Hollywood Quest

by M. Z. Kelly

  THIRTY-TWO

  When dawn broke the next morning, a total of six buildings in the downtown Los Angeles financial district had been set on fire by exploding bombs. None of the explosions had been strong enough to bring down the buildings, although there was extensive damage and multiple casualties. As Joe and I had breakfast at a restaurant near FBI headquarters, after spending a long night working the crime scenes, I asked him about the numbers killed and wounded.

  “Thirty-seven dead, including nine in our chopper,” Joe said. “Over a hundred wounded in the bombings and aftermath, not sure about the exact number.”

  “One of the other agents said they took a couple of suspects into custody who were trying to leave the area. They aren’t talking, and there’s still no sign of the Rylands.”

  Joe sipped his coffee. “My guess is they’re hundreds of miles away from here, probably planning an encore.”

  I agreed with him, adding, “I wonder if Harlan Ryland could be the head of the Swarm we’ve been looking for all this time. Harlee might even be the second in command.”

  “Maybe.” He worked on his breakfast for a moment. “I still think there are others.”

  I sipped my orange juice, set the glass down, and took out my phone. “There’s something I’ve been struggling with. This is a message Pearl left on his sister’s phone a few days ago that was forwarded to Leo and me. There’s lots of distortion and missing sections in the recording, but maybe you can listen and give me your thoughts on what he said.”

  I played the message for him, then played it a second time at his request. I waited, tamping down my anxiety before he finally gave me his thoughts.

  “It sounds like Pearl’s in Brazil on the trail of those involved in your adoptive father’s death and the disappearance of your bio-dad. Like I said before, it could be there’s some drug trafficking involved, maybe it’s gone on for a number of years.”

  “And?”

  “Not sure. The mention of Harlan Ryland makes me think he’s definitely connected somehow.”

  I exhaled. “And, just maybe, Ryland’s my father.”

  Joe reached over and touched my hand, seeing my distress. “That’s not at all clear to me.”

  “But it is clear that Pearl’s not my dad.”

  “That sounds likely.” When I didn’t respond, he said, “We’re going to need to let Greer know about the message and find Pearl. It might even be that the Rylands are heading for Brazil.”

  “I’ll send him the message this morning.” I finished my bagel, not having much of an appetite. “What happens now?”

  “The agency will leave teams here to do clean up, try and assure the public that things are under control. I’ve got some work to do on an old case back east, then...” His pale eyes fixed on me. “What do you think about my offer to get away, spend some time in the desert?”

  I looked away from him as I thought about the offer. He’d made the suggestion a few weeks earlier, and I was still conflicted about how to answer.

  Joe finally said, “There’s somebody else, isn’t there?”

  I met his pale eyes again. “No...there’s...” I took a breath, “....he’s just a friend, someone I worked a case with. We’re just...we’re getting to know each other.”

  When he didn’t respond or look at me, I reached over and took his hand. “Joe...it’s not like I don’t have feelings for you. It’s just that...” I didn’t go on, unsure about how to express my emotions.

  “It’s just that you want to only be friends,” he finally said.

  I tried to choose my words carefully. “We both have stressful, difficult jobs. I’m just not sure it would work being more than friends, because of that.”

  He took a moment, maybe processing things, then smiled. “Just so you know, I’m not going away or giving up on you. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”

  I felt my eyes filling as I said, “I appreciate that, more than you can ever know.”

  THIRTY-THREE

  After saying goodbye to Joe, I went by Robin’s place and picked up Bernie. I then went home to take a nap.

  I lay in bed awake for a long time, feeling guilty about my conversation with Joe. While I knew he wanted to take things to another level, I also knew that getting involved with a federal agent, whose sole purpose in this life was taking down some of the worst offenders on the planet, wasn’t a good fit. I’d dealt with some bad people, but Joe encountered evil in its purest form, and I knew, sooner or later, that would come between us.

  After lying in bed for a few hours, trying to unwind, but not sleeping, I got up and took a shower. An hour later, I got a call from Delores Wright, Chief Miles’ secretary.

  “I know you’re probably exhausted,” Delores said, “but the chief would like to meet with you about last night’s events.”

  I checked the time. “I can be there by four, if that works.”

  “Perfect, and be sure to bring Bernie with you.”

  I was having a bite to eat when there was a knock on my door. I opened it to find my friends standing there.

  “You okay, sweet pea?” Natalie asked, barging inside.

  Mo followed her, not waiting for me to respond. “We seen everything that happened on TV. They practically burned down the city, and Harlee and her crazy granddaddy are behind everything.”

  “It looks like that’s the case.” I went back over to the kitchen counter while Natalie gave Bernie some attention. “I’m just grabbing a bite to eat before going downtown to talk to the chief about what happened.” I glanced at my phone, seeing a text from Charlie that I’d missed earlier. “Damn.”

  “What gives?” Mo asked, noticing that I was checking my phone.

  I groaned. “Charlie said Grundy’s closing out the Bratton case. We’re back in Cold Case, effective today.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Natalie said. “They need you workin’ real cases, not mindin’ the fridge.”

  Mo agreed, adding, “Like I said before, I think you need to check out the mama.”

