A Killing in China Basin - By Kirk Russell Page 0,44
broom closet and watched the video. The system was a cheap one and the camera angle on the roof wasn’t good, but the van was Heilbron’s. He watched Heilbron walk up and try several keys in the gate lock.
‘Recognize him?’ the realtor asked.
‘Yeah, he’s someone we’ve questioned.’
‘What’s he want to get in here for?’
‘We’ll ask him.’
‘Who is he?’
‘I’d like to get a copy of that tape if I can.’
They watched as Heilbron walked back to his van and opened the rear doors. Getting to his toolboxes, Raveneau thought. Heilbron returned to the gate a few minutes later and the realtor exhaled loudly and said, ‘This city is nuts. I’ve got to get out of here.’
Raveneau watched Heilbron open the gate. A few minutes later he was through the main door. A small side camera caught that.
‘Was your lock damaged?’
‘No. Can’t you arrest him anyway?’
‘We’d need better footage to prove it’s who I’m sure it is. Did he take anything?’
‘Not as far as I know. At least tell me why he wants to get in here. You must at least have an idea?’
Raveneau turned to him. He saw the disbelief on the man’s face.
‘I don’t know why. I’m wondering the same thing myself.’
THIRTY-TWO
Stoltz walked slowly through the Getty Museum with his mother gripping his elbow and her perfume enveloping them. He hated the smell of it and this controlling act of hers.
‘I like this painting,’ she said, ‘but I’m sure you don’t.’
She couldn’t be more right.
‘You’re upset, Cody. You’re worried about the police, aren’t you?’
‘The police have no one else, so in their knee-jerk way they’re focused on me. What am I supposed to do with that?’
‘You don’t have to do anything with it. Just let it be. The police aren’t stupid. They’re not the brightest men in the world, but they work through things eventually. All you have to do is wait until they figure out their mistake. They will.’
She smiled her little girl smile, senility’s breathless first dance. Then she surprised him.
‘But I am disturbed by how quickly the police came to talk to you after that police inspector was killed. Why did they come to you so fast? Did you write more letters?’
‘No.’
‘Have you had any contact with any of them?’
‘None.’
They looked at more paintings then ate lunch at the museum. At the table she reached across and took his hand.
‘I want you to come to Mexico with me. If you’re out of the country and something happens again, they won’t look your way any more. That’ll end it. I’ll have Rosalie make you a plane reservation and you can continue on with me tomorrow.’
‘Because of work I can’t do that.’
‘What do you have to do that can’t wait?’
‘Without me, the project I’m on stalls.’
‘I really believe you should change your plans.’
‘I wish I could.’
‘I’m afraid I don’t believe that, and I’m going to say it again, I want you to come to Mexico.’
‘Like I said, I wish I could.’
She stared and he looked for the waiter. Then he pulled out his phone and checked his email. He glanced up, smiled and said, ‘Next time, we’ll go together.’
THIRTY-THREE
By dawn the next morning Stoltz was two hundred miles north of Los Angeles sitting in a red plastic booth at a chain restaurant along I-5, waiting for the waitress to bring the crap he’d ordered. When she did, he took one look and shoved the plate away.
‘Sir, is there something wrong?’
‘Just with the food, but it’s not your fault. I should have known better. I’m ready for my check.’
She huffed away and instead of his check she returned with a pimply little guy in a checkered shirt who looked like an unemployed jockey. He turned out to be the manager. The manager also wanted to know if there was a problem and Stoltz said, ‘The problem is you’re serving food out of your dumpster.’
He started to get into a debate with the manager but ended it asking, ‘Didn’t they teach you the customer is always right?’ He slid out of the booth and dropped ten bucks on the table. When the manager started to say something more, Stoltz said, ‘Take my word for it, I’m the type to write a letter. So why don’t you just shut up?’
When he got in the car he was shaking and unsure why he’d lost it in there. Three hours later and after two more stops, one for gas and one for a nap that he’d hoped would clear his head but left him