A Killing in China Basin - By Kirk Russell Page 0,39
tenant in her apartment complex that just had back surgery. I rode up the elevator with him and we chatted about his surgery. You might try him.’
‘Did you call her before coming by?’
‘We had set it up a month or so before. She was in touch with my secretary. I can ask him. What am I missing here, Inspector? Why does it matter how we organized a glass of wine?’
‘So far you’re the only person we know of who was in communication with her just before she was murdered.’
‘And, again, I’ll do everything I can to help, but please reassure me you aren’t even vaguely imagining that I know something about her murder.’
‘I thought we had covered that.’
‘Well, it’s the way you’re asking things, and this business of opening your notebook as we’re getting ready to say goodbye.’
‘I’m a great admirer,’ la Rosa said. ‘Honestly, I just wanted to meet you.’
Lafaye’s cell rang and as she retrieved it she said, ‘You’ve heard my phone ring while we’ve been here. Hasn’t it rung at least ten times?’
It probably had.
‘That’s what my life is like,’ she said as she looked at the screen but didn’t answer.
‘You must be so organized,’ la Rosa said.
‘No, I’m the opposite but I have people around me who are very efficient.’ She turned her attention back to Raveneau. ‘It was Wednesday because Thursday I was on a plane to London. If I had to guess, I’d say I left her apartment at around seven thirty. I’ll try to remember more before we speak again.’
This time as her phone rang she answered it and waved goodbye as she walked off.
‘Now what?’ la Rosa asked.
‘We go back and regroup. She’s hiding something.’
They went back to the homicide office and Raveneau got a call from Lieutenant Becker.
‘There are a couple of Oakland detectives who’d like to talk to you today,’ Becker said. ‘Are you available?’
‘Are they named Hendricks and Stalos?’
‘Yes.’
‘Tell them to come to the office. I’m here with Elizabeth following up on a new lead on the China Basin killing.’
‘Stay there. I’ll be coming in too. The Oakland detectives have new questions about Bates. They want your opinion. They’re wondering why he doubled the life insurance payout on his wife three months ago.’
‘Is that right?’
‘That’s what they claim.’
Forty minutes later Becker arrived. The Oakland inspectors were right behind him. They were all charged up and it was written large on their faces. They had it all figured out.
TWENTY-EIGHT
‘We understand Ted Whitacre asked you for help. Is that correct?’
Raveneau nodded.
‘When you met with him what did he ask you to do?’
‘Knock on Stoltz’s door and let him know we knew he was following Ted.’
‘Warn him off?’
‘Yes.’
‘Did you?’
‘Ted died before I got to Stoltz. I was on-call that week. I had planned to go see him as soon as I was off.’
‘Did you tell Charles Bates that you were going to visit Cody Stoltz?’
‘Sure. The day I met with Whitacre I called Charles on my way back to the Hall.’
‘How did he respond?’
‘He was skeptical Whitacre had been followed by Stoltz. He said he was getting regular calls from Ted at night about old cases and guessed it had something to do with the cocktail of cancer drugs, Ted wanting to clean up the unsolved cases before dying. I’m sure you’ve asked Bates – what’s he told you?’
Stalos checked it with his partner before answering. Hendricks gave the faintest nod.
‘Basically, he told us what you just said.’
‘Whitacre was a pretty reliable guy. I took him at his word that he’d seen Stoltz.’
‘After Ted Whitacre’s body was found did you ask Mr Bates to drive with you to Los Altos where Stoltz lives?’
‘No, I went alone.’
‘What was the point?’
‘I wasn’t convinced Ted’s death was suicide.’
‘What do you think now?’
‘I think he was murdered.’
Hendricks spoke for the first time, saying, ‘We agree with you,’ and Stalos added, ‘The Burlingame detective, I can never remember his name—’
‘Choy.’
‘Yeah, Ed Choy said you came in the door calling it a murder.’
‘That’s not quite right, but I was upset at how fast he was moving and I was upset anyway. I’d worked with Ted for twenty years.’
‘We hear you. We understand.’
Stalos leaned forward a little more, setting up to confide. Raveneau had done this many times himself.
‘Detective Choy gave us a look at what he’s got so far. Seems to us he just made an assumption about suicide. I’ve got a copy of his report. Do you want to take a look at it?’