JP opened his phone to the photo of Scott Le that Greg had just sent him and handed it to Quang. “Have you ever seen this man?”
Quang shook his head from side to side. “No. I don’t think so.”
“That’s not the man who came to see Kim-Ly?”
“No.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
JP handed him Scott Le’s business card. “Here’s another picture of him. Does that help?”
“It’s not him. He looks a little like him, but it’s not him. The man I saw is much bigger and has broader shoulders.”
JP was disappointed. He thought he had found his mystery man. JP took the phone back and touched the screen accidentally. Mae Chu’s photo came up.
“I’ve seen that woman.”
JP held up his phone. “This woman?”
“Yes. She was the one who came to the house that night. The man in the black car took her away.”
“You’re certain of that?”
“Yes. I saw her up close. Both of them. They walked right past me.”
“And you said before that you didn’t think she went willingly? Is that correct?”
“She wasn’t fighting or screaming or anything, but she didn’t look like she wanted to get in the car.”
“Of course,” JP said. Mae Chu had started to work on this case. All this time, JP thought that the woman Quang saw was just another one of the “girls.” He should’ve realized it sooner. “Thanks, Quang. You’ve been a big help.”
“Have you found out anything about Jade yet?”
“We’re getting closer. Have you heard from her?”
“No, not a word,” he said. His voice was softly tinged with concern.
“Don’t worry. I’m going to find her.” JP meant what he said, but he was apprehensive about what he would find.
Chapter 44
Tyson Dole Cooper, aka Clint Buchanon
Sabre reached the top of the steps that led directly into the bar of The Brigantine. Clint Buchanon had already arrived and was waiting at a small booth across the room until they could get a table for dinner. A bottle of Budweiser was in front of Clint and a glass of water across from him. He stood up as she approached and waited for her to sit before he sat back down.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
“Thank you.” She nodded at the beer. “No Shiner Bock?”
“Unfortunately, they don’t carry it. I ordered you a water with no ice, no lemon, and a straw.” He tipped his head to the side, “Right?”
“Right. Thanks, you’re very attentive.”
“I didn’t want to make another drink faux pas. I figured the water was safe. Would you like anything else?”
“No, that’s good. I don’t drink at all when I’m driving. Besides, I’m a lightweight. It doesn’t take much to make me tipsy.”
“That’s smart. I always limit myself to no more than two beers,” he said. “So, how was your day?”
“Good. We’re making some progress on a difficult case.”
“We? You and your friend that I met at the bar?”
“No. That’s Bob Clark. He and I are both sole practitioners, but I have a private investigator that works with me.”
“That’s right, you called him PJ or something like that, right? You mentioned him when we were at Upstart Crows.”
“JP.”
“Like I said before, that sounds like an exciting job to have. Is he good at it?”
“He’s extremely good at it, but most of the time it’s routine…like my job…like most jobs. It’s just been a little stressful lately with this case. There’s a lot we don’t know and I’m afraid it’s taking up a great deal of his time.”
“Time he’d rather be spending with his family?”
“Not his family exactly.”
“Ahh, a girlfriend?” Clint sounded as if he knew what that was like.
“I don’t know. Maybe. Just an old friend, really, who needs his help.”
“Is this friend sick?”
“No,” Sabre said. She didn’t want to be talking about JP. It was time to get to know Clint. “It’s just a tough case. That’s all.”
Before Sabre could change the subject further, Clint asked, “Anything you can tell me about?”
“No, not really. Sorry.” Sabre took a drink of her water. “How about you? What did you do today?”
“I took my sister to the zoo. I thought it would be good to get her out of the house for a while.”
“That was sweet. You’re a good brother.”
“I don’t know about that. Perhaps if I were a better brother she wouldn’t be in this mess.” He took a swig of his beer. “But enough about that. I want to get to know you better. Tell me, what makes Sabre happy?”
They visited for another fifteen minutes or so until their name was called for a dinner table. Throughout dinner they talked about their lives. Sabre told him more stories about her brother Ron, about falling out of the tree house and breaking her arm when she was ten, and her training for a half-marathon that was coming up in the early spring.
He told her about life on a ranch in Texas, raising pigs, his belief in monogamous relationships, his dream to have a family, and the girl who broke his heart. “She was a beauty queen, smart and independent, quite a combination. She’s the one who got away.” He smiled when he said it, making his statement not sound so serious. “But you learn from those mistakes and make the next relationship better, right?”
“Or make better choices in the beginning.”
“It was a long time ago. I was young. I’d like to think I’m a better man now.”
“I’m sure you are,” Sabre said. She found Clint to be an easy man to talk with and realized she was really having a good time.
When dinner was over, Clint paid the bill. He put his arm lightly around her waist as they walked through the restaurant. At the bottom of the steps, he stepped forward and opened the door for her. When they moved out into the evening air, he took a deep breath. “Love the smell of the ocean air.”
“Just another day in paradise,” Sabre said.
When they reached the car Clint said, “I had a great time.”
“Me too,” Sabre said.
