Walking Shadows

by Faye Kellerman

  “There’s your first lie, princess. Me being reasonable.”

  Cindy laughed. “I know I’m putting you in a very bad position—well, I’m not, but she is. Anyway, I wanted to give you a heads-up.”

  “And she doesn’t know we’re related.”

  “I haven’t said anything. She’s a decent detective, but up until now, I never saw her acting with initiative. You should talk to her, Daddy. I know you don’t want her doing this, but if she has sensitive information, it’s good to let someone else know about it.”

  “And you’re sure that she didn’t access the information illegally?”

  “No, she signed out the boxes, which makes it worse. Anyone can trace her. Plus . . . this is really bad. She took the file home.”

  “Good heavens, what is wrong with her? Is she trying to get herself fired?”

  “At least you can see what she’s talking about.”

  “Cold comfort. I have to think about this. But one way or the other, I want to see those files. I’ve already asked Wendell Tran to get them out of archives, and now if he does it, he’ll see that they were already checked out by Lennie. God, what a mess!”

  “Who’s Wendell Tran?”

  “The missing persons detective assigned to the Joe Boch Junior case. Jaylene Boch lived in Hamilton.”

  “Okay. Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure.”

  “Why do you want to see the files if the murderers are in prison?”

  “I wanted to find out if anything in those files might be related to Brady Neil’s homicide.”

  “And?”

  “What makes you think there’s an ‘and’?” Cindy waited. Then Decker said, “Okay, here goes nothing. Glen Levine had a partner—Mitchell Flint. He and his wife, Margot, were convicted of embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering. A few days before they were to be sentenced, they skipped town.”

  “How did they manage to do that?”

  “They were out on bail. They had surrendered their passports and weren’t considered a flight risk because they had teenaged children.”

  “Interesting.” She paused. “I take it this was before the murders?”

  “About two years before the murders.”

  “If they were involved in the homicides, they waited awhile.”

  “Yes, they did. But like Rina said, it takes time to plan something like this, especially if you’re a fugitive. I’m not saying they had anything to do with it. But their names should be in the files as suspects in the murders. I want to see if anyone mentioned them.”

  “I agree. Do you know where they are?”

  “No. I don’t even know if they’re in the country.”

  “Can I help? Our databases are more complete than yours.”

  “I don’t want to get you involved, but if you happen to be curious . . .” Decker spelled the names for her.

  “Not a problem.” A pause. “What are you going to do about Lennie?”

  “I have to tell Mike Radar about this. We’ll come up with something.”

  “Good.” A pause. “Sorry about this.”

  “Why? What did you do?”

  “I suppose if I’m letting you handle this, it takes me off the hook.”

  “Hey, I called you about her in the first place. If anyone started this chain of events, it’s me. And call me if you need anything, Cyn. Help is a two-way street.”

  “True. But help from parent to child is always more trafficky than child to parent.”

  Decker smiled and hung up. His grin was short-lived. It was now his firm duty to call up Mike Radar and let him know what was going on. The captain’s reply was predictable.

  “We need to call Victor Baccus.”

  “With all due respect, Mike, I’d prefer to leave him out of it until I’ve seen the file. There’s something screwy going on.”

  “Yeah, and screwy is named Lennie Baccus. She not only disobeyed direct orders from her captain, she’s flouting protocol. She took the file home, for Chrissake. She’s rogue.”

  “She’s trying to prove herself.”

  “By going rogue.”

  “Let me see the files, Mike. I can tell right away whether they’ve been messed with.”

  “How do you know she isn’t presenting you with false files or that she hasn’t messed with them herself?”

  “I wouldn’t know that. But I won’t know anything until I’ve seen the pages.”

  “I don’t deal with rogue cops. Especially ones who seem to be setting you up. It’s going to look like you were colluding with her.”

  “I know, but Baccus isn’t going to fire his own daughter.”

  “Why not? He didn’t have any qualms about yanking her off Homicide.”

