Chapter 23
Peter had already navigated out of the main airport complex and onto Pacific Highway, a busy four-lane surface road with the elevated light-rail line on one side and a long string of chain hotels and cheap airport parking on the other.
Lewis said, “Did you tell the cops about that tape?”
“I wanted to talk to you guys first.”
“I think you have to share it,” June said. “It’s a game-changer.”
Lewis frowned. “Problem is, you don’t exactly trust the cops to do the right thing. Plus they might limit our moves, get all up in our business.”
“Police departments keep intelligence files on fringe groups,” June said. “So does the FBI. What if someone already knows who these guys are? All we’re doing is helping them connect the dots to KT’s murder.”
“The mayor and the chief of police don’t seem too keen on connecting the dots,” Peter said. “They just want the political win. Plus they have their hands full with the tech conference coming up. Although I have to say, Durant seems to want to do the right thing.”
Lewis shrugged. “Sharing with him might earn you some goodwill on the whole felony-kidnapping thing. Let him see you trying to be part of the solution.”
“I had that thought, too,” Peter admitted.
“Okay,” June said. “Play the tape again and I’ll make a recording on my phone. Then I can forward it to the captain.”
Peter parked behind a drive-through espresso place to limit the road noise on the recording. The message was no less disturbing on the fourth listen. He gave June Durant’s number and she texted him the audio attachment, identifying herself as a journalist and a friend of KT’s.
Waiting for a response, they sat in the warm car while the rain poured down and talked about next steps.
“I still haven’t heard from those three guys KT interviewed,” June said. “I’ve pinged them twice. They may never get back to me. We’ll probably need to find them. Which means I need to do some more digging, get their phones and cars and home addresses, so we can walk up on them in person.”
Peter said, “Geoffrey Reed worked around here, didn’t he?”
“Just up the road,” June said. “At the Speed Mart.” Then her phone rang. It was Durant. She put it on speaker and set it on the center console.
“Thank you for sending that recording, Ms. Cassidy. How did you come to have it?”
“Peter Ash gave it to me. He and Eleanor Thorsen found a cassette tape at her house when they returned to get her things. A man was in the house, searching the office. When Peter and Ellie walked in the front, the man went out the back. The lock had been forced.”
“Is Mr. Ash with you right now?”
Peter and June had already decided that they wouldn’t let Durant know Peter was on the call. With a felony warrant on his head, Peter’s presence at her side would make her an accessory after the fact.
She put a hand on his thigh and squeezed. “We’re in touch,” she said. “He thought it would be good for you to know what happened. That it would convince you to reopen the case.”
“Unfortunately, it’s not up to me, but I’ll share this with the relevant parties. Tell Mr. Ash not to get his hopes up.”
June’s voice rose. “Captain, someone broke into Katelyn’s house after her killer was dead. The recording provides an entirely new angle of investigation. What more do you need? Another dead body?”
Durant sighed. “Ms. Cassidy, I appreciate what you and Mr. Ash are trying to do. And I will pass this information on. But the truth is, my hands are tied. We’re short on manpower and the Conference for the Future begins in two days.
Ten thousand attendees are already arriving, filling our hotels and restaurants and souvenir shops.
The city doesn’t need any bad press, especially about motel killings and attempted murders on a public street in broad daylight. ”
“So if Peter keeps looking into this, he’s on his own. That’s what you’re saying?”
“Quite the opposite. Mr. Ash is already facing an arrest warrant for felony child endangerment and kidnapping of a minor. If he doesn’t step away and allow our investigators to do their jobs, he’ll also be charged with obstruction. So I would say he’d do better to worry about himself.”
“May I ask,” June said, “if your techs have found anything pertinent on KT’s phone or laptop?”
“Their last report was not optimistic,” Durant said.
“But I can share something Detective Kitzinger discovered today. One of the victim’s neighbors had a doorbell camera.
A recording showed Enderby’s Toyota parked on Ms. Thorsen’s street when we arrived to get her a change of clothes.
It left right after we did. Our working assumption is that Enderby followed us to the motel.
He was not tipped off by anyone from the SPD. ”
June looked at Peter. “I’ll pass that on. It’s good to know your detectives are still chasing down loose ends.”
“We are. But as I already told Mr. Ash, don’t get any ideas about reaching out to my people.
Detectives Kitzinger and O’Donnell are quite busy and are not authorized to speak with journalists.
We’re badly understaffed as it is and I don’t want you interfering with their work.
” Durant cleared his throat. “One more thing. I’m sure you’re aware that Eleanor Thorsen has gone missing.
She was last seen with Mr. Ash. Do you know her whereabouts? ”
“I’m sorry, Captain. I can’t help you on that.”
“Because of her mother’s death, she’s officially a ward of the state. We’re concerned about her emotional well-being. Mr. Ash told me he would bring her to Child Protective Services by lunchtime, but we haven’t seen her yet. If you know where she is, you should tell me now.”
June looked at Peter. He shook his head. She said, “If I learn something new, I’ll definitely be in touch. And I might reach out with more questions, if you don’t mind. I’m working on a piece about KT’s death. You understand that it’s in your department’s interest that you talk to me.”
“That’s what every journalist says, Ms. Cassidy. Right before they hang the cops out to dry.”
And with that, Durant ended the call.
June leaned forward between the front seats. “I don’t think the captain is happy with you, Peter.”
“I’m not that happy with him, either. Why the hell aren’t they diving deeper into this thing?”
“Policing is always political,” June said. “Especially at the command level. It sounds like he’s getting a lot of pressure to stick with a certain result.”
“Why don’t we just bypass Durant and release the tape to one of the local TV stations?”
“All we have is that tape,” June said. “Everything else is speculation. We can’t prove anything. And if you think Durant is pissed at you now, if you release that recording, the department bosses will have the whole day shift out looking for you.”
Peter knew she was right. Actually, he didn’t mind the official lack of interest at all. It meant he was free to chase this thing on his own.
June said, “The detectives probably won’t talk to me because I’m a journalist, but they may still talk to you, no matter what Durant told them. They also might be more interested in new information than Durant will admit.”
Peter thought about it for a moment. Calling Kitzinger would piss off Captain Durant, but with a warrant out for Peter’s arrest, that ship had already sailed.
Making contact was also a risk because if Kitzinger wanted to roll him up, she could trace his burner.
But that would likely take a while, and it was better than using June’s phone and putting her in legal jeopardy.
He pulled out Kitzinger’s business card and made the call.
It went to voicemail immediately. He said, “Detective Kitzinger, this is Peter Ash. Call me back when you have a minute, I have some new information about Katelyn Thorsen’s death.”
As he put the phone away, Lewis said, “You believe Durant about the killer following the cops to the motel?”
Peter put the car in gear and eased around the espresso shack to the street.
“It’s a reasonable explanation. Two police cruisers sandwiching a big SUV, it’s an easy follow.
Especially because the driver of the rear cruiser would have had no reason to look for a tail.
” There was a gap in traffic. He hit the gas and pulled onto Pacific Highway.
“Let’s go back to Stella’s house and get June set up so she can keep digging.
Once she figures out how to find the people KT interviewed, we can make a plan. ”
“That reminds me,” Lewis said. “I didn’t bring a piece. I need to make a stop before things get loud.”
“We can do that now if you want,” Peter said.
Lewis smiled, his teeth bright. “Better at night.”
June said, “I think we just passed the convenience store where Geoffrey Reed worked.”
“Should I turn around?”
“No. But his sister’s house isn’t far. Why don’t we stop and see if she wants to talk?”