A Killing in China Basin

FORTY-EIGHT


‘Hey,’ Celeste said, ‘where are you?’

‘Just getting home.’

‘Want to go back out instead? I just finished this wine thing at the Four Seasons and I’ve got a room here tonight and an expense account for dinner.’

Tonight the elevator seemed louder than usual and he could barely hear her as he rode up. Even if he went back out he needed to feed the cat first. He got out of the elevator and climbed the stairs to the cool air of the roof. Horsetails of cirrus clouds fanned into moonlight.

‘Let me feed the cat and then I’ll meet you there. I’ll probably be half an hour. Is that OK?’

‘I’ll be in the bar.’

He called for Visa and heard a meow, but it took a while to figure out where it was coming from. When he did, he wasn’t sure how to get Visa out.

Soon after he’d moved here, the owner, Mr Han, had hired a contractor to install iron braces that connected the roof framing to the brick parapet, a city earthquake bracing requirement. In March it had rained almost every day and there were leaks in and around where the contractor had worked, so Han was up on the roof innumerable times arguing with the contractor, and finally the contractor built a temporary plywood contraption over one of the seismic braces that leaked the worst.

Somehow Visa had gotten inside that plywood box and Raveneau felt around in the darkness for the opening the cat crawled through. When he found it, Visa still wouldn’t come out. But a can of food did the trick and he left Visa eating.

By the time he got downstairs again to his car he was running late to meet Celeste. To head toward the Four Seasons he needed to make a U-turn, but ahead of him a car a few blocks down pulled away in a manner that made him curious. He followed it intending to turn around soon, but closed in a little when it became obvious the driver didn’t want him catching up.

So now the cop in him kicked in and he stayed with it, an old Ford Taurus, one of the SHO cars, the faster model. It swung left, the driver tapping his brakes as he rolled through a stop sign, and then picked up speed. He went right with his tires squealing. As Raveneau neared, he swung hard on to the 101 ramp and gunned it on to the southbound freeway, Raveneau following but not gaining. When the Taurus broke right at the 280 split Raveneau picked up his cell and called the SID team leader.

‘How certain are you Stoltz is home?’

‘We just watched a light go off upstairs.’

‘I’m following a car that was parked down the street from where I live. The driver is on 280 and moving at ninety. He doesn’t want me to catch him. The car is a Ford Taurus maybe ten years old and dark-colored. I’ve fallen way back from him now and he’s slowed but is still moving fast. I’m not going to get close enough for plates.’

‘We can call the CHP right now.’

So could Raveneau but he didn’t want that. ‘I want to know where he’s going,’ he said.

He felt the minutes go by, felt Celeste waiting for him as he chased the car down 280. When the car exited near Palo Alto, Raveneau lost him in the hills, but was able to give SID a partial plate before turning back to San Francisco.

‘Plates start with the letters A and L and contain the number four.’

‘We’ll keep our eyes peeled but we think he’s inside.’

‘Call me when you find the car.’

The officer chuckled, said, ‘You got it.’

He called Celeste, told her what happened, and apologized. ‘I’m on my way to you now.’

When he got to the Four Seasons Celeste was at the bar and a little bit drunk. She was trying to be cheerful but couldn’t understand why he didn’t call her earlier.

‘I was afraid you’d stood me up. Remember I said all you ever have to do is call and let me know.’

‘I’m sorry, I was wrapped up in this guy I was following. How about we restart the night?’

But it didn’t work out very well. They split a bottle of wine at dinner but after drinking whatever she had before he got there it was more than she could handle. Suddenly they were talking about her old boyfriend again, how he left her, how much it hurt her, and then back to now and how all she needed was a phone call as she waited at the bar. That was all fair.

After dinner they went up to her room and Celeste said, ‘I’m really drunk,’ and fell asleep on top of the bed with her clothes on. He thought about going home but instead undressed her and put her under the covers, and then moved a chair over to the window and sat thinking about la Rosa’s close call, the car he’d chased, and Becker’s face after his brother was shot.

He listened to Celeste’s soft snore and wondered how much he really knew about her. She’d gone a long way over the edge worrying when he didn’t show up on time and put away three martinis. Maybe her old boyfriend leaving her had left her damaged in a way he couldn’t help.

Sometime later he got into bed with her, and very late in the night he woke to her whispered, ‘I’m sorry for thinking you stood me up and sorry for getting so scared. I didn’t used to be like that, and I’m sorry I talk about Gary too much. I know if I don’t stop you’re going to go away. Sometimes I feel like I’ve done everything wrong. Things that seemed right at the time, that look like bad decisions now.’

‘I like being with you. That’s why I’m here.’

‘Being with a drunk.’

‘You’re not a drunk.’

His cell rang and Raveneau reached for it.

‘Inspector, sorry to bother you but about fifteen minutes ago in the hills behind Stoltz’s house we found a Taurus matching your description and with an A, an L, and a number four on the plates. It’s on a street about a mile and a half from here and registered to a David Williams.’

Raveneau shut his phone slowly. He reached over for Celeste and held her tight for several minutes. Then kissed her and got dressed. If that was Stoltz in China Basin, then Stoltz was out of control. Celeste spoke as he was dressing.

‘I understand if you want to end it.’

‘That’s the last thing I want. I’ll call you.’