight hours, maybe longer. I’ll be able to pin it down further when I get him back to the shop. The COD was a small caliber, single gunshot to the chest. It looks like the round is still inside, so we’ll try to match it to the databases after we cut him open.”
We gave her some background on the decedent, our suspicion that he’d been involved in two homicides ten years apart, before she asked, “Are there any suspects in Marshall’s homicide?”
I said, “Marshall had apparently been terrorizing the elderly owners of the funeral home for years and had forced them to let him live here in the basement. We questioned both Raymond and Rose Galvan at length, and, while they were obviously in fear for their lives and safety at the hands of Marshall, both Leo and I are convinced they aren’t involved.” I smiled. “That was the long answer. The short answer is we have no suspects.”
Leo added, “I’ve got a feeling Mr. Marshall is the type of person who angered a lot of people over the years and one of those individuals paid him back.”
Brie then changed the subject, mentioning the Carla Hodge homicide. “I took a look at the autopsy reports you gave me.” Her gaze drifted over to Leo. “I think your theory is spot on. By the look of the blood spray and angle of the body, I’d say her attacker could very well have been left handed.”
I smiled at Leo. “Nice work.”
The big detective had his own, ever-present smile. “Not bad for someone past his prime.”
After we’d finished up with the crime scene, I walked Brie to her car. I remembered the medical and autopsy reports I’d gotten on Jean Winslow and retrieved them from my car. I took a few minutes and filled her in on everything, including the letters from my mother.
“Wow, Jean Winslow,” Brie said. “And you think the same person who murdered the man who raised you also killed her?”
“That’s the way it sounds from what my mother said.” I motioned to the stack of reports I’d given her. “I’d appreciate it if you could take a look at everything. The medical file shows Winslow had broken her arm a couple of years before her death, but there’s nothing in her history that speaks of that. Leo and I think there could have been some domestic violence involved.”
“And...I think you said his name was Regis...”
I nodded. “Donald Regis. He was the head of Walker Studios. Winslow was under contract to him and was apparently unhappy about it. They were also rumored to have been involved at one time.”
Brie pushed the stack of reports into her briefcase. “I’ll take a look and let you know.”
“One other thing. This is all confidential. The brass doesn’t even know that we’re looking into the case.”
Brie smiled at me. “Jean who?”
Bernie and I were in my car, getting ready to call it a night when my phone rang. A spark of anxiety shot through me when I saw the call was from Joe Dawson. “Don’t tell me The Swarm is starting to swarm again.”
“I’m afraid there’s some more buzzing coming from Colorado. Janice Taylor and her attorney want to meet with you in Denver the day after tomorrow. She plans to write out a statement for her upcoming hearing, confessing her crimes, and asking for the death penalty.”
It was after midnight when Bernie and I got home. I was exhausted by the time we finished up with the Galen Marshall crime scene. I’d sent Oz a text, telling him that I’d be in at noon the next day, after getting some sleep.
Despite that exhaustion, I had trouble falling asleep because of Joe Dawson’s phone call. While Janice Taylor claimed she wanted to confess her crimes, I knew there had to be more to the story, especially if she wanted me there. It occurred to me that when we’d stopped The Swarm and the destruction meant for the cities, she probably had taken it personally. And, if that was the case, she likely had blamed me for what happened.
After spending an hour wrestling with that, the murder of our chief suspect in the murders of Bruce Reeder and Carla Hodge, and my sister being in an abusive relationship, sleep finally, mercifully found me. I slept until almost nine when Bernie pushed his big nose into my bed and whined. It was canine speak for, “I need to go potty.”
After grabbing my robe and slippers, and taking a quick stroll around my apartment complex, I went back home, where I saw Natalie and Mo were leaving their apartment dressed in their bad-ass private detective gear. They had on more leather and chains than you’d find in a BDSM store.
“Glad we ran into you,” Natalie said. “Can we come over for a cuppa and some chinwag?”
It was Natalie’s way of saying she needed some caffeine and had some gossip. I waved them over. “I’ll put some coffee on.”
“We think we got us another lead on that cold case,” Mo said when we got to my apartment. She winked a big fake eyelash at me like there was a giant spider on her eye, her way of telling me they were keeping things confidential.
After putting the coffee on, feeding Bernie, and running a brush through my hair, I joined them in the living room. Natalie set a plate of bagels and cream cheese she’d found in my kitchen on the coffee table. Bernie came over and sniffed it, before going back to his bowl of kibble.
As we ate and drank, I told them about what Leo and I had found in the reports on Jean Winslow’s death. “She broke her arm a couple of years before her death. It might have just been an accident or the result of domestic violence. Have either of you come across anything in Winslow’s history about her breaking an arm?”
