by Maria Pease
“They don’t know the difference, Chanel. We’d better get the hell out of here. Like I said, I don’t think he’ll be talking to anyone anytime soon.”
They’d left just as quickly as they’d come.
As soon as I was sure it was safe, we scurried out of the room and down the hall.
“Holy shit! What the fuck is going on?”
“Wait. Does this mean that Chanel Pinkay is involved in this? I thought she was a big deal?” Alana said.
Although the high heels should’ve been a dead giveaway, I was still caught off guard. How could she be involved in this? And then it dawned on me, I didn’t even know what this was. I had to find out if Archie and Heather Newman were connected, so I put in a call to her dad, Clay, who told us to head over.
He greeted us warmly and offered us coffee while we sat around his kitchen table.
“Have you found any information on my daughter?” he asked.
“We’re still investigating. Do you recognize this man?” I held up my phone with Archie Magnall’s beaten face on the screen.
Clay looked at it and then at me. “What the hell happened to him? He’s so swollen, I can barely see his face. Does he know where Heather is?”
“His name is Archie Magnall. We don’t know if he has a connection to Heather, but does his name sound familiar?”
“No. I would’ve remembered it. Archie was my grandfather’s name.”
We thanked him for taking the time and assured him we would stay in touch. As we moved outside, my thoughts drifted back to Archie, and I couldn’t help but wonder how he was connected to Heather Newman.
Alana and I climbed in the Jeep. “Have you eaten?” I asked.
“No, and I’m starving.”
We made our way to Richie’s Diner and we were seated right away. I was craving something that would ultimately clog my arteries, likely because of all the wine I had consumed last night. I tried to talk myself into a salad, but who could resist a cheeseburger and fries?
We inhaled our burgers and I tried to wrap my head around the idea that Chanel Pinkay was associated with this group of misfits. I vowed to find out more.
We ate every last fry and although it was against my grain, I didn’t even feel bad about it. I wanted to go home and take a nap, thanks to all the grease and carbs that were now making their way through my system. I glanced at Alana and it didn’t look as though she’d been affected the same way. It must be nice to be nineteen.
We made our way up to the office and found Frank leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed. Alana thought it was funny, but I felt pure jealousy. I went to my desk and stared at my computer, trying to pull myself together. Glancing at Frank, I didn’t understand how he could be so relaxed. He’d slept through the ringing bells on the door and hadn’t even twitched once since we’d come in. I tried to will him awake. Heck, I didn’t even sleep that well in my own bed.
My mind was fuzzy, but I pulled out my index cards and reread them, hoping I’d find a spark of inspiration on what to do next. When my cell rang, I have to admit I was grateful for the diversion … until I heard Jake’s voice.
“You need to get over here.” he insisted.
“Why, what’s going on?”
“Now, Sam!”
Chapter 29
My heart raced as I rushed through traffic and ran across the parking lot.
Jake met me at the door. He quickly led the way to the conference room where several files sat open on the table. Jake’s expression was serious.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“We found something.”
“What is it?”
“Sit down, Sam. Remember that file you asked me about? Jasmine Langford? The missing thirteen-year-old?”
“Yes. Did you find her?”
“Her body was discovered last night on Cole Canyon Park Trail.”
I felt lightheaded and a buzzing sound rang in my ears. “Wait … what did you say?”
“A guy out on Cole Canyon Park Trail called to report that his dogs found a body. Her parents identified her and confirmed she always wore a heart-shaped ring and a matching necklace. And Sam … she was frozen.”
“What?”
“She’d been in somebody’s freezer.”
All I could think about was that text message Ted had shown Frank about some guy stashing the body in a freezer in a storage unit. Without a word, I turned on my heel and made my way down to the lab. I found Ted, pouring over evidence bags.
“Hey, Ted. Sorry to pop in like this, but do you still have the phone messages from my text message case?”
“Hey, Sam. Are you looking for anything in particular?” he asked, moving to his evidence locker.
“Yeah. The body on ice. There was a picture.”
“I remember it. You sure you want to see it?”
“I have to see it.”
Ted went through the photos and handed me a copy.
I could see a hand sticking out of the ice. I was struck by the petite fingers and my heart sunk as I stared at the small, heart-shaped ring on the index finger. I knew it could only belong to a young girl. I imagined the pain Jasmine Langford’s parents must be feeling. I felt tears begin to swell in my eyes. I knew I had to get out of there.
“Thanks, Ted.” I quickly retreated to the Jeep.
As I drove down Winchester, tears streamed down my face and my heart pounded in my chest. My first instinct was to head over to the hospital and beat the shit out of our text message killer, Archie Magnall, but I knew better. I’d have to keep my personal feelings out of it, for now.
I pulled into the office lot and looked at myself in the rearview mirror. I found a tissue in my glove box and wiped my eyes, trying to think happy thoughts so Frank wouldn’t get wind of how plowed I felt. I knew that the only thing that would make me feel better was seeing Archie Magnall behind bars for the rest of his life. I headed up the stairs just as my cell rang. I answered it as I walked through the door and watched as Alana paced the floor.
