Couples

Chapter 30

Holding up a copy of the early edition of the Ledger, Lana joins Eli in front of a bank of vending machines in the courthouse. "Have you seen this?"

"I saw the story come out online around four a.m., Eli replies. "Burrell is claiming it was a deliberate leak to take him down politically. My sources believe it may have come from the Barron household, specifically his wife. She could use it as ammunition for divorce proceedings."

"Uh-huh. She probably wants to go after his assets while there's still something left to take," Lana figures. "When all the details come out, he's going to have a harder time selling the Barron name, especially after that scandal with his beauty pageant."

Eli absently studies the breakfast offerings. "Wherever the press got it, having the story break this fast will make it harder going after other members of the Gaetz organization and the clients in his little black book."

"Gaetz actually has a little black book?" Lana queries.

"Not on paper, but Vice recovered an upscale black laptop with a U.S.B. back-up. Gaetz's people aren't about to give up the password for the computer, but it took the tech on duty last night about five seconds to get into the back-up. The day shift will be working on the hard drive. Apparently, Gaetz wasn't a genius at cybersecurity. Before the end of the day, we'll have access to all his data.

"Unfortunately, his customers will be covering their tracks, or at least their asses. But we'll take what we can get. The johns may be complicit in sex trafficking. However, they're not the ones shoving teenage girls into cargo containers. I've already put out the word to Customs and the Coast Guard on that."

"You've been busy," Lana notes.

Eli nudges his credit card into a machine. "Just starting. With the governor throwing up every roadblock he can, this is going to be a long and hard haul."

"So much for his presidential campaign," Lana notes.

Eli shrugs. "Maybe. He's a charismatic figure. If he blows enough smoke, his supporters may believe him, or at least forgive him. Or the party power brokers could opt to protect the organization and push for his removal from office. Either outcome will clear the way for my boss."

"Which will leave his spot wide open for you," Lana notes, selecting a chilled bottle of juice.

Eli shoves a breakfast burrito into a nearby microwave. "With all the prosecutions involved in this case, it won't be easy finding time to make the run."

Lana takes a swallow of sweet liquid. "Are you kidding? Every media report that comes out about the battling A.D.A. will be a free campaign ad for you. Doing the spectacular job you do, is your campaign."

Eli strips the plastic wrap from an only slightly soggy tortilla. "I hope you're right."


Kate plops a stack of files on the table in the conference room, where she has space to spread out. If Rick were there, he could not only skim all the paperwork but read it in almost no time. Unfortunately, while Rick and Lily go after Rick's new toy, Kate's on her own. She opens the first folder.

The homicide is a pop and drop, the most challenging kind to solve. The victim, identified by fingerprints from a military database, is Manuel Garces. While in the service, Garces served as a line cook in an officer's club. After an honorable discharge, he attended culinary school. The chef worked in various fine dining establishments in the metro area before opening his own restaurant, M.G., in the East Village. His body, however, was found miles from either his home or his restaurant, with no indication of how it got there.

As far as the retired Bob could determine, Garces had no enemies, but Kate isn't sure he looked hard enough before coming to that conclusion. She can start at M.G., now taken over by Garces' wife Julia, and see what she can find out. Given the food angle, Rick's going to love this case.


Hunkering down next to Lily's stroller, Rick points through the antique shop window at the Funko figure. "There it is! We're going to go buy it, and maybe we'll find something for Mama while we're in there."

"Ma," Lily repeats.

"Yes, we'll look for something for Mama, too. A bell over the door tinkles as Rick wheels Lily inside the store. Grabbing his prize, Rick pushes the stroller up to the counter. The proprietor recognizes his earlier pigeon. "Back again, and you brought your adorable daughter. What can I do for you this time?"

Rick plunks down the space-themed collectible. "I'm going to buy this, but I want to look around some more. I thought I might find some trinket for my wife."

The owner gestures grandly around the store. "I have many things a woman would love. Look all you like. Your purchase will be waiting for you."

"I'll bet it will," Rick whispers to Lily as he steers toward a far corner of the emporium. "He's probably trying to figure out how much more money he can squeeze out of me. But it doesn't matter. Who can put a price on the pricelessness of the intrepid captain?"

"Ma," Lily reminds her father.

"Of course," Rick acknowledges. "Mama isn't much for collectibles except for comics, Nebula 9, and elephants. You've seen them around the loft. They're those animals with long noses we call trunks. I read you a book about one. Do you remember 'Horton Hears a Who?'"

"Ooh," Lily responds."

"Right," Rick confirms. "If you see an elephant, let me know."

Rick carefully cruises the shelves. Kate had a point about the place being a junk shop. Rick wonders if the owner participates in storage unit warfare. He might pick up a gem now and then, but he'd have to take possession of a lot of crap to do it. Lily's foot, shod in a new baby-walker shoe, finds its mark against Rick's leg – hard. "Ma! Ooh!"

He checks a display in Lily's eyeline. The shelf holds a carved wooden elephant. Rick's seen many of them before, usually decorated with costume-quality gems and too garish for Kate's tastes. This one, however, is plain, except for jade eyes. Rick's noticed Kate's weakness for jade. He also sees something intriguing about the carefully crafted pachyderm. The wood has almost invisible seams. A puzzle of some sort? That could interest Kate as much as the jade. And the idea of solving a mystery always fascinates Rick. He brings Lily's find to the counter. "I'll take this too."

The proprietor nods, suppressing a smile. He can't remember how long he's been trying to get rid of that elephant. He might even be feeling generous enough to give his mark a break on the price.


Alexis uses a gloved hand to carefully waft the scent of the lotion recovered from the Gaetz raid toward her nose. It has the funky mix of odors of a product aimed more toward men than women. A rank musk reminds Alexis of a body wash that Kate demanded her husband banish from the loft. Having had a whiff of it, Alexis didn't blame her.

As far as the work goes, gc mass spec will separate the G-formula's components and, with any luck, identify them. The newer machine with the direct inlet probe should be able to pick up the less volatile constituents. Alexis will have to wait for it to be available. All the criminalists love it, and as an intern, she is last in the queue. She can check in with Dana in the meantime. It's always great to have a few minutes to do that.