A Killing in China Basin

THIRTY-SEVEN


The Stoltz family owned a small house in wooded hills west of the Napa Valley. The house sat well back from the road hidden from passing cars by a stand of oaks. Stoltz liked the house. He felt comfortable here. For hours he worked at the kitchen table with his laptop in front of him, and gave only occasional thought to the homicide inspectors. He was good at compartmentalizing things.

When he turned the TV on and Raveneau’s partner, Elizabeth la Rosa, was saying they’d just like to talk to him, it was for a moment as if she was speaking about another person, not him. She looked poised in front of the camera. She looked like a natural and spoke as though personally to him, asking that he just come in and talk with them. After that, she took questions, and answered with the usual police evasiveness.

‘Do the San Francisco police believe he should be questioned regarding the Walnut Creek shooting?’ she was asked.

‘We’d like to talk to him about a number of things.’

‘Do you have proof the Walnut Creek shooting is connected to the two murders?’

‘We haven’t connected the murder of Jacie Bates to Inspector Whitacre’s death. We have ongoing investigations and many open questions. We need the public’s help in locating Mr Stoltz and convincing him to talk with us.’

‘Are you aware the Walnut Creek police arrested a suspect an hour ago?’

‘Yes, we’re aware they have a person of interest.’

‘Do you have any comment about that arrest?’

‘No.’

The press conference ended and then his face was on the screen with the announcer saying, ‘Police are looking for help finding this man. Anyone who has seen him is urged to call—’

He left the TV and walked to the window. He looked through the trees to the driveway, wondering if they knew he was here. This wasn’t exactly a secret site. His mother paid property taxes. The house was in her name.

When he returned to the TV the report was over. They’d moved on to sports. Stoltz sat down and closed his eyes. So he was their prime suspect just as he’d known he would be, and they were trying him in the press because that’s the way the system works. Later, he’d sue them and win, and wasn’t that what he’d wanted? It had to end the way it was supposed to, which had nothing to do with the San Francisco police.

He listened to a branch scraping the roof and tried to think it through. The growing media presence was a factor that he needed to adjust to. If the media stayed with this story she might become aware. She might figure it out. She might know he was coming for her.