Hangman (20 page)

Gabe wouldn’t meet his eyes. “How do you definitely know my father was in town yesterday?”

“I told you. He was at the junkyard. We missed each other by thirty-six hours. He wouldn’t call you on your cell. That would show up on your phone records. But I know he got in touch with you. And I know he gave you some stuff. I just want to make sure it’s nothing that was used in a crime.”

Gabe held his head, his mind racing about the cleanest way to get out of it. “I saw him for about five minutes. He gave me my passport, my birth certificate, and some cash.”
Don’t tell him about the bank statements. Those are traceable
. “That’s it.”

“That’s a start,” Decker said. “What did he tell you?”

“He said, ‘Here’s stuff you might need. Good-bye.’”

“And that stuff was in your briefcase?”

Gabe nodded.

“Where is that stuff now?”

Gabe pulled out his birth certificate, his passport, and a wad of cash from his backpack and gave it to Decker. “If this is material evidence in a crime, keep it.”

“It’s not material evidence.” Decker paged through the kid’s passport. He’d been to England, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Poland. “How’d you like Europe?”

“I was at piano competitions, so I didn’t see much.”

“How’d you do?”

“Win some, lose some.”

Decker said, “Gabe, if this is all he gave you, why didn’t you tell me this yesterday?”

The teen shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“You’re holding back.”

“Look, Lieutenant, if I thought he killed my mom, I’d kill the bastard myself. But I don’t think he hurt her. So I’d rather you just leave him alone. I know you’re not going to do that. But if Chris didn’t do, why should I help you?”

“If Chris didn’t hurt your mom, I could clear him. I’ve done it before.”

“Maybe he doesn’t trust you.”

“You want to know what I think?” A pause. “That maybe you’re right. That maybe he didn’t kill your mom. Maybe your mom ran away from your dad. And if Chris is looking for her, God help her if he finds her. I understand your loyalty to your father, Gabe. But it’s better if I find her before he does.”

“I agree, but I can’t help you. I don’t know where she is. I don’t know where he is.”

“So your father just gave you stuff and said sayonara?”

“Exactly. It’s clear he doesn’t want any connections to me. And that’s fine.”

“And yet you remain loyal to him.”

“He said he didn’t kill her.” Gabe was adamant. “I believe him. Then he gave me the stuff and left. That’s it. I don’t have anything else to tell you.”

Decker pocketed the birth certificate and his passport. He thumbed through the cash. It was all in hundreds, and a lot of them. He offered the wad back to the teenager.

“Keep it,” Gabe said. “Rent.”

“Stop it.” Decker waited. “My arm’s getting tired. Take the money.”

Gabe relieved him of the wad. “I really need to be alone for a while. My aunt left a key to her place under the doormat. I think I’ll just hole up there for the weekend.”

“You can’t stay in her apartment alone. If you want to move in with your aunt, then you’ll have to wait until she comes back from Palm Springs.”

“What am I going to do there, Lieutenant? I don’t drink at all, I don’t take drugs. If I wanted to mess myself up, I could do that here as well as there. I don’t know anyone in the city, but I guarantee you I could probably find a dealer in about an hour.”

“I have no doubt.”

“So let me just get out of your way and move into my aunt’s and everyone will be happy.”

“You’re too young, Gabe. I can’t let you do that.”

The kid growled. “Fine. I’ll leave on Monday.”

“I’m not kicking you out.”

“I can’t stay here. You’re hunting down my father. You’re the enemy.”

“I’m not the enemy. Your dad wouldn’t let you stay here if I was the enemy. He knows who I am and he knows that I’ll take good care of you. But he also knows I’m going to ask you lots of questions because your mother is missing, and right now, that’s my first priority. Not your feelings; your mother’s welfare. If you want to move in with your aunt on Monday, I won’t stop you. But don’t put it on me.”

Gabe rubbed his eyes under his glasses. “This is so fucked up!”

“Don’t curse. Why do you think that your father didn’t kill your mother?”

The teenager was confused. “I dunno. He seemed sincere.”

“Your dad’s a pathological liar.”

“I know. But still, he seemed really upset. And now you tell me that he’s hunting for her. I mean, why would he do that if he killed her?”

“I have a couple of questions for you.” Gabe waited. “Did your mother use the car over the weekend?”

“Let me think…it seems like ages ago.”

“Take your time.”

“Saturday morning I was practicing. I went back to the hotel, and then we walked into Westwood, saw a movie, and ate dinner. Sunday I was in a practice room all day. I don’t know if my mom used the car, but she didn’t drive me anywhere. I think she said some
thing about wanting to stick close to the hotel because Chris was coming in.”

