(Okay fans - Here's the answer to most of your questions. Again huge thanks to Karen B for being my collaborator and beta.)
Chapter 10
Back in the suite, they found that Andrea had set out a coffee tray for them. Paul was on the phone, obviously with one of his operatives. Perry poured a cup of coffee for him and one for Tragg.
"So what did your office say?"
Tragg took a sip of the coffee and immediately reached for the sugar. "Well, Kendall is a cop. He's assigned to the Hollywood precinct so that's why I didn't recognize the name. He's been on the force for 4 years. No problems, good record. I'm having his file sent over ASAP."
Perry looked over as Paul hung up. "Anything?"
"I've got every available operative working a four-block radius of the hotel. They've talked to doormen, cabbies, hot dog vendors, you name it. So far no one saw anyone remotely resembling Della. Faulkner's running point with my team. How about you?"
Perry grimaced as he took a sip of the very strong coffee. "We got a hit at the last shop. A police officer, Robert Kendall, took her out of the place by saying he'd been sent by Lieutenant 'Flag'." Perry tried to smile as he tilted his head toward the glum cop, who was spooning more sugar into his cup.
"Yeah, real funny Mason. She only could remember Kendall's name because he was good looking."
At Paul's questioning look, Perry just shook his head.
Tragg downed the coffee and reached for the carafe again. "So do either of you recognize that name?"
Both men shook their heads. But then Paul slammed his hand down on the arm of the wheelchair. "Perry the name! Robert! Bob...BK!"
Both Perry and Tragg stared at the detective, suddenly realizing he had given them the first clue.
"Okay..." At that moment the phone rang, interrupting Perry. He was the first to grab it, hoping against hope it would be Della. "Hello? Yes. Right. Send him up." Hanging up the phone, he sank back on the couch. "Sergeant Brice is on his way up with the file."
Looking at the lawyer's face, Tragg thought he could see Perry age before his eyes. "Perry we've got something to start with now. Let's see what the file says. We aren't done yet."
Perry managed a weak smile. "Thank you Arthur. I know she means a lot to you too."
At the knock on the door, Tragg stood and crossed to admit the sergeant. Taking the file, he returned and spread it out on the table.
For the next hour, they read and reread every detail about the man who had taken Della. His record was almost too good to be true. Perfect grades at the academy. An excellent marksman yet had never drawn his gun in the line of duty. Went from foot patrol up the ranks until his current assignment in Homicide. Nothing out of the ordinary.
"Perry finally slumped back against the couch, rubbing his tired eyes. "He's like a Hollywood movie version of a cop."
Tragg was still flipping through the papers. "That's just it. Something's off. I've never had an officer with that spotless a record. There's always something, even if it's just a challenged traffic ticket."
Perry stared at the ceiling, going over and over questions in his mind. How had this man found out where they were? How did he know Della would be shopping? Once he knew where they were, had he been watching and waiting on the off chance Della would be alone? How had he gotten her out of the hotel without anyone seeing them? But the one question that haunted Perry the most - why had he let her go alone?
Paul, seeing his best friend lost in his own anguish, asked Tragg for Kendall's police academy application. The lieutenant shuffled papers around until he found the right page.
"Pretty standard stuff. It all would have been checked and verified."
But Paul ignored the comments and scanned the application. "With one exception." Perry sat straight up and Tragg stood to look over Paul's shoulder. "Notice the line for 'Next of Kin'."
Now Perry was standing next to Paul. "Okay, it's blank. I don't understand."
"Perry, when most people fill out a job application, if something doesn't apply they would put a Not Applicable, Unknown, None, etc."
"Tragg..." The lieutenant was already picking up the phone. While he barked orders, Perry looked at Paul.
"Got any friends at the FBI?"
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It took a little over an hour, with Tragg's resources plus Paul's FBI contact, but they now had another piece of the puzzle. Kendall had a sister by the name of Marion. Following the trail of paperwork, they searched the vital records for LA and the surrounding counties. Everything came together when they found the marriage certificate that revealed that Marion's married name was Shelby, and that she was the widow - and convicted murderer - of her husband Scott.**
After a call to the California Institution for Women in Corona, Perry learned that Marion Shelby had died 6 months ago after contracting pneumonia in prison.
Tragg grabbed his hat. "Let's get going."
**(A/N-TCOT Half-Wakened Wife. Perry's Navy buddy, Frank Lawton, was accused of the murder. But Arthur Williams had set up his infrared camera, which took a picture of Marion bending over her husband, holding a shotgun. Frank was cleared.)
