Faye Kellerman_Decker & Lazarus 12 by Stalker

Author:Stalker [Stalker]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Los Angeles (Calif.), Police Procedural, Detective and Mystery Stories, Police, Mystery & Detective, Jews; American, Lazarus; Rina (Fictitious Character.), Lazarus; Rina (Fictitious Character), Stalking, Fathers and Daughters, Decker; Peter (Fictitious Character.), Murder, Mystery Fiction, Decker; Peter (Fictitious Character), General, Stalking Victims, Policewomen - California - Los Angeles
ISBN: 9780753164204
Publisher: Avon
Published: 2000-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

21

When Decker knocked on the door, it opened by itself, revealing a slice of jaundiced light. Using his handkerchief, he pushed the wooden barrier and exposed the mess, eyes attempting to process the disgust and violation. But his rage interfered—deep, primal rage!

“Careful where you step,” Oliver said to him. “I haven’t gone over any of this.”

“Where is she?” Decker’s voice came out a growl.

“Taking a bath.” Oliver sneaked a sidelong glance at his boss; Deck looked glazed, eyes frozen and without light. “I told her to soak for a while. She had a Polaroid camera, so I took pictures and drew sketches before I wiped down the tub. The bathroom snapshots and sketches are on the mantel. Next to the figurines—which someone arranged in obscene positions.”

Decker stepped inside and shut the door. He didn’t go over to the mantel. Instead, he honed in on Oliver. Scott wore gloves and a face mask. When he saw Decker staring at him, he removed the mask. “What?”

“You tell me,” Decker said.

“I got here around one-thirty. Apparently, she came home ten minutes earlier and found it like this.”

“Does she have any ideas about this?”

“I think she does, but we didn’t get that far.”

Choose your words carefully, Decker told himself. “You’ve been here before, haven’t you…in this apartment.”

Oliver tried to appear casual. But sweat dotted his upper lip. “I was here with you and Marge a couple of nights ago asking her questions—”

“Oliver—”

“Once before that,” Oliver broke in. “I took her home from Bellini’s. You familiar with the place?”

“Should I be?”

“It’s a cops’ bar in Hollywood. When I went out to meet with Osmondson—to get Hollywood’s carjacking files—I saw her there. She was piling on the beers pretty heavily. When she got up to leave, she looked unsteady. I didn’t want her driving, so I drove her home. You can guess why I didn’t tell about it.”

Cindy had asked him not to. Decker kept calm. “She was drunk?”

“Actually, she was more sick than anything else.”

“That’s not like her.” Although Decker realized that he knew little about his daughter’s personal life. “Was she upset about something?”

Oliver shrugged. “She’s the new kid on the block and Hollywood’s a tough division…very established in the old school. Hard place to break in. I’m sure she was upset about lots of things.”

“Was she getting flak from someone?”

“She’s young, she’s female, she’s smart, and she has a big mouth. I’m sure she’s getting lots of flak. Did she give me any specifics? No. I was simply the taxicab that night.”

Decker said, “Did she call you to come by tonight?”

“No, I just…happened to be in the area. I’d thought I’d stop by.”

No one spoke. The seconds dragged on, the silence more accusing than words. Oliver bumbled on.

“Marge called me around twelve-thirty. She told me about you three going out and investigating a Camry that went over a mountain cliff in Angeles Crest. Apparently, Cindy was tailing it and lost it somewhere up there.” He looked at Decker for confirmation.

“And?” Decker asked.

“Marge wanted us…meaning her and me…to go out there tomorrow.

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