“Hey, where are you?”
“Right behind you.”
She turned on her heels.
“Frank, I need to talk with you. Can you give us a couple of minutes, Alana?”
“I’ll go grab some coffee.”
Once the door closed, I sat down across the desk from Frank. I reached in my bag, found the photo, and put it down in front of him. “Do you remember this?”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
“A couple of days ago, I was in Jake’s office and saw a file. It involved a missing teen and the case was so familiar, I asked Jake about it. At the time, they didn’t have any information on the case, but he called me this afternoon and said they’d found something. He told me a young girl’s body had been found on Cole Canyon Park Trail by some guy with a couple of dogs. Her body had been frozen. Her name is Jasmine Langford. Frank, she was thirteen.”
“You’re sure it’s her?” he asked.
“Yes. Jasmine’s mother identified the ring on the body. It’s her.”
I could see the resignation on Frank’s face, that the son of a bitch in the hospital had killed this kid and had put her on ice. What kind of animal could do that to a kid?
“In order to get the bastard, you need to give Jake everything you have, Sam.”
My text message case and Jake’s missing teen case, it seems, are one-in-the-same. Since cop trumped private investigator, I proceeded to write out a formal report to deliver to him right away. By the time Alana had returned, I was at my desk adding to my note cards and finishing up the report.
“What’s going on? Is everything okay?” she asked, hesitantly.
“Honestly, no. I’ll fill you in when I’m done with this report. Anything new on the Facebook page?”
“I’ll take a look now.”
I went back to my report, making sure to add all the details. I wanted to make it as easy as possible for Jake to nail that SOB and to do it as soon as possible. After another r
eview, I was ready to go.
“We’re heading to the Justice Center, Frank.”
“You got everything for Jake?”
I handed him the report. He looked through it and handed it back to me. “Don’t forget, we’re going to need copies once you sign everything over.”
“Got it,” I said.
I dialed Jake’s number and asked him to wait for me. Although I hadn’t realized it until we arrived, Alana and I remained quiet on the drive over and it was nice to have the time to think. My sadness for the Langfords was raw, but it began to take a new shape as determination to get them justice. I understood nothing would bring their daughter back, but they’d need to move forward, and justice was the first step.
Jake took us back to his office and as I took out my report, I realized I hadn’t filled Alana in on the case. I glanced at her and she headed for the door. “Wait, Alana. Let’s all sit down,” I said.
I filled Jake in on the text message case and went over all the details, including Archie Magnall’s current location at the Temecula Valley Hospital. I also mentioned Archie’s interaction with both Wally and Chanel Pinkay and asked him to keep me updated. I gave him the report and he reviewed it, added his signature, and made me two copies. Alana hadn’t moved and I hoped I’d done the right thing including her.
“Hey, you okay?” I asked.
“Sure. Thank you.”
“Thank you for …?”
“For trusting me. I get it, Sam. It must be tough to know what you should and shouldn’t expose me to.”
“We see some pretty dark, messed up shit, Alana. It can change you. I guess I just don’t know if you need to see it all.”
When Jake walked in, Alana excused herself, saying she needed to make a call and would meet me outside by the Jeep. Jake moved in close, kicking the door closed with his foot. As he reached around my waist and kissed me, I slowly melted into the warmth of his breath on my neck. The smell of his cologne was like a one-two punch that made me weak in the knees. It was in that moment I realized how wound up I’d been. I vowed to make some time to spend with Jake, preferably naked.
Alana was smiling when I walked across the lot and I wondered who she’d been talking with. “Good news?” I asked, getting in the Jeep.
“What?”
“Your phone call.”
She smiled. “I didn’t make a call.”
“You said …”
“Yeah, well … I lied. I just thought you might want a few minutes together.”
We made our way back to the office and Michael Carson flashed through my mind. I wondered where Wally had stashed him. We were so close to getting him back home. I felt a twinge of guilt for wanting to get more on Wally and letting Michael slip through my fingers. It was time to step up my game.
The reality of Jasmine Langford’s death had hit me hard and with it, I found a new angle I wanted to work. Back at the office, I went back through my case notes to look for a starting point. I made a few calls to some friends who worked with the city, as well as my contacts at the Temecula Valley News and The Californian, our local newspapers. I asked them to email me a list of upcoming events. It was approaching the holidays and I was counting on Chanel Pinkay and Montgomery to be attending several of those events. I glanced over at Frank, who was intently reading through a file.
“Frank?”
“Uh, huh?”
“You’re involved in the police department holiday fundraising event, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Can you get me a copy of the guest list and some tickets to the dinner?”
“I guess. What’s all this about?”
“I’m working another angle, that’s all.”
“Okay. I’ll see what I can do.”
Checking my email, I had a message from Jan Jones, a reporter with the Californian, the paper that covers Riverside County. We’d met several years ago while volunteering at an animal shelter and had become fast friends. Her media credentials allowed her access to everything going on, no matter how big, and she knew everyone. Although I’d resisted taking advantage, due to our friendship, she occasionally fed me information that had been helpful in solving a couple of cases. Of course, it wasn’t a one-way street. I’d shared information with her as well. Her message had said she’d like to get together and that suited me just fine. It had been a while and it would be great to catch up.
