CHAPTER THIRTY
Jessie didn’t have time to sulk.
There was still a killer to catch and moping over this most recent setback wouldn’t get her any closer to finding them.
They were keeping Martinez in a holding cell until her alibi could be verified, but mentally, Jessie had already moved on.
She reminded herself that this line of inquiry wasn’t necessarily a total waste of time.
The only firm connection among the three victims remained their association with IILA. That was still worth pursuing.
Just because the non-profit was a scam, that didn’t mean it wasn’t how the killer was choosing their victims. They knew it had something to do with immigration, and perhaps—as hinted at by the green cards on plates—some theme of family rituals disrupted.
Unfortunately, those disparate pieces weren’t clicking into place.
They had no clue as to the murderer’s true motive.
And then it hit her. Maybe they shouldn’t be focusing on the killer’s worldview so much as the victims’. She and Sam just needed to find what else connected them. And if that connection was shared by anyone else. Maybe determining the likely next victim would lead them to their killer.
“I have an idea,” she said to the group assembled in the research department.
Sam, Jamil, and Beth all looked up. “We’re going through all these databases and personal histories, looking for what the victims have in common.
But without the proper context, we might be missing something obvious that could send us in the right direction. ”
“What do you mean?” Sam asked.
“I mean, what if we took our updated list of victims, along with the names of the other members of IILA to an expert, someone who might see a similarity among them that we wouldn’t even know to look for?”
She could tell from his flushed cheeks that Sam already knew who she was talking about.
“Fine,” he said with a sheepish look, “let’s go.”
“Where are you going?” Beth asked.
Sam didn’t answer, so Jessie did.
“To see Detective Goodwin’s secret crush.”
*
Jessie wanted to mock him, but Sam was doing a halfway decent job of avoiding embarrassing himself.
He was the one who called ahead to see if Claire Vallejo was at her office and available.
She was. And in the few minutes that they’d been seated across from her, he’d maintained a professional, mostly goofiness-free persona.
Maybe it was because of the seriousness of the situation, the gravity of which Claire obviously appreciated.
“I get that there’s a ticking clock based on the timing of the prior murders,” she said after reviewing the list of names they’d given her, “But I have to say that no obvious connection is jumping out at me.”
“Are you sure?” Sam said almost pleadingly.
Claire rubbed her temples as she looked over the list again.
Like yesterday, she was dressed in slacks and a blouse, this time black and white respectively.
Jessie noted that at some point after they’d arrived but before they got into the purpose of their visit, she had unbuttoned the top button of the blouse.
Whether that was because she was overheated or wanted to pique Sam’s interest was up for debate.
She looked up at them with disappointment in her eyes.
“The truth is that I spend much of my time focused on the people and groups who vilify and attack immigrant women,” she explained.
“Obviously I’m an advocate for these women, but my energy is usually spent on more vulnerable populations, rather than those who married well.
Not that they don’t deserve respect too, but they have so many other resources available to them.
I’m more worried about those who fall through the cracks.
Or at least I was until now. It’s starting to look like even wealth isn’t a protection against people with ill intent. ”
“Right,” Jessie agreed. “In fact, these women seem to be targeted, in part, because of their wealth, not in spite of it. But I don’t want to assume that’s the only reason.
Each of these women was part of IILA. Even though that organization wasn’t genuine, it doesn’t mean their good intentions weren’t.
Maybe they were targeted because they belonged to an immigrant advocacy group rather than because they were rich.
That’s why we’re hoping you can help. To your knowledge, have any of the other women on this list been vocal in support of immigration rights, perhaps beyond just providing money? ”
Claire leaned back in her chair and sighed in frustration.
“None fit that description, at least not by looking at their names. I mean, I obviously recognize some of the high profile people. But my records don’t focus on their advocacy efforts. They focus on the perpetrators of prejudice and violence.”
Now it was Jessie’s turn to sigh in frustration. Claire saw it and obviously felt bad.
“Listen, maybe I’m overlooking something,” she conceded.
“Normally I wouldn’t do this, but I’m happy to share all my data with you.
Maybe your team can go through it and pick up on something I haven’t.
I don’t have easy access to criminal records like you do.
Maybe someone in my hate group database had run-ins with all of your victims. I wouldn’t be aware of something like that.
Or maybe a group that I track has had confrontations with IILA, either in person or online.
I’m a one-woman operation so I keep my concentration tightly focused on what drives me.
Maybe I have blind spots that you won’t. ”
“You’d be willing to give us your data?” Sam asked, heartened by the suggestion.
“Of course” she said. “If it helps catch a killer, then who cares about that proprietary stuff. I would just ask that you keep it tightly held among your team. If it leaked out to the media, or god forbid, any of the groups I track, that could be devastating to my work, and maybe even to my safety.”
“You can trust us,” Sam assured her.
Claire smiled for the first time since they’d arrived.
“I never had any doubt about you, Detective Goodwin,” she said softly.
Despite his best efforts, Sam blushed. But when he spoke, his voice was strong.
“You should also take some extra precautions,” he told her. “If the person responsible for these murders had animus to these women because of their advocacy, rather than just their immigration status, then others who do that work could be at risk too. You might be a target.”
“Does that mean you’re offering me protection, Detective Goodwin?” she asked with a shy smile.
Sam was at a loss for words. Jessie did her best to cover for him.
“We can certainly arrange something for you,” she said quickly. “And maybe when time permits, Sam could check in on you to make sure you’re safe.”
“I’d like that,” Claire said, speaking to Jessie but keeping her eyes squarely on Sam.
“In the meantime,” Jessie continued, “If you could copy that stuff for us ASAP, we’d really appreciate it. Time is getting short.”
“Sorry, of course,” Claire replied. “I’ll do that now.
And I don’t need any special police protection.
Because of the people I track, I take precautions anyway.
My building isn’t that big but it has a secured parking lot and there’s an armed guard in the lobby.
All visitors have to check in with him and get authorization from the tenant before going up.
Still, I’ll make sure to keep my door locked until this gets resolved.
But I wouldn’t mind an escort to my car when we’re done here. ”
Sam nodded nervously. “Not a problem.”
Jessie was glad that her efforts to play Cupid were paying off. But any blossoming relationship would have to take a backseat for now. They needed to get this data to Jamil. Lives might depend on it.