“So, does that mean you’ll do the honor of going out with this Texas boy tomorrow evening?”
“I can’t go tomorrow. I promised my mother I would have dinner with her.”
“We could spend the day together.”
“I’m sorry. I would really like to, but I have to prepare for court on Monday. I have some cases right now that are really demanding my time.” Clint looked very disappointed and Sabre did want to see him again. She knew he had limited time here and she didn’t want him to think she wasn’t interested. “Will Monday evening work?”
He smiled. “It’s a date.” He leaned in and kissed her on the lips, a soft kiss with lips slightly parted, lingering for only a few seconds. Then he opened her car door for her. “I’m an excellent cook. If I were at home I’d invite you to my house and cook for you.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Sabre said.
“I could come to your house.” When Sabre didn’t respond right away, he said, “Maybe I’m stepping over the line here, but I make a mean salmon dinner.” He tipped his head slightly to the right and smiled. “I’m not asking for anything except dinner, you know. I promise I’ll be a good boy.”
Sabre thought about how considerate and attentive he had been and decided it would be fun to be pampered. She nodded. “Okay, you can cook for me. What do you need?”
“Just provide me with the kitchen and I’ll do the rest. I’ll bring everything we need. All you have to do is sit back and watch me work my magic.”
“It’s a deal.”
Chapter 45
The Tran Case
Child: Emma, age 18 mos. (F)
Parents: Father—unknown, Mother—Kim-Ly Tran
Issues: Neglect
Facts: Mother left eight
een-month-old girl in locked room and went to work. Apartment complex caught on fire.
The sun had just begun to rise as JP parked across the street from Scott Le’s house in Golden Hills. A jacaranda tree with its purple flowers peeking out of the blossoms blocked JP’s car just enough so it wasn’t obvious and yet he could still see if someone came to the house or left it. A large cup of black coffee rested snugly in the cup holder. He leaned his seat back just a little to be more comfortable, picked up his coffee cup, and waited.
Nearly an hour and a half passed before Scott Le drove out of his garage in a Gun Metallic Nissan 370Z. JP followed him as he left the neighborhood and drove straight up 30th Street into North Park. He dropped back slightly, keeping several cars between them. Scott Le zigzagged through several residential streets. JP stayed behind him, concerned that Le made so many turns. He hoped he hadn’t been spotted. JP dropped farther back until he saw Le pull into a driveway. Noting the address, JP drove past the house and down the street. Then he turned around and came back, parking before he reached the house. There were enough cars on the street to keep him from being conspicuous. He waited, not exactly sure what he was going to do next.
JP jotted down the address in his notebook while he sat there. He discreetly checked the house every thirty seconds with his binoculars. In less than ten minutes he saw the front door open and an Asian woman in her fifties stepped outside. JP picked up his binoculars and watched as Scott Le stood at the front door yelling at the woman in another language, but JP wasn't close enough to make out the words even if he could have understood them. Through his binoculars, JP caught a glimpse of the woman's face, but most of the time Le blocked his view. When Le stepped away, the woman flung the door open wide before she re-entered. Before she closed it, JP saw what looked like several sewing machines lined up in a row with women sitting behind them. He was momentarily puzzled; he had expected to see a room full of standard living room furniture.
Le got in his car and drove off the same way he came. Again JP followed. This time he stopped at Diamond Dry Cleaners on 30th Street. He wasn’t carrying anything to be cleaned when he approached the door. The sign read Closed. He knocked and a few seconds later someone opened the door. JP couldn't be sure, but it appeared to be a man. Scott Le went inside and about fifteen minutes later he left without any newly-cleaned clothes.
JP followed him back to his home in Golden Hills. He waited for a while and when all the lights in the house went out, he left.
***
When JP returned home, he immediately researched the property tax records on the house where Scott Le lived in Golden Hills, the house he visited in North Park, and the cleaners. He discovered that Le had owned the Golden Hills home for a little over two years. The Diamond Dry Cleaners property had belonged to David Leland for the past six years, and less than a year ago, Leland had purchased the home in North Park. Further research uncovered two more homes owned by David Leland. He had owned one of them for four years. It was a rental property that was situated in Linda Vista. He had purchased the other property in La Jolla two months ago and it was owner-occupied. Even more interestingly, he had purchased six more dry cleaning businesses in the last twenty-two months as well as one hundred twenty acres of land in Julian, a small town a little over an hour northeast of San Diego.
JP drove to the home in La Jolla, which sat on the side of a hill overlooking the ocean. Like many homes in that area, it had a spectacular view. Meticulous landscaping surrounded a driveway of natural stone. The house appeared to have been recently painted. JP drove past the house a couple of times and then headed to the other home owned by David Leland.
The house in Linda Vista was located in a residential neighborhood not too far from Padre Gold, a well-known local bar. This house was the complete opposite of the La Jolla house. It had no view, the exterior needed paint, and the front yard had a small patch of grass full of weeds. The front windows were covered with dark curtains. A window on the side appeared to be boarded up.