  “Mike, I’m not letting her hang out to dry. What’s the worst you can do? Fire me? I’ve had a long career. I have a pension that’s untouchable. Certainly, looking at a file that may be related to my case is not a criminal offense. And what the hell is wrong with an officer of Hamilton PD looking over an old case?”

  “And taking it home?” When Decker didn’t answer, Radar said, “Why is she sticking her neck out?”

  “Like you said, to prove herself to her dad. Or maybe it’s to spite him. It’s irrelevant. I’m not deserting her just because she’s showing a little spine. Look, Mike, I’m just telling you because if something blows up, I want you to know what I’m doing.”

  “What could blow up?”

  “I don’t know. A couple of years before the murders, Glen’s shady business partner and his wife went underground. Then the Levines were murdered. Although some of the gems were recovered, bigger pieces are still missing. Neither Gratz nor Masterson got life without parole—which would have been the natural sentence. Corruption comes to mind.” A pause. “Maybe there was a payoff in jewels for a lighter sentence.”

  “That would mean not only corrupt officers but bribing a judge. Do you have any evidence?”

  “If I did, I wouldn’t be holding back. I know I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me see what the files look like and I’ll tell you everything I know. But please. For the time being, let’s leave Victor Baccus out of it.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “Don’t involve yourself, Mike.”

  “You’ve already involved me. I’m coming, and so is McAdams. This way, we all know what’s going on and there’s no collusion. I’m trying to help you out, Decker.”

  “I realize that. You’re putting your own integrity on the line. I really appreciate it.”

  “Stop with the flattery. I’m pissed. Now I’ve got to deal with a neighboring captain who’s going to find out about this and be pissed that I didn’t call him.”

  “Call him after we look at the file.”

  “Doh, why didn’t I think of that?”

  Decker laughed. “Sorry.”

  Radar laughed as well. “Give Officer Sticky Fingers a call tonight and set something up. Hopefully, the homicide file looks like a homicide file and we all go back to work on Monday. But either way, I’m going to have to make that phone call and I’m pissed about it. And no, I don’t want you to make the call to Baccus. Let me know when you’ve got a time and a place. And try to make it before dinnertime. Sunday may not be your sabbath, but it is mine.”

  “I’m sorry about this.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re excited and you’re trying to hide it. You’ve got a bug up your butt, Pete. Let’s hope when it bites you, it’s not carrying anything lethal.”

  Chapter 20

  At nine in the morning, Decker, McAdams, and Radar met outside Lennie’s apartment building. The street was tree-lined with big leafy oaks. Because it was Sunday, the neighborhood was quiet except for some excitable birds being chased by ravens. A bright sun, sitting in deep blue sky, was already warming the day. McAdams had on a white shirt and blue linen pants, ringlets cascading down his neck. Radar was wearing an open-neck white shirt and tan slacks. Decker was the only one dressed in a suit. But
he went Friday casual in a white short-sleeved polo shirt. He said, “She’s on the third floor. I’ll call her and let her know we’re here.”

  He punched in the numbers and, unexpectedly, got voice mail. She knew they were coming. He had confirmed it an hour ago. Where the hell was she?

  Decker looked at the others. “She’s not answering.”

  Radar narrowed his eyes. McAdams walked up to the glass door that led to a small lobby. It was locked. “We have to be buzzed in.”

  Decker said, “Is there a house manager?”

  “Yeah.” McAdams pushed the button. When a voice came over the intercom, he announced himself as the police. The door buzzed, and they all walked inside. They took the elevator to Lennie’s floor and walked over to her unit. When McAdams knocked, the door fell open. He started to go in, but Radar stopped him.

  “Take a picture on your phone, then announce yourself.”

  Decker looked at the doorjamb. “It’s been jimmied.” He took out his own phone for evidence pictures.

  Finally, the men stepped inside. The apartment looked neat, and there was the distinct smell of coffee brewing. A quick look around revealed an apartment with few adornments—a living room with basic furniture that opened into a kitchenette with a breakfast bar. On the fake granite countertop were mugs, spoons, sugar, and Splenda. Moments later, Decker heard footsteps. He stepped back into the hallway and saw Lennie carrying a carton of milk. She wore a cotton jersey red T-shirt over jeans with moccasins on her feet.

