A Killing in China Basin

FORTY-TWO


San Francisco homicide inspectors are expected to clock in, work an eight hour day, and get approval for any overtime. If approved, you filled out one of the little salmon-pink cards, but Raveneau often ignored that. He worked whatever it took.

He was standing at the windows drinking coffee and watching the dawn when he heard the office door open. A few minutes later Lieutenant Becker walked back.

‘I’m not in today,’ Becker said, voice flat, eyes bloodshot as Raveneau turned and looked at him. ‘I was at the hospital all night. My brother isn’t doing well.’

Raveneau put an arm around Becker’s shoulders, knowing there was little he could say. He washed two mugs and brought Becker coffee. Then they stood at the windows as the sky turned pink with sunrise.

‘My brother’s daughter, my niece, Jolie, just turned seventeen. She and her dad are close but she’s a troubled kid, problems with drugs, a new tattoo or piercing every three weeks, and a knack for hanging out with all the wrong people. In any group she’ll figure out the one who’s going to get arrested and gravitate toward them unconsciously. But underneath it, she’s a good kid. It’s looking like they’re going to charge her former boyfriend and I don’t know how Jolie’s going to handle it. I don’t know what to do.’

‘Where’s her mom?’

‘In Minnesota with two young kids and a new family. She remarried after the divorce. She knows Alan was shot but we haven’t heard a word from her about Jolie.’

‘Can she live with you?’

‘My wife doesn’t like her and we don’t really have enough room but she’s going to have to move in with us, at least for the moment. Right now, she’s staying with her best friend. I’ve got to keep her in high school. That’s job one right now. Somehow I’ve got to keep her on track, but all I can think about is her ex-boyfriend.’

‘Is there new evidence?’

‘They’re waiting for DNA results.’

‘When are those?’

‘Today. There was blood at the scene that wasn’t Alan’s. The ex-boyfriend had a cut on his right forearm he claims happened when he fell off his bike. He also told the investigators he hasn’t been at the house in months. If they get a match today they’ll charge him.’

Becker gripped the coffee cup with both hands. He hadn’t touched any of it. His eyes were bloodshot as he turned and said, ‘Oakland is moving forward with a case against Bates. They’ve got a signed statement from the girlfriend.’

Raveneau nodded. He was aware. He had talked to Stalos for half an hour yesterday. Oakland wanted them to agree before they charged Bates. They didn’t want any blowback from SF Homicide.

‘Where are we at with Cody Stoltz?’ Becker asked.

‘I’ve asked the FBI to get a UFAP warrant on him.’

‘How are they going to do that if we don’t really have anything on him?’

‘They can get a warrant on anybody they want nowadays. They’ll get the warrant.’

‘We’d still need a way to hold him.’

‘Yeah, but we also need help finding him.’

Raveneau told him about the private investigator following Stoltz north after Stoltz left the hotel late at night, but Becker seemed to already know about that. The Feds would get the UFAP and then they’d be all over Stoltz’s phone pen register. With phones, the FBI could track real time and that might be their best chance of locating him. But Becker was right, unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was a probable cause apprehension. If apprehended, they’d need evidence to hold him.

‘There was a phone call made from LA last night,’ Raveneau said. ‘That phone seems to belong to a non-existent person but it may have been him calling here.’

‘Made to where?’

‘Here. Want to hear it?’

Raveneau put the message on speaker phone.

‘I’m ready to go again. Are you?’

He pushed the volume up. With just Becker and him in the office he replayed it several times, then said, ‘The call came from LA. It’s similar to another one I got a day or two after we caught the China Basin killing. That’s something I can’t put together.’

‘What was that message?’

‘Also short, one line with some vehicle noise in the background, a man saying, “So you found her.” That call was made from one of these PCS one month phones where you try out the unlimited local service for forty bucks or whatever it is. The phone owner gave a false ID.’

‘This recent call was from Los Angeles?’

‘Yes.’

‘Could be somebody playing with us.’

‘Sure.’

Becker set the coffee down, still untouched. He squinted up at Raveneau.

‘And la Rosa is fine?’

‘A mild concussion and stitches where the bullet plowed a groove in her scalp, and that’ll be tender this morning, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she showed up here. She wants to strap her gun on and go Volvo hunting.’

‘What does she remember?’

‘Not enough. It happened fast, shooter wore a mask, and she didn’t see much.’

Becker didn’t respond to that, no doubt had heard that already. Raveneau watched him go back into his grief. Becker left the homicide office soon after and returned to the hospital where his brother died just before noon.