JP parked in front of the house, took a large white envelope out of his trunk, and walked to the front door. A dark-haired Asian woman answered the door. She didn’t open it very wide so JP could see very little inside, but he could hear the whir of sewing machines as they plugged away behind her.
"What you want?" she said in a heavy accent, her tone more friendly than the syntax of her words.
JP looked at the envelope as if he were reading it. "I'm looking for someone named Quang Pham," he said, thinking of one of the few names he knew to be Vietnamese.
"No one here by that name."
"Are you sure?" He looked at the number on the side of the house. "This is the address on the envelope. It's very important that I get this to him."
"Not here."
"Thank you," JP said and left as the machines buzzed away. He had satisfied at least one of his suspicions.
***
The Durham Case
Child: Matt Durham, Defendant
Type: Delinquency case
Charges: Two counts of First Degree Murder
Victims: Hannah Rawlins & Mason Usher
Facts: Double homicide. Two teenagers bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat.
Since he was not far from where Matt Durham's friend Ralph worked, JP decided to stop in and have another chat with him. All three stalls at Jim's Oil and Lube were empty, but JP parked off to the side and walked to where Ralph was standing out back smoking a cigarette.
"Good, I caught you on a break. Remember me?"
"Yeah, you're the private dick for Matt."
"Yes. JP," he said, extending his hand to shake.
Ralph put his cigarette in his mouth so he could reciprocate. "Is that good-looking attorney going to get Matt off? Get…Matt…off.” He chuckled at his own double entendre.
JP felt his face redden at Ralph's sick joke, but immediately wondered how Ralph knew Sabre was “good-looking.” He didn't think he had ever seen her. "Have you met Ms. Brown?"
"No, but I seen her on TV. Matt's been in the news a lot, you know. Besides, Matt said she's pretty hot."
JP wanted to punch this guy and his psycho buddy. He didn't want either of them even thinking about Sabre, much less talking about her. He could only imagine the disgusting conversations they had about her.
"You weren't with Matt the night when Hannah and Mason were killed, were you?" JP's anger made him change his tactics.
"Of course I was."
JP decided to call Ralph’s bluff. He looked around as if he were making sure no one was listening, and then he lowered his voice. "The cops think he had an accomplice. They're looking for the second guy." JP watched the color drain from Ralph's face. "Have they come to talk to you yet?"
"No, why would they? Matt said you and his attorney are the only ones who know about me."
"For now, maybe, but when we go to trial they'll have to know."
"Yeah, but then it'll be too late, right?"
"Too late to charge you? Absolutely not. Besides, you've been to visit him. They'll be checking on you soon. You can be sure of that."
Ralph finished his cigarette. He crushed the stub against the brick wall next to him and lit up another one. "You think?"
"Look, Ralph, we work for Matt. We want what's best for him and all we need now is the truth from you. If you were really with him, tell me, and we'll use it to help Matt. But if you weren't and we go to court with it, he'll look worse when the prosecutor pokes holes in your testimony—not to mention how guilty it’s going to make you look.” JP's voice escalated slightly. “So level with me. That's all we want."
Ralph took a long drag on his cigarette. "I just wanna help the kid. He said he didn't do it. He said he was getting set up by that Flynn kid who stole his bat."
"And maybe he is. We're looking into that," JP said. "So, were you with Matt that night?"
"No, I was at a bar."
“What bar?”
“The Handle Bar.”
JP n
odded his head. "Okay. Did Matt ask you to cover for him?"
"Yes, he said he was out alone but nobody believed him. He was really scared."
"Was that before or after his arrest?"
"After. It was the second time I visited him." Ralph took a long pull on his cigarette. The smoke floated out of his mouth as he spoke. "He swore he didn't kill nobody. Do you think he did it?"
"It doesn't matter what I think."
"I never even seen him get mad really. Never heard him threaten nobody or nothing, you know. All he ever did was play video games. He liked to kill people in the games."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing really. He was just good at it. I mean, that's the whole point of the games, right?"
Chapter 46
Sabre looked across her desk at JP. She couldn't help but think how ruggedly handsome he was. She shrugged it off. "So, what have you discovered on the Tran case?" Sabre asked.
"I'm not sure, but there are a lot of strange things happening. First, both Kim-Ly and Jade are younger than they claim to be. Second, I found two houses where Jade, whom we are not supposed to know is Kim-Ly’s sister, has lived for short periods of time with other young girls. Third, those houses led us to Scott Le, who is connected to two more houses with women working on sewing machines and to several dry cleaning businesses."
"So the women on the sewing machines are probably working for the dry cleaners, which in itself is not illegal."
"Not if they are paid proper wages and are here legally. But I would bet my last possum they aren’t," JP said.
“And how many possums do you have?”
“Not enough.” He smirked.
"Even so, what do the sewing machine houses have to do with Kim-Ly? How does that affect the custody of her daughter? I realize we have to figure out the whole age thing, but that's a different issue. And we don't know if Scott Le has done anything illegal as far as the houses where Jade has lived or if he's even connected to Kim-Ly."
The Advocate's Ex Parte (The Advocate Series Book 5) Page 21