“What about Friday?”

“Honestly, I don’t remember.”

“Try.”

“Friday, Friday…I was practicing from like…ten to four.” A sigh. “We ate dinner at the hotel. What did we do after that?” He paused. “I went swimming. It was a warm night. When I came back to the room, she wasn’t there. She returned an hour later in her gym clothes, so I guess she went to the fitness room. We watched TV and then went to bed. Really swinging time. Why are you asking about the car over the weekend?”

Decker was taking notes. “Because the owner of the junkyard said that the car came in on Saturday.”

“So…that means it’s not my mother’s car since she disappeared on Sunday, right?”

“She disappeared on Sunday. It doesn’t mean she drove off in her car on Sunday. No one remembers seeing her leave. She could have sneaked out.”

“Why would she do that?”

“Maybe the meeting with Chris didn’t go as well as I thought it did. Maybe she felt threatened by your father and took the opportunity to leave once and for all.”

“She told me she was renting a house in Beverly Hills.”

“That’s what she told your father. But we’ve checked with most of the real estate agents in Beverly Hills. None of them had ever heard of your mother.”

“I don’t understand…” The boy was confused as well as saddened. “Why would she lie?”

“If she did lie, I’m sure she had her reasons.”

“You think she left without me on purpose?”

“I don’t know, Gabe, but if she did, she must have felt very threatened.”

His words were little solace to the boy. He looked devastated…dejected.

“It could be that things didn’t go well with your father…that your mom jumped right after Chris left, figuring now or never.”

Gabe shrugged. “Is that what you think?”

“It’s a possibility.”

Or, Decker thought, she had planned the whole thing long before Donatti’s arrival…which is why she junked the car on Saturday. She knew she wouldn’t need it again. Figuring that if she made Donatti feel secure, he’d go back home.

After he left, she jumped ship.

Meaning she knew she’d be leaving without her son.

So maybe that’s why she’d called him up in the first place. Her ultimate purpose was not hiring Decker for protection, but rather giving her son a safe haven after she left for good.

If that were the case, Gabe wasn’t the only one who had been duped.

W
E’RE ZERO FOR
two.” Oliver disconnected the line. “Mandy’s not picking up her phone and neither is Crystal.”

“Crystal’s a party girl,” Marge said. “I’m not surprised that she’s not answering her landline, but she should be answering her cell.”

“Maybe she’s in a crowded bar and can’t hear it.”

They were driving north on the 5 with Griffith Park on their left—an inky vast track of foliage and trees donated to L.A. as recompense after Colonel Griffin shot his wife. God only knew what was kind of animals were hiding in the dark—four-legged as well as two-legged. They had managed to avoid most of the evening commuter traffic. Nighttime fog was settling in as they hit the higher elevations going over the hill and back down into the Valley.

Marge said, “Call up Sela Graydon. Find out if she can get through to Crystal.”

“Sure.” Oliver paused. “What do you think about Mandy Kowalski going AWOL?”

“From what we’ve been told, the girl is as reliable as sunrise and
suddenly she’s not answering any of her phones. What do you want to do if she doesn’t answer her door?”

“What time is it?”

“Eight-thirty.”

“Do we know if she has any friends or relatives that might have a key?”

“She didn’t seem to have much in the way of a social life,” Oliver said.

“I’m getting a weird feeling about it. She may have heard one too many confessions, know what I’m saying? Do you know what kind of car she drives? I’d like to see if it’s in the condo parking lot. And if it’s there and she’s not answering her bell, we could justify coming into her place without her permission.”

“I’ll call up the DMV. Do you want me to do it before or after I call up Sela Graydon?”

“Get the car info first. That’s an easy fix.”

Oliver talked to the DMV as Marge made a descent into the Valley, going parallel to the cement bed of the L.A. River. At this time of night, it was a dark abyss on her right. She passed the exit for the L.A. Zoo merging onto the 134 West, ripping past Forest Lawn Cemetery.

“It’s a 2003 Toyota Corolla, black.” Oliver recited the license plate number. “Do you have Sela Graydon’s phone number?”

“Not on me.”

Oliver made a second call and within minutes had the digits he needed. When he called it, she didn’t pick up. He left his phone number. He regarded Marge, who appeared deep in thought. “What’s on your mind?”

She paused. “I was just thinking.”

“That’s always dangerous.”

“Remember when we were talking to Yvette Jackson, the waitress? I asked her if she knew anyone named Farley. And then I said it might have been Charley?”

“Yeah, she didn’t know either one of them.”

