“Without a doubt.” He pointed to Gina Carson, who was sketching in a large Moleskine notebook. “She’s doing something similar, but in a low-tech sort of way.”
“Exactly. She’s a pretty good artist. I caught a glimpse of her sketch at the last stop. She probably does that to cement each crime scene in her mind.”
“She’s been sticking pretty close to Metcalf. Are they a thing now?”
“I don’t think so, but she may be interested. She was the only one who laughed at a lame joke he made yesterday.”
“Oh, then she’s definitely interested. I’ve heard Metcalf’s jokes.”
Kendra looked out at the bay for a long moment.
Beautiful waters. Bright sunlight. Intelligent men, voicing intelligent opinions.
It was all wrong.
“This isn’t working for me,” she said flatly.
“Really?” Lynch said mildly. “Would you like to tell me what isn’t working?”
“This. I can’t work this way.” She whirled toward him and lowered her voice. “The killer is still out there and we’re moving at a crawl. We’re sitting here talking about Metcalf’s love life? A field trip? Everyone is overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of these killings, and we’re stuck just trying to get a handle on it.”
“Griffin says that San Diego PD is coming to brief us after lunch,” Lynch said solemnly. “Won’t that be interesting?”
“Stop being sarcastic. It’s a reasonable thing to do. For them, not for me.”
“Then what do you propose we do?”
He wanted her to be the one to say it. He’d probably been watching and expecting this reaction since they’d arrived here, but he wasn’t going to give her an excuse to argue. “When we break for lunch, I’m splintering off on my own. Are you with me?”
Lynch smiled. “Well, I’m not hanging out with them. Trey Suber might corner me again. Where are we going?”
“I don’t need to crack twenty-six cases. I just need to solve one to get this guy. I need to narrow my focus.”
“On what?”
Kendra watched the group as they started back toward the van. “The case that brought me in. Amanda Robinson. Her body was set on fire in front of an elementary school. I picked up a few things at the scene, but I don’t know how far it’s taken them yet. I’ll start with her.”
“Okay.” He made a grandiose gesture for her to precede him. “I hear and obey. You see how meek and accommodating I’m being? Where you go, I go.”
“Until you decide you won’t. Let’s go tell Griffin.”
Griffin, as it turned out, didn’t need to be told. He stood next to the van’s open door. “Need a lift back to your car?”
Kendra frowned. “How did you know?”
“We’ve worked enough cases together that I know when you’re ready to go your own way. I could see you shifting and pawing your foot all morning.”
“You make me sound like a pony.”
“No, just a very distinguished and intelligent high-bred mare. Do me a favor, though. Keep us in the loop. I really want this dream team idea to work. The media possibilities are enormous and a real career booster. But I need to keep you people from tripping over each other.” He lowered his voice. “I don’t want this investigation to turn into a Marx Brothers routine.”
Lynch slapped the van with the palm of his hand. “Or a clown car?”
“Too late for that.” He climbed into the van. “Climb aboard. The Barnum & Bailey Express is departing.”
*
MINUTES LATER, KENDRA AND Lynch were back in his Ferrari. After he started it, he turned toward her. “Where are we headed?”
Kendra was perusing the FBI report on her tablet. “Amanda Robinson was at the Excite Bar on University Avenue with some coworkers. She sent for a Vroom car and her friends saw her picked up outside the bar. But she never made it home.”
“Did they find the driver?”
“Yes. He reported a no-show for her and we’ve confirmed another fare for him four minutes later. He was cleared. Somebody else intercepted her.”
“Did her friends get a make and model on the car?”
“There’s some dispute. They agree it was a dark midsize sedan and it had a Vroom magnetic decal on the passenger side door.”
“Okay. Any video of the car from traffic or security cams?”
“Not yet. They’re still working on it.”
“Then what’s your play? Interview her coworkers? The staff at the bar?”
“Neither.”
He gave her a questioning look.
She turned off the tablet computer and rested it on her lap. “The San Diego Development Services Department. It’s just down the street.”
*
MINUTES AFTER ARRIVING AT the single-story building on First Street, Kendra and Lynch were shown into the offices of City Development Manager Gareth Zane.
The large office was lined with tall shelves packed with cloth-bound survey maps. A large framed map of San Diego County, obviously decades old, dominated the wall behind the desk.
Zane crossed in front of his desk to shake hands with them. “My assistant just told me you need help with a murder investigation…” His brows lifted. “Did I hear that correctly?”
“I’m afraid so,” she said. “I’m Kendra Michaels and this is Adam Lynch. We’re consulting with the FBI on this case.”
Zane motioned for them to sit down. “This is a first for me. How can I help?”
“Your office issues permits for new construction and structural renovations, is that right?”
“Yes. We make sure the plans conform to code, then afterward we inspect and sign off on the finished projects.”
“And does that mean you have a current file on all in-progress construction projects in the county?”
He nodded. “Theoretically.”
“What does that mean?” Lynch asked.
“Well, at any given time there are dozens, maybe even hundreds, of unpermitted construction projects underway in the county.”
“Do-it-yourselfers?” Kendra said.
“That, unlicensed contractors, plus additions and renovations the property owners know won’t be approved. We’re always on the lookout for violators, but we can only do so much.”
“But what if we’re looking for projects falling within certain parameters?” Kendra said.
“Depends on the parameters. Geographic? Within a certain time span?” Zane motioned toward the computer keyboard on his desk. “We have that information in our database.”
Kendra leaned toward him. “I’m looking for a new home construction site that involved gypsum paving and an in-ground pool. It’s incomplete and it’s not easily visible from nearby structures or streets.”
Zane pursed his lips. “Hmm. I’m afraid our records won’t give you that kind of detail.”
“Then what can you give us?” Lynch said.
Zane thought about it. “Well, I can generate a list of unfinished construction properties that applied for pre-construction permits, but were still listed as unfinished after their target completion date. We usually don’t have materials in the plan and in any case, it’s not a searchable component. But I can include a pool in the search parameters.”
“Do it,” Kendra said. “Please.”
Zane sat behind his desk. After a few minutes of typing, the printer behind him whirred and spat out dozens of printed pages.