Chapter 20
Private notes: Detective Callum Baxter (LAPD)
Lunch with Gina was productive. Turns out the gossip rags weren’t making things up—Gina did look at Advani as a suspect in the Jocelyn Wai case. But Wai’s fall was eventually ruled an accident.
Off the record, Gina stated that she doesn’t buy the accident theory, but her hands are tied. “Advani had a rock-solid alibi. Didn’t even have to rely on his drunk friend to back him up—the friend’s apartment complex is high-end, has security cameras in all the public zones.
“It showed him coming over, the two of them going out to buy beers, then Advani opening the door to accept a food delivery. No sign he ever left the building. And no sign he ever reentered Jocelyn Wai’s after he walked out earlier that night—her building had even more cameras.
We checked his phone location anyway, but nada.
It was at the friend’s place the entire time.
“If he did it, he’s a brilliant psychopath.
Scariest thing is he was only twenty-three and maybe six, seven months, when Jocelyn died.
If you’re right about him being involved in Virna Musgrave’s death, that’s two women in the space of, what, three years?
What’s the word for an unmarried black widower? ”
As for motive—that’s tricky, because there’s no financial one. He wasn’t in Wai’s will. But Gina estimates Wai spent probably half a mil on Advani over the course of their relationship.
“They lived large, were snapped at all the hot spots, and I don’t think he was paying for it—that would’ve wiped him out, even at his salary.
No, our boy has a way of hooking up with wealthy women, and having those women show him a good time—then die on him.
You know how he got his Venice Beach condo, right? Look up Susanne Winthorpe.”
I expected Suzi W to be some hot stripper or dancer.
Yeah, got that one really, really wrong.