They both shook their heads, Natalie speculating, “Maybe that Regis asshole did it. From what we heard, he was the biggest bully in Hollywood back in the day.”
Mo swept black wig hair out of her eyes. “Rumor has it their relationship was real rocky before Jean took her long nap.”
“Leo and I may go by and try and talk to Regis if we get a chance.”
“What about us?” Mo said. “Do we look like chopped liver?”
I smiled and tried to soothe her feelings. “You both look like sugar and spice. It’s just that Oz has authorized us to take an informal look and, since Leo knew my love-dad, he wants to help.”
“That’s okay,” Natalie said. “Mo and me got us another lead we wanna tell you about. We think there may have been a love triangle.”
“I’m not following you.”
“You ever heard of a woman named Lana Palmer?” Mo asked.
I shook my head.
Natalie explained, “She was Jean Winslow’s best friend 'til they had a falling out in the months before her death. We think Regis was buryin’ the bone with Palmer at the same time he was doin’ the nasty with Winslow.”
“What makes you think they were involved?”
Mo’s big shoulders went up and down. “It’s just speculation at this point, but we pulled up some photographs of Palmer on the Internet.”
“She was hotter than The Walk of Fame on a summer night,” Natalie said.
I got my iPad and in a moment we had some photos of Lana Palmer on the screen that were taken in the early 1980’s. The website said she worked as a publicity agent for lots of stars, including Jean Winslow.
“She does look like the kind of woman who would attract a lot of attention,” I said, thinking there was something about Palmer that reminded me of the actress Bo Derek.
In one of the publicity photos, we saw that Lana Palmer had a nearly flawless body, and blonde hair that fell in seductive bangs over her large blue eyes.”
“She looks like a trouser teaser,” Natalie said. “Donald Regis woulda been on her like the horniest bull at the rodeo.”
“Do you know anything about her current life?” I asked.
She’s living over in Topanga Canyon,” Mo said. “Natalie and me got us an appointment to talk to her later today.”
“What? Remember our discussion about taking things slow, not investigating this without me being involved?”
“You can go with us,” Natalie said. “We’re not supposed to meet with her ‘til six. We can all ride together.”
I sighed, deciding it was useless to argue with them. “I’ll try to work it out.”
Mo regarded me with one eye through the black spider. “You okay, Kate? You seem a little distracted.”
I saw no reason not to tell them about Dawson’s call. “I’m supposed to meet with Janice Taylor tomorrow. Could you watch Bernie for me?”
They nodded. Mo was still in her skeptical mode. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know all the details yet, but, from what I’m told, Taylor is going to confess her crimes and ask for the death penalty.”
Natalie clapped her hands. “I hope they find the biggest, rustiest needle in the haystack, shove it in her arm, and send the ugly goose to God.”
“I don’t think she’ll be anywhere near God.”
Mo shook her head. “I gotta bad feeling ’bout this. Taylor ain’t about to go down without a fight. Something big is gonna happen.”
“Maybe it’s the End of Days,” Natalie suggested. “If that happens, I need to take advantage of what God gave me before She takes it away. I’m calling Izzy and having him spend the night.”
Mo rolled her eyes. “Lord help me. If you start moaning and carrying on all night, I’m gonna come over here and sleep on Kate’s couch.”
“What ’bout you?” Natalie asked me. “Are you and Noah gonna slap some sugar before it’s lights out?”
I laughed. “The last thing I’m going to do is spend my final day in bed.”
Mo did another headshake. “That figures.” She looked at Natalie, “Maybe all that talk about going away with Dr. Doggy was just that—all talk and no bark.”
“We’re still going away. I just have to work it into my schedule.”
“’Course you are,” Mo scoffed.
I finished my coffee and stood up. “I’ve got a busy day ahead, so I’d better get going.”
They didn’t budge. Natalie said, “We also had us a little talk with Gladys over at the museum ’bout your love-daddy and Jean Winslow.”
I sat back down. “
More
investigation, without telling me?”
Mo growled. “Gladys knows all the Hollywood history. We just talked to her for some background information.”
I exhaled, pushed the hair off my forehead. “And?”
“Gladys agreed that Georgie-boy and Palmer coulda been an item,” Natalie said. “But…” she looked at Mo.
Mo lowered her sonorous voice even further. “She thinks maybe your love-dad was also a player.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I’m just tellin’ you what she said. Gladys heard some rumors ’bout your dad. She said when he worked the studios he got noticed a lot.”
“What does that mean?”
Natalie answered. “Your love-dad was a hotty, Kate. All the women were after him.”
“Maybe so, but that doesn’t make him a player.”
Mo shook her head. “Don’t get your thong in a wad, we’re just telling you what she said.”
I stood up again. “I’ve really got to go. I’ll see you tonight.”