  “Laura?”

  She nodded. “Maybe she was involved in somethin’ before she got married, and it’s come back to haunt her.”

  I sighed. “We’ll see. I’ll ask the chief about continuing to work the case.” I checked the time. “I’d better be going.”

  Mo followed me and Bernie to the door. “Nana wants to take us to dinner at the Mission Bell this coming weekend. It’s free drinks and all you can eat.”

  Nana had bought the upscale hotel in Malibu a few months back. “What’s the occasion?”

  “She wants to thank us for gettin’ Jessica to take Boris off her hands,” Natalie said. “I heard the wolf man is doin’ the monstah mash with the Bride of Frankenstein.”

  “Those two deserve each other,” I said, getting Bernie on his leash. “I’ll see how my schedule goes and let you know. I’m supposed to see Ross this weekend.”

  Natalie looked at Mo. “Kate’s job might be back in the fridge, but it looks like her banana basket is thawin’ out.”

  “It’s ‘bout time,” Mo said, looking at me. “Baby sis and me were beginning to think you was in the deep freeze for good.”

  I chuckled. “The jury’s still out about that. See you both later.”

  ***

  Bernie and I arrived at the Cold Case Unit just before four. I told Charlie about Chief Miles wanting to see me. “I think she wants an update on the Swarm before she confirms that we’re back in our old assignment.”

  Charlie was working on some fries from a nearby hamburger stand. He rose, tossing the empty fast food container. “I want to go with you. I’ve got something I wanna ask her.”

  “You sure about this? I know how you are when it comes to the brass.”

  “I’m sure.”

  We went upstairs to the chief’s sixth floor reception area, where Delores gave Bernie lots of attention and a doggy treat. “I’ve got a Pomeranian at home,” she said. “He looks like a large rat compared to Ber
nie.”

  She went on, telling us about Gertrude, before Chief Miles appeared from a back office.

  “Why don’t you spend some time with Bernie, while I talk to these detectives,” Miles said to Delores. She looked at Charlie. “Nice to see you again.”

  After they exchanged greetings, I looked at my partner, who met my eyes and shrugged. It occurred to me that maybe Charlie had already met with Miles, possibly while I’d been working with the feds.

  I spent part of the next hour, giving our new chief an update on the Swarm and the havoc that had been visited on the city. “Joe Dawson, the FBI agent I worked with, thinks the Rylands might have left the state. There’s even a chance they could be in Brazil.”

  “Brazil? Why is that?”

  While Miles knew about my family background, I wasn’t sure if she knew my sister had been raised in Brazil. I took a few minutes, telling her about Lindsay’s upbringing in South America, and about Pearl’s message. “It’s just speculation, but Joe thinks there could be a drug connection to what’s been happening.”

  “I hope they’re brought to justice soon. As you know, there’s a lot of paranoia about what happened. It’s going to take months for the city to recover from this.” Miles’ gaze moved between Charlie and me as she continued. “That brings me to why I wanted to meet today. I’ve made a decision to reinstate Section One.” Her eyes fixed on Charlie for a moment. “Detective Winkler has already asked me to be a part of the revamped unit. I’m going to allow you both to be reassigned, but there’s going to be some changes that I want to make you aware of before you make a final decision about coming aboard.”

  Miles picked up her phone, spoke to Delores for a moment, before turning her attention back to us. “A new lieutenant has been assigned to Section One.”

  Charlie and I both looked up as a woman entered the office. She was tall, African-American, and beautiful. I’d never been formally introduced to her, but I knew our new lieutenant by reputation. The adjectives that came to mind were aggressive, intimidating, and domineering.

  “This is Lieutenant Olivia Quest,” Miles said, formally introducing us. “She was previously assigned to Metro Division. She’s being reassigned as Section One’s new lieutenant, effective today.” We all shook hands before Quest took a seat and Miles went on. “I’ll let Olivia explain about the changes coming to Section One.”

  Our new lieutenant spoke with authority, leaving little doubt about her expectations. “As you both know, Section One is supposed to be a prototype unit that handles high profile and difficult cases. While the cases assigned to the unit have met that criteria, it’s come to my attention that the personnel involved have had some conflicts. If you’re reassigned to Section One, any conflict or personal issues you might have with any other personnel in the unit ends now.”

  Charlie glanced at me, raised his brows, but kept quiet as Quest went on.

  “Section One will be a highly focused, proficient unit that deals with cases, not personalities. As the new lieutenant, I plan to be hands-on and work the streets, not sit in the office. There will be no conflict, disagreements, back stabbing, or anyone working cases that aren’t assigned to the unit.” She looked at me. “No exceptions.”

  “If you’re asking me to stop working with the feds on finding my father’s killers, then I can’t accept the reassignment,” I said.

  Miles glanced at her new lieutenant, looked back at me. “Since you have history with the feds on that issue, I’m going to grant that one exception. Otherwise, all investigations go through Olivia.”

  “What about the Bratton case?” Charlie asked. “When we talked last week, I told you I don’t think we have the full picture.”

  What Charlie said confirmed that he’d made a personal plea to the chief to be reassigned to Section One and work the Bratton case.