“I gave myself an idea. Maybe it was Charley…as in Chuck Tinsley.” When he didn’t answer, she said, “Yes, no, maybe?”

“Interesting,” Oliver said. “The Loo told us to interview him again. Let’s do it.”

“Why don’t we get a picture of Tinsley, put it in a six-pack, and show it to Yvette Jackson?”

“Do you think he’d be stupid enough to string her up in the property he was supervising and then report her dead?”

“We’ve gone through a lot of criminals in our years on the force,” Marge told him. “Personally, I’ve never met one who qualifies as an intellectual light.”

RINA KNOCKED BUT
didn’t wait to be invited into the room. “I just called up Matt Birenbaum. He’ll fit us in tomorrow.”

Decker said.
“Him?”

“I know he’s a little bit of an eccentric, but he’s also a top-notch hand surgeon.”

Gabe realized they were talking about him. “I’m okay, Mrs. Decker. Nothing’s broken.”

“That may be, but you need to be looked at. Even if you weren’t a pianist, I’d do it.
Kal v’chomer
, I should do it for someone who needs his hands for a career.”

Gabe didn’t understand everything she was saying but he felt his best defense was not to argue.

“
Kal v’chomer
means I should
especially
have you looked at,” Rina said. “I forgot the English legal equivalent. We’ve got an eleven o’clock appointment. Dr. Birenbaum prides himself on his piano playing, so at least he’ll know what your needs are.”

“He thinks he’s Mozart,” Decker said. “He’s terrible and I don’t even have an ear.”

“He’s a bit full of himself, but that’s what you want in a surgeon.” She looked at his clothes spread across his bed. “Are you going somewhere?”

“I thought I’d visit my aunt for the weekend but she’s not going to be home. Lieutenant Decker was nice enough to let me to stay until she comes back on Monday.”

“You’re moving out?”

“It might be better. Thank you so much for your hospitality. One day, maybe I can repay it.”

“No payment necessary. But you’re not going anywhere until you’ve had your hand checked out. After you’ve seen the doctor, you can go to your aunt’s. Agreed?”

Gabe nodded.

“Peter, go get him a proper ice pack.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Decker stood up and smiled at the boy’s forlorn expression. “She didn’t single you out, Gabe. She’s tough on everyone.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem for him. He should be used to tough women.” After Decker left, Rina sat on the twin bed opposite the boy. “How is your hand? An honest answer, please.”

“Sore.”

“That’s why boxers wear gloves. Let me see it.” He took his hand out of the ice bag and gave it to her. She looked it over with care. “You have some nice bruises. You can move your fingers?”

“Yes.”

“You’re lucky.”

“It was stupid.”

“It might have been stupid, it might have been smart. I don’t know. I wasn’t there. Everything turned out okay, so I’m going to leave it at that. Are you hungry?”

“Not really.”

“Neither is Hannah, but both of you need dinner. Once you start eating, you’ll get your appetite back.”

“Is Hannah mad at me?”

“She’s been acting as your advocate, so I’m guessing the answer is no. Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes. Are you right-or left-handed?”

“A righty with a strong left…at least, I used to have a strong left.”

“You’ll be okay. Being as you’re right-handed, your schooling shouldn’t be impacted.” She waited a moment. “After the appoint
ment, I was going to take you to look for pianos to rent. But if you’re going to move in with your aunt, that wouldn’t make much sense.”

The boy was silent.

“If you want to live with her because she’s your aunt and you’d be more comfortable there, I’m fine with your decision. It’s hard living with strangers. But don’t leave because you think we’re mad at you. Knowing your father, you should be able to stomach a little conflict without buckling.”

“It’s not conflict. I am used to that.” Gabe looked away. “I’m tired of being a burden.”

“If you were a burden, you wouldn’t be here. I don’t do burdens, Gabe, I’m too old. Besides, I don’t have burdens,
you
have burdens. I’m doing great. And don’t worry about my stress level. I’ve raised two boys. They were always getting into scrapes, although I must admit that I don’t think anyone ever held a gun to their ribs.”

The teen shrugged. “I’m a magnet for trouble. Things just seem to happen when I’m around.”

“It’s not smart to be in a parking lot in that area in the dark. I’m going to call up the school. At the very least, they can put up some decent lighting.” Rina looked at him. “Knowing your father, you’ve probably been around guns all your life.”

He nodded.

“Do you have a gun? If you have one, give it to me and I’ll put it in our gun safe.”

“I don’t have a gun.”

“You wouldn’t be fibbing me, would you?”

“No. I swear. I wouldn’t have used my fists if I had a gun.”