I gave her a call rather than wait for a return email and asked if she’d like to meet for a glass of wine. She quickly agreed, so I recommended Public House on Main Street. It was close to the office and I’d be able to head right over after work.
I tried to think of anything, other than the list of events, she might be able to help me with and made a list of questions. I added to it as I went about my day. There were so many unanswered questions and so many players, yet I didn’t really feel like I had a handle on any of it. I was kicking myself for not getting Michael Carson out when I could.
Alana had stayed busy monitoring all the social media sites, but she’d said there’d been no activity. It looked as though Wally was staying quiet, at least for the time being.
I wanted to keep my eye on him, and since I had a few hours before my meeting with Jan, I decided a stakeout was in order. I put my notes and file in my bag and Alana looked up.
“I need to get back over to see if Wally is around. You don’t have to join me. I know it’s not very exciting.”
“Are you sure? I have mid-terms coming up, and I should start studying.”
“Yes, of course. School is your main priority.”
“Frank, I’m heading to Wally’s to see if there’s any movement. I’ll check in with you later.” I headed to the door.
“I’ve got to go to class,” Alana said.
The temperature had dropped significantly. Grey clouds hung low in the sky and I wondered if it would get cold enough to snow. I pulled up to the curb down the street from Wally’s house and had a perfect view. The Ferrari was in the driveway and the garage door was opened about a quarter of the way. I suspected Wally must be inside. I turned off the engine, zipped up my coat, stashed my keys in my pocket and walked up the sidewalk across the street from the house. I looked into the garage, but my view was limited to some moving feet. A ping pong ball echoed above the faint sounds of voices and music. I couldn’t help but wonder who was inside.
The maroon SUV had turned the corner and came to a screeching halt in front of the house catching me completely off guard. I back-tracked to the Jeep while I kept eyes on the garage door. I grabbed my camera and focused it to see who was driving. The angle of the lens, along with the darkened sky, kept me from seeing the driver clearly, so I turned my attention back to the garage.
When it opened, three girls moved to the van and got in. Wally pushed the garage door down, hopped in the front seat and they drove away.
Chapter 30
Staying behind, Deja vu washed over me. I was torn between following them and getting back inside the house. I made my decision; I needed to get back inside for another look. There had to be something I’d missed, and I wasn’t going to let it happen again. I cautiously made my way toward the house, taking inventory of my surroundings. At the far end of the street, a man and woman carried groceries to their house while a toddler followed on their heels. With no other activity in the area, I disappeared behind the gate.
Turning the knob, the door was locked so I stepped outside and tried the garage door. I rolled myself under and pulled it back down. Inside, a ping pong table sat on one side along with a cozy gathering space with a couch, easy chair, and a small square coffee table. Beer bottles were scattered about, and the place smelled of greasy fast food.
I opened the cabinets that stood along the garage wall and scoured the contents. The shelves were filled with gaming consoles, controllers, cords, and the video games Halo, Bungie and Eidos, among others. By the looks of it, this guy had a serious gaming addiction. I moved to the next cabinet and fo
und what looked like a version of my chemistry lab from college. Beakers, test tubes, clamps, Bunsen burners, and a variety of other gadgets neatly lined the top two shelves.
On the lower shelves, roughly forty boxes of organic milk tea sat next to a stack of newspapers. I took one of the papers. It was the Backpage newspaper, the same paper I’d found in Wally’s recycling bin. I noticed some of the ads were circled with letters next to them. The letters were different and I couldn’t make out what they meant, so I checked another one. It was marked the same way. In fact, all the papers on the shelf were marked similarly. I took a few of the pages and stashed them in my pocket, then carefully put rest back on the shelf.
I glanced around and spotted a large lockbox. Curious, I opened it and the odor of skunk assaulted me. Inside, I found several rolled baggies that looked and smelled like pot. I also found smaller bags filled with a white crystalloid substance.
Holy shit! He’s a fucking drug dealer!
I returned everything and headed for the door leading into the house. It was locked.
Suddenly, a chill ran up my neck. I rushed back to the garage door, laid down, and raised the door slightly. Two sets of feet in black converse sneakers stood inches from my nose. My heart sunk.
Hands raised the door from the outside. “Who the hell are you and why the fuck are you in my garage?” Wally said.
I scrambled to my feet and stood frozen, like a deer in the headlights. My mind went blank. I’d fucked up in the worst way and I knew it could cost me my life.
Wally and his buddy stared at me and I knew he was trying to place me.
My breath was shallow and I felt lightheaded.
“The casino!” Wally blurted out. “We shared an elevator ride.”
When I saw stars, I knew I was in trouble. My knees buckled and everything faded to black.
I hadn’t even opened my eyes when I felt the painful throbbing in my head and wondered if anyone had ever really had their head explode. I opened my eyes and found myself in the dark with my arms secured above me. I was disoriented and my stomach turned.