  “I’ve looked at the summary reports,” Lieutenant Quest said. “You’re right. I don’t think we have the whole story. That said, Bratton becomes part of the backlog. We won’t be closing the case out, but our priority, starting right now, is another matter. The mayor’s daughter has gone missing.”

  THIRTY-FOUR

  “Kingsley and Hall are meeting us at the mayor’s house in Hancock Park,” Lieutenant Quest told me as she drove me and Bernie to the mayor’s house. Charlie was following us in another car.

  “I’m assuming Leo and Darby are also part of Section One?”

  “Provisionally. Everyone is on probation and has to prove themselves to stay. Additional staff will be added in the next few weeks.”

  I almost told her about Darby’s history, but kept quiet, deciding she would need to make her own decisions about him.

  “What do we know about the mayor’s daughter?” I asked as we turned off the freeway.

  “Valerie Weber is fifteen. She went missing sometime last night, while the mayor was dealing with the bombings.”

  I opened the rear window, giving Bernie some air. My dog was on alert that something big was happening.

  The lieutenant went on. “She’s an A student, currently a sophomore at Saint Francis High. That’s all I know. The parents will fill in the details when we get there.”

  We drove in silence for a couple minutes before the conversation turned personal. Olivia, as she told me she wanted me to call her, glanced at me. “I want you to know that only half of what you’ve heard about me is true.”

  I chuckled. “That’s probably a good thing.”

  She swept her long dark hair back with one hand. My new lieutenant was probably in her mid-thirties, with beautiful skin and dark eyes.

  “As you no doubt know,” she continued, “the sad truth is that if you’re a woman in this business and you’re aggressive and driven, a certain bias and reputation follows you. I want you to know, I try to be fair and honest, and that I personally asked Chief Miles to let you return to Section One.”

  “I appreciate that, and your candor.”

  “And I appreciate all your good work, Detective.”

  “Kate, please.”

  She smiled. “Kate. I think this is going to be a good working relationship.” She turned onto Highland Drive, then asked me about Charlie. “Why do you think he wants to be part of Section One?”

  I glanced out the window as I thought about the change in my partner. “The Bratton case has had an impact on him. He knows he’s coming to the end of his career and wants to make a difference.” I looked over at my new lieutenant. “While Charlie’s had his issues in his past, I think he genuinely wants to prove himself.”

  Olivia nodded. “That’s a good thing.” The smile came back. “I’m going to partner him with Darby. You’re with Leo.”

  I chuckled. “This should be interesting. Just so you know, he and Darby already have some history.”

  “I know about Darby. He either gets the message, or...”

  She didn’t need to go on because there was no doubt about what she meant.

  Mayor Andy Weber and his wife, Ellen, lived in a single-story Spanish hacienda style home on a wide tree-lined street. The grounds were gated, with lush gardens and fountains. After we met up with Charlie, Leo, and Darby, we were met by a housekeeper, who led us to a patio room, where the mayor and his wife were waiting for us.

  “I’ve been calling and texting Valerie every few minutes,” Ellen Weber said before we could ask anything about her daughter. She was an attractive woman, probably in her late forties like her husband, but her voice was high-pitched, bordering on panic. “She hasn’t responded.”

  “Do you know if she took her phone with her?” Olivia asked.

  “We think so,” the mayor said. Andy Weber had been an assistant DA at one time. The law-and-order politician was usually a study in composure, but any pretense of political correctness was gone. “We’ve searched her room and haven’t found it. We need you to find her.”

  “We’ll need to look at her room. When was the last time you saw her?”

  Ellen rose. “Last nigh
t when she went to bed. I thought about waking her up when the bombings began, but decided to let her sleep. When I checked her room this morning, there was a dresser pushed up against her door. I think she went out the window.”

  We all followed her down a hallway and entered a room that was typical of a teenage girl. There were posters of a rock group on a wall, and stacks of books and shopping bags from the mall in front of the closet. The room was furnished with a twin bed, an antique dresser, and matching nightstand.

  “Do you have Valerie’s username and passwords for the apps on her phone?” Olivia asked the Webers.

  The mayor looked at his wife, who didn’t respond, then said, “I don’t think...we never thought about asking. Why is that important?”

  Our new lieutenant didn’t answer, directing her attention to me and the other detectives. “Let’s go through everything, see what we can find.” She turned back to the Webers. “Does Valerie use her phone a lot?”

  “Constantly,” Ellen said. “I try to keep her off it from time to time, but it’s a losing battle.”

  “I need you both to make some calls, get your daughter’s closest friends on the line. When you’ve done that, let me know.”

  “I’ve already talked to her best...”

  “Now, please,” Olivia said. “I need to personally talk to her best friend, boyfriends, acquaintances, anyone who you can get ahold of that knows your daughter.”

  While the Webers went off to make the calls, Olivia turned back to us. “Look for anything that might remotely look like an access code or password. If you find something, let me know right away.”

  After she left the room, Darby lowered his voice. “Our new LT has a reputation for being a ball buster. I got a feeling things are going to get real ugly, real fast.”

  Charlie apparently couldn’t resist the opening. “With you on the case, it’s guaranteed.”