Valley of Vice by Steve Garcia

Author:Steve Garcia
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FICTION/Mystery & Detective/Police Procedural
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2013-07-14T16:00:00+00:00

14

Wallace sat scrunched behind the wheel of the car as she and Reyes drove back down the 101 toward the station. “I’m having trouble putting all the pieces together and making sense of them. Every time we try to clear up one question, we seem to raise two more. Now, why in the hell would Brooks visit Pearl?”

“You know why,” Reyes said.

“Then give me other reasons why he would visit Pearl in jail.”

“Ones that don’t make him look guilty?”

“I’ve known the man my whole career. There is no way he turned. No way.”

Reyes gazed at the cars they passed. “Come on, Phil. Why do you think FID talked to Brooks and Cresner?”

“Hell, I don’t know. Brooks is Cresner’s buddy. Maybe Cresner’s mixed up in something and they thought Ray knew something.”

“Phil, if Brooks wasn’t a friend, he’d be number one on your suspect list. Pearl had a guardian angel—a cop—who was also smuggling in dope. Only two people visited Pearl. Only one of those two is a cop. Well, at least we think so. Let me run the other guy.”

Reyes turned the computer and typed in the name. Wallace glanced over at the photo.

“Skinny-looking dude.”

“Not bad for a dead man, though.” Reyes pointed to the status line.

“Dead?”

“The report says he was found dead in front of Hamilton’s Home Appliances on East Sixth. Shot.”

“When?”

“About four weeks ago. Unsolved, but suspected drug related.”

“Do we have anything else on him?”

“It looks like he was a two-bit pusher. Numerous arrests, two convictions. Possession. Assault in a bar fight. He could be our drug mule.”

“How in the hell did a convicted dope-dealing felon get access to an addict in jail who was awaiting trial for shooting a cop? That’s beyond comprehension.”

“Pearl’s guardian angel?”

“Had to be. When we get back, I’m going to get Brooks on the side and see what he can tell us.”

“I’d be careful, Phil. The way he reacted in the OR about us listening in on Cresner—I’ve never seen him get so angry. I mean, he was pissed. He didn’t want to hear anyone suggest that Cresner was dirty. If you confront him, he’s going to take it as an attack on his own character. That kind of thing could linger in his gut for a long time.”

“Maybe you’re right, but I have to do something.”

Wallace thought hard about Brooks. Reyes was one hundred percent correct. Talking to him about his visit to Pearl was risky enough as far as their friendship went. She’d get his back up, sure as shit. Also, if she talked to Brooks about the investigation, there was a good chance word would get back to FID. David’s bosses would probably want to know if he leaked information to her. He would be furious, claiming she was interfering in his job. And that wasn’t the kind of thing you could leave at the office.

“Let’s go over a few things,” she said. “Ducker said Pearl bought his way out of jail by giving somebody up. What if

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