A Killing in China Basin - By Kirk Russell Page 0,10
also had a generally empathetic view of the public’s complaints about the police department, a view la Rosa didn’t particularly agree with, though she’d never said so. One of Grainer’s favorite refrains was, we should listen more to what the public is saying, and sometimes she’d cite the example of Chief Gains, the chief of police at the start of her career. Gains had black and white patrol cars repainted blue and renamed ‘Police Services.’ This was stuff that la Rosa found herself nodding in agreement to but not really agreeing with, and that was a part of herself she didn’t like, the same part that showed itself now as she ordered a vodka martini.
‘Maybe we should order dinner now,’ Grainer said. ‘I have a very busy schedule tomorrow. I’ll go first to give you a moment.’
La Rosa glanced at the menu and the phrase ‘old school’ came to mind for the second time in twenty-four hours. She heard Grainer order ‘An iceberg salad with bleu cheese dressing, chicken cacciatore, and garlic bread for the table.’ She looked from the waiter to la Rosa and asked, ‘Elizabeth, should we have a glass of wine each? Or half a glass for you?’
‘Half a glass is plenty for me.’
La Rosa ordered the veal and a salad that she knew would come drenched with dressing. The veal would come with a quart of some rich sauce she didn’t need. But who cares about food? That’s not why they were here. Her drink came and the chef sent complimentary plates with two raviolis each. She ate both though they were cold and doughy. She sipped the vodka and it hit her right away.
‘So how is it going with him?’ Grainer asked.
‘It’s going fine.’
‘Was today productive?’
No, a lot of it felt like a waste of time, especially wandering through China Basin knocking on doors. It made no sense. She thought of the construction workers along China Basin Street studying her breasts and Raveneau bantering with them. None of that advanced the investigation and she didn’t like it that he’d turned the TV on at Heilbron’s house, or that he’d gone back upstairs tonight. Earlier today she’d watched him text messaging back and forth and when she’d gotten tired of waiting on him, asked who he was messaging so urgently. His answer was he’d learned to text drug dealers: ‘I’m trying to get this one to come in and talk to us about a drive-by murder he witnessed.’
‘Elizabeth?’ Grainer asked.
‘I’m sorry, chief, it was just a lot today. We caught this case after midnight last night.’
‘That’s why it’s important to talk while it’s still fresh. I guess our larger conversation is about the homicide detail, and whether our inspector’s methods are modern enough. What are your first impressions of Inspector Raveneau’s investigative techniques?’
‘There are things I have problems with but I don’t know if that’s just my inexperience.’
‘You know, this is an important moment because your initial observations are much less likely to be clouded by sentiment and that’s what I’m interested in. Others are too. There’s a lot of concern about the low solve rate, in particular with respect to gang slayings. There’s a feeling that not only does that part of the community not trust us, but that we’re out of touch with the people living there.’
You’ve got that right, she thought, and then wondered when Grainer had last been around gangbangers. She thought of Raveneau text messaging the dealer, going back and forth with him, Raveneau with his salt and pepper hair, and no real respect for racial differences. What did he say to her today? That he didn’t believe in race, that it didn’t matter any more, especially not on the homicide detail. She considered telling that to Grainer, but didn’t because she knew Grainer would hear it differently than Raveneau meant it. La Rosa became aware now that Grainer was talking.
‘It’s generally understood that inspectors view themselves as untouchable, and in fact, though they may never rise any higher, they are by and large left alone. But there’s a perfect storm of political pressures building and I don’t know this, but I believe something may happen that hasn’t in a very long time. I’m not the only one who views you as a rising star. You have very modern training and you made a point of getting it on your own. We need more like you and with your initiative. You know enough about trace evidence to walk down the hall