  “So sorry I’m late. I made coffee, but I ran out of milk. I know you take yours black, but I wasn’t sure—”

  “Lennie, someone broke into your apartment,” Decker informed her. “When we got here, your door was open and the doorjamb looked pried open. How long were you gone?”

  She stopped walking and stood slack-jawed. “About forty-five minutes.”

  “It takes you that long to get milk?” Lennie was silent. Decker said, “I think someone was watching you. Let’s go inside. You tell me if anything’s missing.”

  The two of them went back inside the apartment. Lennie put the milk on the counter. Her face still registered shock. “My laptop is missing.” She looked at the men. “I don’t keep anything important on it. I keep private stuff on my iPad mini—which is in my purse.”

  McAdams said, “We tried calling you. You didn’t answer.”

  She checked inside her handbag and pulled out her phone. “Sorry. It was off.”

  “Where is the Levine file?” Radar asked.

  “Oh shit!” She ran to the bedroom and the others followed, watching her as she pulled out a dresser drawer and rooted through a pile of sweaters. “Gone.” She clamped her long fingers over her mouth. “How did this happen!”

  Decker blew out air. “Now what!” He turned to an ashen Lennie. “What was in those files that warrants a break-in?”

  “I have no idea. You can see for yourself.” Lennie took out a USB flash drive. “Last night, after I talked to my old sergeant, I had a bad feeling. This morning, I scanned the contents onto a computer at a twenty-four-hour place in Jackson, emailed a copy to my old sergeant, and downloaded the contents onto a USB stick.”

  Radar said, “Officer Baccus, you can’t willy-nilly send police files over the internet even if you sent it to another officer at a legitimate police organization. What is wrong with you?”

  Lennie looked down. “I erased everything on the computer.”

  “It’s still on the hard drive, Lennie. You know that. Why do you think we confiscate computers from our suspects?” Decker turned to Radar. “We’ll get hold of the machine and destroy it.”

  “The file is twenty years old. I figured who’d care?” When no one answered, Lennie said, “I know, it was really dumb.”

  “It was dumb of you to take home the file in the first place,” Radar said. “For precisely this reason. This could be your career.”

  “I have no career as long as I’m under my father’s command.” She was suddenly frustrated. “He has no faith in me. I suppose I emailed a copy to my sergeant because I really trust her—more than my father. It’s the weekend. She probably doesn’t even know she has it on her email.”

  “I’ll call her.” Decker stared at Lennie. “We’ve been talking a lot about you.”

  Lennie winced. “She probably thinks I’m a doofus.”

  “A little bit. She also thinks that you might be out of your league.” A pause. “Or maybe she identifies with you because her dad is also a cop.”

  McAdams cleared his throat. Lennie started clicking her nails. Decker put his hand over hers. “Why do you do that? Play with your nails. It’s annoying.”

  She clasped her hands together. “I used to bite them to the quick. So now I put gels on. I don’t bite them anymore, but I guess it’s one bad habit replacing another.” She made a face. “Sorry.”

  “I’m edgy right now. I’m sure you are as well.” Decker backed off. “Let’s see what you have on your USB stick. I think we’ll need a computer for that.”

  “We’re not using the station house computer,” Radar said. “I don’t want a Hamilton file in our files without permission.”

  “I have a laptop that I use exclusively for school,” McAdams said. “How about we go over to my apartment and I’ll make coffee?”

  “I think you left your laptop at my place,” Decker said.

  “Uh, yes, that is true,” McAdams said. “How about we go over to Decker’s house and I’ll make coffee?”

  Radar said to McAdams, “There’s closed-circuit TV when you enter the lobby. You come with me and we’ll get the manager to pull the tape. If it’s pros, they’ve probably put something over the lens. But sometimes when you’re in a hurry, you slip up.” To Decker, he said. “Take Officer Baccus and we’ll meet you at your house.”