“You might not have been packing, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a piece.”

“I don’t. Check the room.”

“I might just do that when you’re not around,” Rina said. “I wouldn’t read your personal material like mail and papers, but I’m not beyond looking under mattresses and other hard-to-find places for guns or drugs.”

“I’m not a druggie. I’ve never bought the stuff in my life. I cer
tainly don’t drink. My father’s an alcoholic and my grandfathers on both sides were alcoholic. It’s in my genes, so I don’t go there.”

“And you don’t have a gun?”

“I don’t. Feel free to look around.”

Rina shrugged. “But you know how to shoot, right?”

“Yep.” A pause. “Chris took care of that.”

“Are you a good shot?”

“Not as good as Chris, but I’ve got a decent aim. Honestly, I hate guns.”

“That makes two of us. But I also know how to shoot. I learned because my husband thought it might be a good idea.”

“Same with Chris.” He was thoughtful. “My dad has lots of enemies. He said that I needed to learn to protect my mom and myself. He used to drill me. He used to shoot at me just to get me used to the sound of whizzing bullets.”

“That’s insane.”

“My dad’s insane.” The boy smiled. “Maybe they were blanks. He never said.”

“That’s outrageous, Gabriel.”

“Yeah, it was pretty bad. Chris wouldn’t have been my first choice in fathers.” A shrug. “I guess he’s a step up from his own dad. Chris never abused me.”

Rina raised her eyebrows. “You don’t consider shooting at your child abuse?”

“I mean physical abuse. Chris’s father used to beat him. Normally I’d think that Dad was lying, but I’ve seen the scars.” He regarded Rina. “I’m sick over my mom. I really miss her. But there’s this tiny part of me that misses Chris, also. Is that weird?”

“Not at all. I’m sure you miss your old life.”

“Yeah, probably. It wasn’t pretty, but at least I owned it.”

IT TOOK ABOUT
fifteen minutes before the gate opened to the condo’s parking lot. Marge followed the car inside, freaking out the woman driver. After she and Oliver displayed their badges, she calmed
down. The driver was in her thirties with a mocha complexion. “You scared the life out of me.”

“Sorry about that,” Oliver said. “Would you happen to know Mandy Kowalski? She’s a nurse at St. Tim’s.”

“What unit is she in?”

Marge gave her the number. “She’s usually at home at night, but she isn’t answering her door.”

“Maybe she’s soaking in the hot tub.”

Mandy didn’t appear like the hot-tub type. Marge said, “Do you know her?”

“No, sorry. There are lots of units here.”

Marge gave her a card. “If you see her, give us a call.”

The woman threw the card into her purse. Marge and Oliver watched her until she disappeared behind a door leading to the elevators. Then Marge scanned the parking lot for Mandy’s car. “About forty double spaces?”

“Yeah, but a third are half full,” Oliver said. “You take the left, I’ll take the right.”

“And I’ll be in Scotland afore you,” Marge quipped.

Twenty minutes later, they met up, neither of them claiming success at locating Mandy’s car. Oliver said, “It’s past nine. I’m not liking this.”

Marge said, “Let’s try her condo again.”

“Her car’s not here, what makes you think she’s in her condo?”

“Just have peek, okay?”

They rode the elevator up to the third floor. As soon as they stepped out of the lift and into the open, Oliver’s phone rang. He looked at the number and shrugged. “Looks familiar but I don’t know who it is.” He depressed the talk button. “Detective Oliver.”

“It’s Sela Graydon returning your call.”

“Yes, Ms. Graydon, thank you very much. We’re trying to locate Crystal Larabee. Would you happen to know where she is?”

“No. I was actually going to call you about that. I can’t seem to get hold of her. She hasn’t answered any of my calls. It’s making me a little nervous.”

“How many times have you called her?”

“About four…maybe five.”

“When was the last time you spoke to her?”

“Around nine or ten yesterday morning. We mentioned something about getting together for coffee and that was the last I’ve heard from her. I was thinking about going over to her place, but I don’t want to seem ridiculous. I mean, she is a grown woman.”

Oliver said, “How about if we meet you there?”

“You know where she lives?”

“I do. We could probably be there in twenty minutes.”

“It’ll take me about a half hour.”

“So we’ll see you in a half hour.”

“So you don’t think I’m being ridiculous?”

“Caring about your friend’s welfare is never ridiculous. Do you know anyone who might have a key to her place?”

“I have a key. I don’t know if it works. I never used it.”

“Bring it—just in case.”

“In case of what?” Sela asked.

Oliver didn’t answer, choosing to disconnect the call instead.