***
As I drove to the station with Bernie, I thought about what my friends had said. I’d always wanted to believe the best about my love-dad, but I now wondered if he’d been involved with Jean Winslow. If that was the case, it might explain how he’d known her death wasn’t a suicide. It would have also put a big target on his back.
I decided that, just like with any other investigation, I would need to keep an open mind about everyone involved. It also made me think about Collin Russell and whether he knew anything about my love-dad being involved with Winslow.
There was also the matter of my mother’s third and final letter. It might answer some of my questions, including the biggest one of all about who was my biological father. I felt like I was getting closer to being ready to read her last letter and deal with the finality that it would bring.
When I got to the station, everyone gathered in Oz’s office, where he made an announcement about Alex Hardy as Bernie came over and greeted him. “Alex is on an indefinite, personal leave, starting today. Kate and Leo will finish up with the current investigation before personnel reassignments can be made.”
His announcement was greeted by silence. I searched for something positive to say while suppressing a gigantic smile. I finally said, “We’ll make things work.” I glanced at Leo, who also seemed happy, but then again, my temporary partner was always happy.
Selfie gave us her thoughts about Alex taking a leave, asking the lieutenant, “Do you think there’s any chance his leave could become permanent?”
Oz shrugged. “It’s hard to say at this point.”
Molly chimed in, adding, “One can only hope.”
I looked at the lieutenant. “It looks like we’ll be starting over on Reeder and Hodge. At the same time, we now have Marshall’s murder to investigate.”
Oz gave Bernie a final pat as he trotted off for an early afternoon snooze. “What do we know about Marshall and his stay at the funeral home?”
I filled him in, adding, “He was basically getting free rent through intimidation, in addition to occasionally doing some photography work there. The Galvans were deathly afraid of him.”
“He pretty much had free run of the place,” Leo confirmed.
“Including his choice of dead lovers,” Selfie added.
Molly grimaced. “I’m trying really hard right now to keep the visual out of my mind.”
I chuckled and then turned my attention back to our three cases. “There’s got to be some common thread that we’re missing, something that links Marshall to Reeder and Hodge and to the person that killed him.”
“Maybe Marshall just got paid back for being a bully to someone,” Oz suggested. “It might have nothing to do with the other killings.”
“It’s possible, but…” I looked at Selfie and Molly. “What do we know about Galen Marshall’s family? I know you talked to his mother, but is there anyone else in the picture?”
Molly shuffled through some paperwork in front of her. “Dad is…it looks like he’s never really been in the picture—not even sure if he’s still alive. He’s got a sister who lives in Texas. There’s also an older brother, Elton…” She looked at Selfie. “Do you have anything on him?”
Selfie’s magic fingers worked her keyboard. In a moment, she rubbed the piercing in her eyebrow and said, “The DMV says his last known address was with mom, but that was several years ago. He attended UCLA for a couple of years.” She looked up. “No criminal record. There’s nothing indicating his current whereabouts.”
I looked at Leo. “I think we should have a chat with mom this afternoon. Maybe Galen and his brother had a falling out.”
“Let’s make it happen,” Oz agreed. “I want us to move things along on this. Somehow the press has picked up on the murder weapon being removed from R&I. Media Relations is trying to get them to hold off reporting it, but we all know how these things go.”
After Selfie and Molly went back to their duties, I took a moment and updated Oz and Leo on my upcoming trip to Denver. “I have no idea why Taylor wants me there but I don’t think anything good is going to come of it.”
“If she signs a confession, maybe that will turn the tide with her followers,” Leo suggested.
Oz released a heavy breath and looked at me. “I’m afraid the chief wants Commander Nelson to tag along in case there’s any fallout coming our way on what Taylor says.”
“Are you kidding me?” While I had nothing personal against the head of the department’s Media Relations, he was a paper-pushing bureaucrat whose only agenda was making his boss look good. “And Taylor is not going to allow Nelson to sit in on the interview.”
Oz gave me his best fatherly look. “You’ll just have to cross that bridge when it comes. The order came from the top.”
***
Leo and I were in the car with Bernie, headed to Marshall’s mother’s house, as I continued my rant about Nelson tagging along on my meeting with Janice Taylor. “It’s a complete waste of time. Taylor wouldn’t allow Joe Dawson into the last meeting and there’s no way she’s going to let an outsider in.”
Leo glanced over at me as he drove. “I’m sure the real reason behind having Nelson there is the chief wanting some positive press. We all know that’s pretty much his mission in life.”
I agreed and said, “Just once, I wish the department would choose the interest of its officers and the public over the media.”
Leo grinned at me. “You might as well add a Christmas pony to your wish list.” He glanced back at the highway. “You handling things okay?”