  “Let’s go,” Decker said to Lennie.

  Her smile was sad. “I’m going to get fired.”

  “I’d certainly fire you,” Radar said.

  Lennie winced again. “Then I might as well see this through. I have nothing left to lose.”

  “Not true,” Radar said. “You’ve got your safety to think about, Officer Baccus. You’ve made someone angry. You’ve also made someone desperate. Angry and desperate is not a good combination.”

  After securing the CCTV tape from Lennie Baccus’s apartment lobby, Radar and McAdams joined Lennie and Decker, who had already downloaded the files from the USB stick. Rina came out with a coffee set and put it down on the dining room table. She stared over her husband’s shoulder as McAdams slowly scrolled down the pages. It started with the crime report, then moved into the crime scene photos and evidence lists, followed by autopsy reports. It ended with pages centered around the investigations into the homicides.

  Decker said, “It’s on the thin side.”

  Radar asked, “How many crime scene photos do we have?”

  “Too few for a double homicide.”

  “I’m counting twelve evidence cones in these photos alone,” the captain remarked. “What was listed in evidence?”

  McAdams said, “Fifteen items, but not the murder weapon.”

  “What about evidence found when they searched the suspects’ home?”

  Lennie said, “A gun was taken, but it wasn’t the one that killed the Levines.”

  Radar asked, “What weapon killed them?”

  “No weapon was recovered. They found .38-caliber ammo, probably from a .38 Special Smith and Wesson.”

  “Standard police weapon back then,” Decker noted.

  “I realize that,” Radar said.

  Decker said, “At the murder scene, is there anything on the evidence list about recovering .357 cartridges?”

  McAdams said, “Three-fifty-seven cartridges?”

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Rina said.

  “What’s he thinking?” McAdams asked.

  “You can fire .38 Special S and W ammo from a .357 Magnum. Down at the range, I saw thi
s guy do it and asked him about it. He said .38 ammo is much cheaper that .357, but you have to be careful. But if you’re a criminal, I suppose it’s also a good dodge. The police would be looking for a .38 Special Smith and Wesson and not a Magnum. By the way, you can’t use Magnum ammo in a .38 Special. Too powerful.”

  “Gold star for you,” Radar said. “I’m impressed.”

  “You’re absolutely right, Rina,” Decker said. “It is a good dodge because it’s something that not everyone knows about. If there were any .357s . . . even one . . . we could consider a Magnum as the murder weapon.”

  Rina shrugged. “Who wants coffee?”

  Hands all around. Radar said, “Did they ever find the weapon that killed the Levines?”

  “If they did, it wasn’t in the file,” Lennie said.

  Radar shook his head. “I don’t know if something stinks or not, but you’re right about one thing, Baccus. The file is thin and heavily redacted, and that’s not normal.”

  Decker said, “Maybe these murders were part of a bigger investigation with another agency. When that happens, there’s a lot of redacting to hide the identity of undercover officers.”

  “Want me to ask around about that?” Lennie said.

  “You don’t say a word to anyone until we find out what happened at your apartment this morning.” Radar looked up. “You’ve made your safety my concern. Now I’m in charge and this is what we’re going to do. Baccus, you and I are going down to the station to look at the CCTV tape. You tell me who belongs at your complex and who doesn’t.”

  “I’m going to print out the pages,” Decker said. “McAdams and I will go through them word by word. We’ll meet up with you in a couple of hours.”

  “Sounds good. Keep an eye out. I don’t like this at all.”

  After Radar left with Baccus, Rina said, “What can I do?”

  “We’re fine,” Decker said.

  McAdams said, “Actually, it’d be great if you can start looking up dragonfly cafés and see if you can find one that matches the logo on the coffee cup in those black and whites. I was going to do that today, but now it looks like I have other things to do.”

  “Happy to do it, but you know those photos are old. That café might not even exist anymore. But I suppose it’s worth a try.”